person with a lot of experience; old hand; veteran (in a particular field)
hall; saloon; spacious room; reception room
to check; to stop; to keep back
bewilderment; perplexity; embarrassment; discomfiture; bafflement
(present) head of a family
that kind of; of the sort; of the kind; such
regarding as important; attaching importance to; taking a serious view of; putting emphasis on
main question; real issue at hand
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
notables; dignitaries; illustrious families; clear; plain; obvious
as one would expect; just as you'd expect (from); just like (someone)
convening; calling together (e.g. parliament); call-up (for military service)
to gather; to crowd round; to sponge (off someone); to scrounge; to extort; to take (money) through intimidation
drinking party; banquet; feast
to compete with; to vie for
to have a meal together; to sit at table
sake cup; cup for alcoholic beverages
to speak frankly; to speak unreservedly; to open up to each other; to talk candidly; to speak by laying everything on the table; to talk straight from the gut
naturally; in due course; by itself; of its own accord
drinking party; get-together
programme; program; plans; arrangements
not a chance; not likely; oh no; yuck; fault; defect
to be based on; to take into account; to build upon; to have one's feet firmly planted on; to plant oneself on
to cancel; to withdraw; to retract; to take back (words, etc.); to revoke
on purpose; deliberately; intentionally
assembly hall; meeting place; venue; grounds
three persons; three parties
inside; within; while (e.g. one is young); during; among; amongst; in (secret, chaos, poverty, etc.)
to fall (e.g. blossoms, leaves); to scatter; to be dispersed; to disappear; to dissolve; to spread
crash; smash; bang; sound of a large, heavy object falling
to hang over; to cover; to lie over; to fall on one's shoulders; to become one's responsibility; to become a burden
through; throughout; in the course of; all over or throughout (e.g. a place)
metal fittings; metal fixtures
metallic sound; metallic clank
to shout; to cry; to scream; to clamour
permission; allowance; acceptance; tolerance; pardon
land mine; topic that sets someone off; sensitive topic; something that seems fine at first but turns out to be very bad (e.g. product, business); booby trap
field; plain; prairie; tundra; moor; wilderness