taking the podium; mounting the rostrum; going on stage to give a speech, etc.
face; honour; meld; lineup (of players participating in a mahjong game); attendees (e.g. at a meeting); members
call for attention; alert; heads-up; reminder
festival; feast; harassment by an Internet pitchfork mob; online shaming; galore (as in "goals galore"); frenzy
holding (a conference, exhibition, etc.); opening; hosting (e.g. the Olympics)
event; festivities; function; social gathering; auspices; opening
all eyes; public attention
means of making contact; intermediary; go-between; connections; influence; pull
just right; ideal; perfectly suitable; fetch!; bring me ...
future (usually near); prospects
craftsman; artisan; tradesman; worker; workman
entry (event, competition, etc.); applying for entry; registering to participate; entry (blog, database, etc.); post
to muster (e.g. one's courage); to call forth; to rouse up; to be enlivened; to be invigorated
excessive self-consciousness; excessively self-conscious person
somehow; for some reason or other
fate; destiny; connection; tie; pretext; justification
after a short while; not long after; soon; before long; shortly thereafter
individual match; single game
to be itching to put one's skills to use
audience; spectator; spectators
humiliation; shame; loss of face
secrecy; confidentiality; privacy; one's circumstances (esp. fiscal)
reception (desk); information desk; receipt; acceptance
to be possible to say; to be able to say; (arch.) said; (arch.) have said
match; game; bout; contest
juniors dominating seniors; inferiors overthrowing their superiors; retainer supplanting his lord
to become a couple; to be man and wife; to be married to
to take (someone) by surprise; to do something unexpected
to pluck off (esp. by twisting); to pick; to break off; to wrest (away from); to wrench free; to snatch (away)
not a chance; you wish!; that's not going to happen; that won't work
defeating in an instant; instant kill
change of heart; change of mind; change in mental state
anyway; anyhow; at any rate; in any case
to empty; to remove; to move out; to clear out; to be away from (e.g. one's house); to leave (temporarily); to dawn
frequency (of appearance)
no problem; all right; not an issue; unobjectionable
if that's the case ...; if so ...; that being the case ...