to hesitate to say; to mumble; to hem and haw; to falter
to be vague; to speak ambiguously; to be evasive; to not commit oneself
a few hours; several hours; a couple of hours
lacking potential for advancement; no-hoper
father-in-law; foster father; stepfather
Catholic priest; abbe; reverend father; minister; padre
girlish mind; girlish innocence
glasses; eyeglasses; judgment; judgement; four-eyes
fat; grease; blubber; lard; suet
encounter; running into; meeting with (e.g. an accident); being confronted with (e.g. a difficulty)
(approximate) time; around; suitable time (or condition); time of year; season
Kumamoto (city, prefecture)
radio wave; reception; signal; saying strange things
one's father; one's old man; middle-aged (or older) man; old man; one's boss; proprietor (of a restaurant, store, etc.)
parents' ability (or inability) to let go of their children
turns and twists; ups and downs; meandering; complications; vicissitudes
to banter; to make fun of; to cool; to refrigerate; to window-shop; to look at without buying
to row (a boat) to (a pier, shore, etc.); to reach (a goal after considerable effort); to arrive at; to (finally) manage to do
opposition; rivalry; competition; antagonism
as one would expect; just as you'd expect (from); still; all the same; even ... (e.g. "even a genius")
to lose (something); to get rid of; to eliminate; to remove
permanence; forever unchanging
bottom of the water; bottom of the sea; river bottom
unaware; unmindful; unconscious; blind; apathetic
to accept one's inferiority; to take one's hat off to someone; to give up; to surrender; to strike one's colors
to let one's actions do the talking; to lead by example; to walk the talk
woven mat (esp. one made of straw); seat
fellow women; between women; among women; woman-to-woman
to bloom; to blossom; to become lively (esp. of conversation); to become animated; to experience a golden age
to loiter; to putter; to prowl; to wander about; to roam about; to knock around
point of a spear; spearhead; focus (of one's attack, criticism, etc.); aim; force (of an argument); edge
unwelcome; nerdish; unpopular
(cutting) with a single stroke; lopping off (branches, etc.); (cutting hair) short; drastically (slash a budget, etc.); resolutely; ruthlessly (discard, etc.)
to cut off and throw away; to abandon; to disregard; to discard (numbers after a certain decimal place); to drop; to cut (someone) down
because of; on account of; about; on; per; for every
lifeboat; friend in need; helping hand; timely help
to narrowly escape (e.g. death); to hang onto (life); (arch.) to ascertain; (arch.) to make definite
as much as possible; unbeatably; unsurpassably
to dominate (usu. one's husband)
minimum; (very) least; at least some (comfort, etc.); only (consolation, saving grace, etc.); sole