sham battle; mock battle; dry run; military exercise; war game
newcomer; new figure; new member; modern humans (from Cro-Magnon man onwards); Homo sapiens
opponent; adversary; the competition; the other side; one's enemy
mouth; lips; shape of the mouth; near an entrance; vicinity of an entrance
godsend; lifesaver; timely offer; windfall
certainly; without fail; right and wrong; pros and cons
to become misty; to become hazy
at last; finally; barely; narrowly; just
to leave nothing undone; to give good service; to attend to everything; to be on someone's tracks (e.g. police); to catch up with; to close in on
may; might; perhaps; may be; possibly
anxiously; impatiently; worriedly; fretting; getting worked up
so-and-so; who?; which people?
to have an eye on; to zero in on
selecting a suitable person; personnel selection
recommendation; referral; endorsement
right to choose; a say; option
five; five years of age; eight o'clock (old time system)
to lurk; to be hidden; to be concealed; to lie dormant; to be latent
one day; (on) a certain day
to poke (repeatedly, lightly); to nudge; to peck at (one's food); to pick at; to peck at (someone's faults, etc.); to egg on
in all; in total; collectively; in addition; besides; at the same time
test (of ability, knowledge, etc.); exam; test (of performance, quality, etc.); trial; rehearsal
measure; step; countermeasure; counterplan; countermove; strategy
to pant (while rushing); to gasp; to puff and blow
sake cup; cup for alcoholic beverages; ritual exchange of cups (to seal a bond or pledge)
one breath; time of one breath; pause; break; (doing in) one go; doing without stopping
relation; relationship; participation; involvement; influence; effect
dangerous; risky; awful; terrible; terrific; amazing
schedule; program; programme; agenda
bulletin board; display board; notice board; electronic bulletin board; BBS
date and time (of a meeting, departure, etc.); days and hours
5th day of the month; five days
inconsequential; indifferent; not worth worrying about; whatever; whichever; I don't care
six; six years of age; six o'clock (old time system)
camp (supporters of a doctrine, party, etc.); faction (of a party); military camp; encampment; cantonment
handsome man; man's looks; good looks; manliness
to be one's ruin; to do harm; to cause trouble; to have negative consequences; to bring about a bad outcome
subtleties; niceties; fine points; subtle; sensitive
distant (from someone); aloof; estranged; knowing little (of); ill-informed (about); ignorant (of)
fair; impartial; just; fairness; impartiality; justice
direction (of a play, film, etc.); production; organization (of an event); arrangement; staging (for effect)
to be attentive to small details; to be attentive to others (or others' concerns); to have one's mind turn groundlessly to something negative
to use as a pretext; to use as an excuse
with a burble; hollow (sounding); holey; full of holes or dents; viciously beating; hitting and kicking repeatedly