failing to properly evaluate the (relative) importance (of); putting the cart before the horse; mistaking the cause for the end; mistaking the insignificant for the essential; getting one's priorities backwards
earnest desire; eager hope; longing; yearning; hankering
maintenance; preservation; improvement
misconstruction; distortion; misinterpretation; misunderstanding; perversion; contortion
effeminate; unmanly; cowardly; sissy
translation; version (e.g. "English version")
several times; a few times
just now; a moment ago; this very minute
what?!; what did you say?!; why?; what for?; anyone; anything
thin; skinny; delicate; fragile; feeble
full of (e.g. mistakes); riddled with; covered all over with (blood, mud, etc.)
to catch sight of; to come into view; to happen to see
excess; surplus; superabundance; overabundance
horizontal (as opposed to vertical); lying down; side-to-side (as opposed to front-to-back); width; side (of a box, etc.); beside
to go past; to pass; to pass by
attack; assault; raid; criticism; censure; denunciation
to put oneself on guard; to stand ready; to square off
anticlimax; let-down; disappointment; loss of interest
competition; rivalry; something worth doing
being preoccupied with; being obsessed; only thinking of; having only ... on one's mind
spirit; drive; vigour; ambition; aspiration
to just appear; to be half out; to be on the tip of one's tongue
shh!; sh!; shush!; shoo!; go away!
to be suspicious (of something or somebody)
happening; (unexpected) incident; unforeseen event; surprising occurrence
behavior; behaviour; manner; attitude; bearing
to call the roll; to take attendance
reopening; resumption; restarting
nice; likeable; desirable
core; heart (of the matter); point; crux; kernel
itself; one's own body; oneself; originally; naturally
as usual; as always; as ever; as before; still
withering; shrivelling; shrinking; atrophy; contraction
to gain time; to play for time; to buy time
to get rid of; to erase; to dispel; to eradicate; to wipe away
gaining time; stalling for time; time-buying
to yield; to give in; to bend (knee, etc.); to subdue; to overpower; (arch.) to feel down
absolutely; unconditionally; never (with neg. verb)
to protect (someone); to look after (e.g. an injured leg); to defend; to cover for; to stand up for; to stick up for