fire prevention; fire control; fireproofing
forest fire; wildfire; bushfire
shortage; amount outstanding (e.g. on loan); deficit
in a day; in a brief space of time
to make sure of; to ascertain; to confirm; to grasp
precondition; prerequisite
starting afresh; going back to square one; abandoning (e.g. a plan); clearing an abacus
to come near (to); to approach; to be on the verge of; to be about to reach (a stage, period, etc.); to overhang; to hang over
half-moon; half a month; semicircle
unseasonable; out-of-season
heavy rain; torrential rainfall; downpour
flame; blaze; fire; attack; aggression
wind blowing down from mountains
southern part; the south (of a region)
to sink deeply into one's mind; to come home to; to go to one's heart; to pierce one's body (e.g. of wind, cold, etc.)
how; in what way; how about; questionable
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
to be dispirited; to be dejected; to be disheartened; to lose heart
to sit; to squat; to be implicated
deep regret; great sorrow; bitter grief
to instigate; to tempt; to entice; to incite
to fall for (someone's smooth talk); to be taken in (by honeyed words)
while doing over and over; repeatedly
unbecoming; unsuitable; disgraceful; wrong for one's age; unworthy of one's years; thoughtless for one's age
to be affected; to put on airs; to act like (something one isn't); to pretend to be
self-deprecating; self-mocking
flapping; rattling; (running) with a clatter; noisily; (falling) one after another; in quick succession; busily
spread (e.g. of a disease); rampancy; infestation; proliferation; being widespread
an order of magnitude higher; off by a digit; in a different league; unbelievable; incomparable; unimaginable
change; alteration; substitute; spare; rate of exchange
to knock (someone) down; to floor; to beat up; to deal a devastating blow (from which one cannot recover); to devastate (emotionally); to crush
to tie; to fasten; to wear (necktie, belt); to put on; to total; to sum; to be strict with
affectation; pretension; posturing; posing as; behaving as; acting like
impediment; burden; encumbrance; hindrance; drag
bargaining; haggling; tactics; strategy; (tactical) advance or retreat of troops
to be touching; to be moving
on the one hand ... (and on the other ...); on one side
hanging in midair; suspended in midair; midair stunt; aerial stunt
standing at attention; standing stiffly upright
to expose to danger; to imperil; to jeopardize
equality (esp. of status); equal footing; equal terms