degree of difficulty; difficulty level
to torment; to harass; to tease; to extort; to shake down; to demand money
stick; piece of wood; billet; piece of a broken pole
mountain range; mountain belt
to crowd together in a confined space; to gather and make a commotion
various countries; various regions; various provinces
vigilantly (watching for an opportunity); eagerly; with an eagle eye
invasion (e.g. of a country); raid; aggression
spy; secret agent; spying
foreign country; another country; another province; strange land; alien land
our country; our land; one's own country
touching a wrong card (in karuta); buzzing too early (in a quiz); making a mistress of a servant; mistress (who is one's servant); foul (comp. karuta); touching a card which is not in the same territory as the correct card
(necessary) personnel; required person
germination; germ; sprout; early sign; beginning; starting to appear
disrespect; irreverence; impiety; blasphemy; profanity
if anything; if pushed I'd say; if I had to say
tight-lipped; able to keep a secret
that well-known ...; the one and only ...; that; those; the
stepping back; drawing back
silver hair; gray hair; grey hair
unique; peculiar; singular
gang of young toughs; hooligans; hoodlums; hoods; yobbos
the teens (10-19); teenage; the tenth generation
awkward; uncomfortable; embarrassing
world-destroying conflagration
all together in a line; all together in a lump; dressed sloppily; inappropriately dressed for the occasion
retainer; subject; vassal; servant
to stick it out (until the end)
to jump up; to leap up; to spring up
unparalleled in the whole country
state ceremony; laborious; troublesome; irksome
please excuse the intrusion; I'm coming in