current cabinet; present cabinet
losing one's position; losing one's standing; downfall; fall (from power); being overthrown
to be crowded; to be packed; to be jammed
to have the personal support of (an influential person); to be under the patronage of
in public; in company; in the presence of others
originality; distinctiveness; uniqueness; individuality
to make one's own; to take possession of
to exchange; to replace; to shift personnel; to replace one person with another
equally (well); as ... as; no less ... than ...; evenly matched; well-matched
official duties; office; function
critical; judgmental; censorious; negative
to be flexible; to be accommodating
to make a success in life
tending to find things bothersome; person who tends to find things bothersome
without (making) any mistakes; flawlessly; accurately
turns and twists; ups and downs; meandering; complications; vicissitudes
to be stripped of all one's clothes; to lose everything one has
reward; prize; bonus; praise
to cut one's own throat; to dig one's own grave; to cause oneself harm; to bring ruin on oneself
drying up; running dry; running out; being exhausted; being drained
anyhow; at all events; in any case; either way; anyway
easy task; piece of cake; cakewalk; cinch; pushover
self-indulgent; undisciplined; slovenly; debauched; negligent
to read and understand; to interpret (e.g. a difficult text); to read deeply; to decipher; to decode
waste (of money, time, etc.); squandering; frittering away
diversion (from one's worries, troubles, etc.); distraction; amusement
after school (at the end of the day)
counter for (school) periods; nth period
to be absorbed in reading; to get lost in reading; to be immersed in (a book)
perversity; perverse person; antagonistic demon in Japanese folklore; demon under the feet of temple guardian statues
with a snap; with a bang; with a plonk; suddenly; all of a sudden
busy place; busy street; place that's always bustling with people; amusement quarters
an instant; a split second; no time at all; (lit.) time of an "ah!"
gambling house; gaming room; gambling den
bungalow; one-story house
floating island (mass of floating aquatic plants); island that appears to be floating (due to the mirage effect)
stature; build; height; size; physique
banker (gambling); bookmaker; person who runs a gambling den; manager; boss