declining; refusal; rejection; announcement; notice
prison; jail; gaol; firm; solid; strong
to kick into (e.g. a ball into a goal)
sitting together in a circle; happy circle; harmony
cushion; cushion (to soften the blow); mitigation
to shun; to avoid; to ostracize; to neglect; to distance oneself from; to give the hard shoulder
not knowing when to let go (give up, etc.); unwilling to resign; having lingering attachment; regretful
someone who is suddenly quiet and meek; (lit.) borrowed cat
independence; self-reliance
disqualification; elimination; incapacity; being unfit for one's role; being a failure
father and mother; parents
acid reflux; bile reflux; pyrosis; gloating; gratification; satisfaction
particle; atom; little piece; not at all; not the slightest
malicious gossip; backbiting; speaking ill behind someone's back
open; public; official; overt
inconsiderate; unkind; cruel; thoughtless; unthinking; mindless
to look after; to take care (of); to favor; to gaze at; to stare at; to set one's eyes on
to abuse (verbally); to curse at; to shout abuse at; to speak ill of
being independent; becoming independent; standing on one's own feet (without the use of crutches, etc.)
obligation; favour; favor; debt of gratitude
slander; libel; defamation; calumny; smear
speech and behaviour (behavior)
to get a lump in one's throat; to overflow with feelings; to be overwhelmed with emotion
scabbard; sheath; cap (on a brush, pen, etc.); case; margin (between two prices); spread
brilliance; polish; lustre; luster; glossy finish
successive; consecutive; back-to-back; one after another
to smear all over; to slather on; to besmear; to paint heavily; to spread thickly; to bedaub (with paint)
cannot be undone; can't be recovered from
throat; important part; vital area
standoffishly; primly; pungently (of a smell); acridly; long and pointed (e.g. of a nose); popping (of ears)
hammer; mallet; sledgehammer; gavel
using all one's strength; using all one's might
vacant post; vacancy; post in name only
to shake and untangle; to shake free from
to swing (a bat, racket etc.) all the way through; to swing completely; to take a full swing
to run about; to rush about
unity; coherence; consistency; settlement; conclusion; closure
nonsense; irresponsible remark; codswallop; random; haphazard; unsystematic