having one's guard up; not showing weak points; (of women) resisting attempts of being hit on; being distrustful of potential love interests; prudish
to stir up trouble for oneself; (lit.) to scare out a snake by poking at the bush
begging; pestering; pleading; coaxing
children's song; nursery rhyme
immediate reply; quick answer; ready agreement
to make good one's escape; to get away; to outrun; to hold on (and win); to win narrowly
ironically enough; as irony would have it; in a nice little twist
union; unity; bundling; binding; (arch.) putting on (clothes, armour, etc.)
locking swords and pushing against each other; close contest; neck-and-neck game; fierce competition
to relax; to release tension from one's muscles; to let go limp
draw (in competition); tie game
elite; best; pick; cream of the crop
to incline one's head to the side (in doubt); to tilt one's head to the side (in confusion); to be puzzled
no matter (what, who, etc.); whether ... or ...; be
to walk about; to walk around; to conduct oneself; to act; to stop by (somewhere; esp. of a criminal on the run); to drop by
suffix for familiar person; indicates emphasis; (arch.) prostitute
in short; the point is; the important thing is; in a word; basically
to be a match for; to rival; to equal; to compare with; to be equivalent to
field (for growing wheat, fruit, vegetables, etc.); cultivated land; field (of specialization); sphere; womb; birth
imitation; counterfeit; fake; sham; ersatz (object)
blow; hit (on the body); beating
measuring by feel; adjusting by feel; doing by feel; adapting to the situation (one's strength, strictness, etc.); making allowances; using discretion
sham battle; mock battle; dry run; military exercise; war game
resistance; opposition; obstruction; (electrical) insulating coating; insulating varnish
difference (of opinion); strange; odd; different
gradually becoming poor; situation getting gradually worse and worse
plan; measure; means; scheme; policy
papier-mâché tiger (toy with a loose, wobbly head); paper tiger; someone (or something) who is all bark and no bite; man of straw
together (of two people); both (of you, them, etc.)
that kind of; of the sort; of the kind; such
to reason; to sum up; to conclude
right or wrong; good or bad; quality; having both merits and demerits; having both advantages and disadvantages
shield; buckler; escutcheon; pretext; excuse; grounds (for)
(ease of) handling; operation; arrangement (of pipes, wires, etc.); layout; wrestler's belt used in a bout
destructive power; destructive energy; destructive force
(shopping) mall; shopping centre; mall (pedestrianized street); Moor; mold; mould; molding
thorn; spine; splinter (esp. lodged in one's flesh); hard sharp item (esp. lodged in one's throat, e.g. fish bone); biting words
direction; orientation; suited to; suitable for; tendency; inclination