weak-willed; easily pressured; pushover
visit (to someone affected by illness or misfortune); call; letter of inquiry; letter of sympathy; dealing (a hit); striking (a blow)
backward country; underdeveloped country; developing country
dismissal (from one's post); firing; being relieved from one's post; discarding; throwing away; becoming useless
uncommon; rare; extraordinary; matchless
affair; state; verdict; sentence; directions; orders
capital crime; crime resulting in a death penalty
to experience hardship; to suffer a bad experience; to be put in a tough spot
to bring into the open; to reveal; to uncover (e.g. evidence); to bring to light
shifting the responsibility (for something) on to (someone); passing the buck
somehow; for some reason; without knowing why
accident (caused by negligence); error; blunder; fault; defect
to settle peacefully; to work out peacefully; to come to an amicable solution; to become reconciled
no penalty; no punishment; acquittal; impunity
if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is; there's a flip side to every coin
nothing costs as much as what is given to us; there's no such thing as a free lunch
dignified; majestic; stately; lordly; commanding
mission; errand; task; duty; obligation
restoring one's impaired reputation; regaining one's honor; redeeming oneself
(and) yet; but; for all that; nevertheless
wise ruler; enlightened monarch; benevolent lord
in the background; not standing out
to cast a shadow; to appear; to loom (of a threat, etc.); to manifest (of symptoms, etc.)
privacy; secrecy; confidentiality
to confide; to reveal; to disclose; to lay bare; to speak frankly; to open (one's heart)
state secrets; secrets of the state
you bastard!; you son of a bitch!
pliantly; pliably; subserviently; ingratiatingly; servilely
countermeasure; counter-measure
advice; counsel; suggestion; tip; hint
(frustratingly) slow; tedious; sluggish; roundabout (e.g. explanation); exasperating; irritating
to begin talking; to open up
to anticipate; to foresee
fortune slip (usu. bought at a shrine); omikuji
excellent luck (esp. in fortune-telling)
to take (someone) by surprise; to do something unexpected
astounding; tremendous; wild; crazy; exorbitant; outrageous
slip; omission; upshot; denouement; punch line (of a joke)
to crawl out; to creep out; to begin to crawl
fraud; cheating; foul play; trickery; hoax; swindle
terrible luck (esp. on an omikuji slip); very bad luck
to be softened; to calm down