speculation; thinking; meditation
same village; same town; same province
creak; squeak; creaking sound
opinion; point of view; visual point
three days and three nights
beyond imagination; unimaginable
food and drink; eating and drinking
to shave (wood, leather, etc.); to sharpen (e.g. pencil); to cut down (budget, expenses, staff, time, etc.); to curtail; to delete; to erase
life or death struggle; mortal combat; struggle to the death
to unfold; to unroll; to open
disagreeable; unpleasant; adverse; unsympathetic
mortal enemy; sworn enemy; nemesis
erasure; denial; obliteration; ignoring (an opinion)
priority; order of precedence
to assume an aspect; to take on an appearance
to roll up; to hoist; to take away; to rip off (e.g. money from someone); to blow up (dust)
extensive; vast range; wide scope
citizen; citizenry; city inhabitant; townspeople; bourgeoisie; middle class
not a chance; you wish!; that's not going to happen; that won't work
hound; hunting dog; gun dog
resembling closely; being strikingly similar; bearing a strong likeness
command; lead; generalship; leadership
to tuck one's tail between one's legs; to admit defeat; to turn tail (and run)
ordinary person; run-of-the-mill people; John Doe; Jane Doe
regulation; adjustment; control
depending on the way ...; depending on how ...; according to how ...
to despise; to belittle; to look down on
to fall behind; to lag behind; to lose (race, contest)
rough edges (of one's character, words, etc.); abrasiveness; harshness; edges (of a gem)
certain; some kind of; some sort of; of sorts
to chip off; to scrape off; to prune
opportunity; chance; time; occasion
confluence (of rivers); merge (of traffic); conflux; union (e.g. of forces); linking up; merging
sacrifice; victim; sacrifice (to a deity)
criterion; standard; yardstick; rough estimate; approximation
to hesitate to say; to mumble; to hem and haw; to falter
cunning deed; sly trick; foul play; cunning person; sly fellow; cheat
extraordinary; preposterous; outrageous; absurd