perversity; cantankerous; eccentric
personality; character; individuality; personhood
suddenly; all of a sudden; abruptly
card (information, filing, etc.); card (greetings, congratulations, etc.); (Western) playing cards; credit card; debit card; match; game
letter; missive; note; mail
actual article or goods; spots (stocks, foreign exchange, commodities, etc.); (in) kind (income, benefit, rent, taxes, investment, etc.)
to drop; to lose; to clean off (dirt, makeup, paint, etc.); to remove (e.g. stains or facial hair); to lose (a match); to reject (an applicant); to lower (e.g. shoulders or voice)
to curry favour (with); to play up (to); to cozy up (to); to butter up
clever; shrewd; crafty; cunning; pretentious; impertinent
simple honesty; tactless frankness
national character; regional character
muscle-brain; meathead; hot-blooded idiot; person who charges in before thinking
well done!; good job!; good work!; you did it!; bravo!
to take off one's hat to a person; to acknowledge another's superiority
nothing to sneeze at; pretty impressive
to look at again; to re-examine (policy, estimate, plan, etc.); to review; to get a better opinion of; to see in a more positive light; to improve
circuitous; roundabout; indirect
roundabout (e.g. expression); indirect (reference, criticism, etc.); oblique
dramatic; exciting; touching; extreme
to be inferior to; to be less good at; to fall behind
influential person; powerful person; big wheel; big gun; power behind the throne
politics; political manoeuvre; political maneuver
to face (each other); to be facing; to be directed toward (the future, etc.); to be in response to; to receive (a client, etc.); to compare with
battlefield; battleground
to take (trouble); to attend (to business); to command (army)
training; drill; practice; discipline
I wonder about that; don't bet on it; famous last words
means of survival; means of escape; way out of a difficulty
10,000,000,000; ten billion
full of confidence; brimming with (self-)confidence; having great faith in oneself
to death (bored, scared, etc.); to distraction; like crazy; like mad; so much; dying (e.g. for a drink)
whether or not (in phrases like "I don't know whether or not I can come")
pure; true; genuine; unmixed
to come near; to approach; to be on the verge of; to be about to; to overhang; to hang over
guard; sentinel; garrison
to respond; to satisfy; to accept; to comply with; to apply for
really; very; extremely; (not) anything; (not) at all; (not) a bit
perfunctory; apathetic; makeshift; slapdash; routine; usual
understanding completely; understanding all there is to know
stamp; seal; seal impression; seal; mudra (symbolic hand gesture); ninja hand sign