the best one can do; one's best effort; with all one's might; to the best of one's ability
bluff; false show of power; bold front
regret; remorse; repentance; contrition
cultivating new land; clearing; reclamation
to brace one's legs; to stand firm; to plant one's feet (firmly on the ground); to hold out; to persist; to make an effort
rubbing; scrubbing; scraping
holiday; day off; furlough; absence (from work)
captain (Army, U.S. Marine Corps, USAF); lieutenant (Navy); flight lieutenant (RAF, RAAF, RNZAF, etc.)
disliking a certain food without having tried it; disliking something without having tried it; being prejudiced against; having an instinctive aversion to
elevation; rise; improvement; advancement; progress
Japanese-language dictionary; dictionary of a national language
handsome man; actor in a love scene
independence; autonomy; self-reliance
assistant ...; probationary ...
to tell (to do); to order; to tell on (someone); to tattle; to often say
sentiment; emotions; one's feelings; one's heart
last days; the end; one's fate
to finish reading; to read through
book; document; calligraphy (esp. Chinese); penmanship; handwriting; letter
(powers of) concentration; ability to concentrate
smiling; beaming; radiant; bright; cheerful
commander; general; leader
the Horse (seventh sign of the Chinese zodiac); hour of the Horse (around noon, 11am-1pm, or 12 noon-2pm); south; fifth month of the lunar calendar
to advise strongly; to insist (on something)
beyond expectations; beyond what one expected; not foreseen; exceeding assumptions
ending without incident; being successfully brought to completion; finishing something without a hitch
to float; to save (on one's expenses); to scrimp; to half-rise, e.g. to one's feet
solo exhibition; one-man exhibition; one-woman exhibition
to breathe while sleeping