faint hopes; dim prospects; little hope; unlikely (to be successful)
section; cross section; profile
degradation over time; time-related deterioration
to grip; to grasp; to squeeze
fragment; broken piece; splinter; chip; shard
to become a yokozuna; to be a yokozuna
just to make sure; just to be sure; for confirmation; just in case; for caution's sake; by way of precaution
needle; pin; hook; stinger; thorn; hand (e.g. clock, etc.); pointer
wooden box carried on one's back to store items for a pilgrimage
one or two; a couple; a few; first and second (place); the top two
to open some distance (e.g. with other people)
questions and answers; dialogue
the four cardinal directions; north, east, south and west; surroundings; many countries; the whole world; all around; here and there
to distance oneself (from); to keep (something or someone) at a distance; to maintain a distance (from)
quick; speedy; prompt; rapid; swift
about; roughly; generally; on the whole; completely; quite
thereabouts; vicinity; that area; that situation; those circumstances
to let (something or someone) go past; to do too much
to grovel; to go down on one's hands and knees
the most; the extreme; prime; conspicuous
hopeless; good-for-nothing; incorrigible; foolish; preposterous; absurd
to pull out; to take out; to lead out (e.g. a horse from a stable); to summon (e.g. to court); to withdraw (money); to draw
inherited; family (heirloom); ancestral
to face (a situation); to encounter; to be confronted with
black curtain; wirepuller; mastermind; backroom manipulator
upper stream; upper course; upstream; upper classes
encounter; engagement; battle
upper reaches of a river; upstream
corner; section; one horn; pillar (of a group, system, etc.); member (of an organization, etc.); first corner
calmness; composure; presence of mind; stability; steadiness
end; tip; extremities; rank and file; part of an organisation furthest from the centre
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
complete change; about-face
corridor; gallery; platform; passageway
to become covered in moss; to become mossy; to grow over with moss; to become aged; to grow old