threat; intimidation; menace
defense; defence; safeguard; protection
main purpose; chief aim; focus; main point; gist; essence
to look at again; to re-examine (policy, estimate, plan, etc.); to review; to get a better opinion of; to see in a more positive light; to improve
smoothly; easily; readily
abusive language; violent language; wild words
skin; body (in the context of intimate bodily contact); surface; grain (e.g. of wood); disposition; temperament
material; material properties; quality of material; quality of wood; quality of lumber
to split finely; to splinter; to get frayed; to become irritable; to feel on edge
showy; loud; flashy; gaudy
whip; lash; stick; cane; encouragement; rebuke
goods; merchandise; commercial items
understanding completely; understanding all there is to know
very difficult to ...; nearly impossible to ...
trouble; problem; mess; difficulty; nuisance
to distance oneself (from); to keep (something or someone) at a distance; to maintain a distance (from)
honor student; honours student; model student; prize pupil
school rules; school regulations
violation; offense; offence; breach; transgression; infringement
superior; excellent; fine
private; personal life; (one's) privacy
to miss (doing); to fail (to do); to do without
gap; difference; disparity; discrepancy
hard; solid; stiff; tight; strong; firm (not viscous or easily moved); safe
to become better; to improve
no more than; just; only; mere; goes no further than
annoying; infuriating; provoking; irritating; aggravating; vexing
to clasp; to grasp; to hold (the answer); to have (e.g. the solution); to seize (power); to hold (the reins)
to strangle; to constrict
to crush (with one's hands); to kill a proposal; to shelve; to table (remove from consideration)
pitiful; pathetic; painful (to look at)
to lose heart; to lose motivation
to dig down; to dig into (a matter); to delve into; to probe into
to talk back; to answer back; to retort; to say over; to repeat (what one has said)
harmless to humans and animals; having no influence; unimportant; insignificant
they; those guys; those fellows
to catch; to capture; to grasp (e.g. meaning); to perceive; to captivate; to move (one's heart)
to follow suit; to imitate or follow someone blindly; to ride on someone's back; to ride someone's coattails; to take advantage (e.g. of another's popularity)
and yet; though; when; in spite of
attention seeker; look-at-me
land mine; topic that sets someone off; sensitive topic; something that seems fine at first but turns out to be very bad (e.g. product, business); booby trap
how (beautiful, tasty, etc.); what a ...; nothing worth mentioning; nothing special; of what name
selfishness; egotism; egoism; (being) self-centered; without consulting; (doing) as one pleases
sharp (words); harsh (manner, tone, etc.); hostile (mood, attitude, etc.); spiky; prickly; jagged