erratic; offbeat; wild; unconventional; extraordinary; weird
to meet; to encounter; to see; to have an accident; to have a bad experience
witty and knowing; not to be underestimated; smooth operator
abuse of authority; abuse of public office; misfeasance
unable to resist; unable to suppress
to begin to dissolve; to start melting; to dissolve into (a liquid)
plans are but plans; the schedule is not decided
suburb; residential area on the outskirt of a city; commuter belt
not quite (right); not very good; somewhat (lacking)
retirement (from work); leading a quiet life (after retirement); retired person; retiree; surrendering headship of the family (pre-WWII)
tradition; folklore; legend; (verbal) message; word (from someone)
old tale; folk tale; legend; reminiscence
to shine; to look slightly upward (of a noh mask; indicating joy, etc.)
uncharacteristic; unbefitting; unworthy (of)
to be on the same wavelength; to think alike; to get along
reading while standing (in a bookstore, etc.); browsing (i.e. reading an item but not buying it)
manna from heaven; an oasis in the desert; godsend; good fortune when one needed it most; meeting a good Samaritan in one's hour of need; (lit.) (meeting) Buddha in hell
physical distribution; distribution of goods; logistics
food shortage; food scarcity; difficulty of obtaining food
long stretch; long haul; marathon; long scene (in a play); long act
returning tit for tat; retaliating
biography of a brave fighter; heroic saga; chivalric romance; tale of one's heroism; episode of bravery; acts of violence
pillow talk; conversation in bed; bedtime story
nuclear power plant; nuclear power station
beauty or ugliness; personal appearance; looks
high salary earner; high income earner; well-paid employee; highly-paid; in the top salary bracket
strict; close; precise; scrupulous
pert; tomboyish; impudent; (arch.) gallant; (arch.) chivalrous
inorganic matter; inorganic substance; inorganic compound
a matter of course; what is to be expected; par for the course
minor offence; minor offense; misdemeanor; misdemeanour
to behave modestly; to take a humble attitude
to be lost in deep thought; to be deeply immersed in thought
to keep (something) a close secret; to hide (the truth, one's pain, etc.); to keep hidden
a woman's heart is as fickle as autumn weather
exhausting work; hard work; severe duty
large serving; large portion
difficult to understand; unintelligible; abstruse
(not) by any means; (not) for anything; wouldn't do for anything; had enough; flatly refusing