hustle and bustle; throng; crowd; congestion; traffic jam
shortening; contraction; reduction; curtailment; abbreviation
what's what; heads or tails
at that time; in those days
to surround; to encircle; to enclose
to explain; to dispel doubts
looking for something; searching for something; object being sought
every corner; every nook and cranny; all the ins and outs
lost property; something dropped and left behind
quay; wharf; jetty; wall-like shoreline; cliff wall
wharf roach (species of isopod closely related to the sea slater; Ligia exotica)
harmful insect; noxious insect; vermin; pest
from the bottom of one's heart; heartily; sincerely
to press against each other; to huddle together
grid-line (e.g. in spreadsheet); enclosing line
white paper; flyleaf; blank paper; clean slate; lack of prior opinion, positions, etc.; scratch
forever; endlessly; on and on; meandering; wandering; winding
(act of) writing on a blackboard
to write down; to make a note of; to put on record; to chronicle
animation; animated film; animated cartoon; anime
character; personality; (fictional) character; letter; character
four-panel comic strip; yonkoma
drawing ability; skill at art
childish; child-like; innocent; naive
illustration; picture; sketch; drawing; figure
to skip over (while reading); to skim
in preparation (for); in case (of); in the lead-up (to)
mark; symbol; to mark; to put a mark on; trademark; paying attention to; focusing on
hiragana; cursive Japanese syllabary used primarily for native Japanese words (esp. function words, inflections, etc.)
symbol; code; sign; notation
to be(come) intertwined; to be entangled
to be boiled down; to come to a standstill; to reach an impasse; to approach a conclusion (of a discussion, investigation, etc.)
particle; atom; little piece; not at all; not the slightest
sprinkling (of rain, salt, etc.); pattering; flipping (through a book, etc.); riffling; sparse; scattered
copy (of the real thing); copying; reproduction; tracing
apiece; each; at a time; piecemeal
alternately; by turns; one after the other
artistic taste; aptitude for painting; ability to appreciate art; desire to paint