shrewdly; smartly; calculatingly; astutely; cunningly
diversion into illegal channels; putting on the black market; selling through illegal channels
gaudy; showy; garish; crooked; vicious; wicked
asking for the moon; asking for the impossible; asking for too much; thinking the grass is greener on the other side of the fence
aspiration; volunteering; desire; application
in the ground; in the earth; underground; subterranean
absolute basics; very rudiments
fixed idea; idée fixe; stereotype; prejudice
(truck) load-carrying tray; (bicycle) luggage carrier; roof rack
sacrificial pawn; sacrificed piece; sacrifice
lead nowhere; get one nowhere; no use; fruitless; there's no point (in doing)
measure; step; dealing with; medical treatment
impromptu; improvised; extempore; instant (e.g. ramen)
present location; current location; "you are here" (on map)
(high) mountain; Mount; Mt.; mountain peak
northern direction; north; (legal) wife (of a nobleman); lady
reinforcement (e.g. of troops)
the 36 (ancient Chinese military) strategies (of which the last resort was said to be beating a retreat)
congeries of many households; scratch (combined) team; hodge podge of parties
Buddhist teachings; Buddhism
self-defense; self-defence
to go through; to pass through; to get through; to cut across
under the control (of); under the dominion (of)
to take offense; to take offence; to get angry; to lose one's temper
like cats and dogs; (on) very bad terms; (lit.) relationship of dogs and monkeys
unable to stomach; sticking in one's throat; displeased with
we'll cross that bridge when we get there; we'll think about it when the time comes
control; check; restraint; inhibition
to drive on; to urge forward (e.g. cattle); to rouse (game from its cover); to press a tenant to leave; to evict
to crowd out; to push out; to start together; to set out en masse; to highlight; to draw attention to
difficult to imagine; quite unlikely to; very doubtful; would not expect
my goodness!; oh my!; oh dear!
whether one likes it or not; whether willing or not; willy-nilly
isolation; being alone; being friendless
prospects of victory; chances of success
to sit; to squat; to be implicated
out-of-place; inappropriate; sticking out like a sore thumb; produced at an unorthodox location
to have (e.g. lunch); to take (e.g. vitamins)
feeling of tragic heroism; feeling of grim resolve; sense of determination
to stare at each other; to lock eyes (with)