I would rather; I would as lief do; strong preference
stratagem; artifice; trick; ruse; scheme; tactics
to outwit; to outmanoeuvre; to steal a march on; to get the jump on; to anticipate; to forestall
freshwater goby (any fish of genus Rhinogobius); dusky tripletooth goby (Tridentiger obscurus); Gymnogobius urotaenia (species of goby); Japanese fluvial sculpin (Cottus pollux)
to take (a resource, e.g. time or money); to hang; to come into view; to arrive; to come under (a contract, a tax); to start (engines, motors); to attend
to mince; to cut fine; to carve; to engrave; to tick away (time); to beat out (e.g. rhythm); to etch (into one's mind)
to overhear; to hear (secondhand); to hear on the grapevine; to know by hearsay
program (e.g. TV); programme
accurate; precise; exact; appropriate; apt; right
lie; falsehood; fiction; fabrication
single; solo; solitary; just one; only one
grave; solemn; stern; authoritative; hard (e.g. fact)
no matter what; whatever happens; in any situation; rain or shine
difficult to ...; hard to ...
even if; no matter (what); if; though; although; supposing
severe; strict; tough; hard
rod; pole; neck (of a shamisen, etc.); shamisen; beam (i.e. the crossbar of a balance); single line (esp. as a flying formation for geese); penis
(animal) feed; fodder; pet food; bait; lure; enticement
change; variation; variety; diversity; inflection; declension
to be visible; to be clear; to be evident; to be certain
thorn; spine; splinter (esp. lodged in one's flesh); hard sharp item (esp. lodged in one's throat, e.g. fish bone); biting words
to include (in a group or scope); to instruct; to make one understand; to include (a nuance); to put in (an implication); to put in (someone's) mouth
material; materials; data; information; documents
life and death; life or death; samsara (cycle of death and rebirth); death
impulsive; emotional; straightforward; hot-headed; quick-tempered
far away; far off; nowhere near; far cry
distrust; mistrust; insincerity; impiety; faithlessness
to shout; to cry (out); to yell; to scream; to clamour
to leave (to someone, esp. after one's death); to bequeath
to shake; to waver; to tremble
individual; private person; personal; natural person
to be saved; to be rescued; to escape harm; to be spared damage; to be helped; to be saved trouble
to swallow (e.g. a story); to accept without questioning; to swallow (food) whole; to gobble up; to gulp down
certain reasons; certain circumstances; professional constraints; (lit.) adult reasons
even if not; even without
there's no smoke without fire