diversion; distraction; feint
straight ball (pitch); direct (e.g. question); blunt
largest number; plurality
standard; criterion; norm; average; the norm; the ordinary
before one knows; unnoticed; unawares
stopgap; makeshift; temporary measure
stubbornly; firmly; determinedly; obstinately; resolutely; adamantly
courage; bravery; pluck; nerve; grit; guts
transition; change; progress; passing (of time)
casualties; killed and wounded; human damage
parallel lines; remaining far apart (e.g. in discussions); not reaching an agreement; views that never cross
to insist; to assert; to be obstinate in saying
criticism; blame; censure; attack; reproach
to turn (one's face) away; to avert (one's eyes)
sophism; chop logic; far-fetched argument; quibble; cavil; argument for argument's sake
nimono; food cooked by boiling or stewing
to sink deeply into one's mind; to come home to; to go to one's heart; to pierce one's body (e.g. of wind, cold, etc.)
vague; obscure; indistinct; hazy; ambiguous
sharing a common destiny; sitting in the same boat
nonsensical; unreasonable; awfully; extremely; disorder; confusion
way of speaking; intimation
one can say more with a look than with ten thousand words; the eyes cannot belie one's true thoughts; the eyes are the windows to the soul; eyes are as eloquent as the tongue
protecting (someone); defending; standing up for
from the bottom of one's heart; heartily; sincerely
shortening; contraction; reduction; curtailment; abbreviation
to relax; to make oneself comfortable
incomprehensible; mysterious; inexplicable; inscrutable; enigmatic; baffling
to bear; to stand; to restrain; to control; to forgive; to put up with
to speak; to talk; to mediate; to act as a go-between; to put in a good word (for someone)
to shut out; to bar; to lock out; to exclude
pleading; entreaty; supplication; petition
counter for drops of liquid
quite absurd thing; something ridiculous that makes one laugh; extremely irritating thing
to abandon; to give up on; to desert
foreign country; foreign land; strange land; far-off land
heavy load; heavy luggage; heavy freight; heavy burden; heavy responsibility; encumbrance
waste thread; lint; fluff
being all smiles with joy
with a (light) slapping sound
to annoy; to irritate; to cause offence; to provoke; to get on someone's nerves
good wife and wise mother