pressure; clamping; tightening; fastening
tolerant; generous; lenient; broad-minded; magnanimous
old tale; folk tale; legend; reminiscence
fabrication; put-up job; trumped-up story; frame-up; hoax
dramatization (e.g. of a novel); dramatisation; adaptation; dramatization; embellishment; exaggeration
fiction; made-up story; fable; fabrication; myth
to fabricate; to invent; to make up (a story); to cobble up; to put together in a hurry
seed (e.g. of a plant); pip; material (e.g. for an article); matter (e.g. of a story); ingredient; leaven (bread); cause
to sprout; to put forth buds
to weave together; to interweave; to intermingle
plausible; believable; solemn; dignified; serious
to try to unsettle someone; to throw off balance
to tear up; to tear off; to rip up; to separate (e.g. a couple); to disrupt (a relationship)
if anything; if pushed I'd say; if I had to say
villain; baddie; the villain's part
to jump in; to leap in; to plunge into; to burst in; to barge in
itching to do something; impatient; sorely tempted; eager
to be intolerable; to be unpardonable
man; male; masculine gender
beating someone up by ganging up on them; facing a barrage of criticism
house of parliament (congress, diet, etc.); graduate school; postgraduate school; institution (often medical); institutional building; sub-temple; minor temple building
father; dad; husband; you; he
to bare one's fangs; to snarl (at)
reward; recompense; return; punishment; retribution
just now; a little while back; a short time ago
assault; outrage; act of violence; rape; sexual assault
restlessly; nervously; uneasily; in a fidget
to be sullen; to be offended; to be huffy; to be stuffy; to be stifling; to be muggy
hero; heroine; Eroica Symphony (Beethoven, 1804); Heroic Polonaise (Chopin)
at the last moment; this late in the game
check; keeping in check; containment (of enemy forces); diversionary action; pickoff throw; holding a runner on base
in person; personally; directly
to force someone to clamp with their teeth; to force into someone's mouth (e.g. a gag); to wedge into a space; to inflict (a blow); to deal (a hit); to pull (a joke)
evasion; excuse; subterfuge; runaround
participation; taking part in; participating in; being concerned in
loud laughter; hearty laugh
to accompany; to go with; to go together
behaving outrageously as though there were no one around; acting without consideration for others; arrogance; audacity; insolence
swindler; fraudster; trickster; con man
ordinary citizen; the general public
honour; honor; glory; privilege