murder; homicide; manslaughter
reference; example; inquiry (about a product, business deal, etc.); enquiry; being summoned to appear to court; witness
cannot be compared with; no match for
self first; striving to be first; scrambling for
origin; source; base; basis; cause; ingredient; material
boomerang; swim briefs; Speedos
skilled; skillful; skilful; competent; capable; good
timidly; nervously; hesitantly; trembling (with fear)
confident; assured; self-assured; bullish (e.g. market)
instructor; (fencing) teacher; model
becoming a pupil (of); becoming an apprentice
old master; old teacher; old monk; aged priest
story; tale; legend; plot; storyline
foil; someone to look as if he's putting up a fight but actually have no chance of winning
to get the hang of; to learn the secret to
decoration; ornament; trimmings
physical culture; bodybuilding (body development, not necessarily weightlifting)
qi; mysterious life force that makes up everything; spirits; mind; divine atmosphere; mysterious presence
being excluded; being ignored; being kept in the dark (about); being kept out of the loop; (lit.) outside the mosquito net
viewing optimistically; thinking optimistically; taking an optimistic view; looking on the bright side
to settle (a problem); to put an end to (a dispute); to be disposed of; to be settled; to come to an end
calculating; sly; cunning; flirty; flirtatious
home position; origin; usual place (for something)
remnants; survivors; refugees; pocket (of resistance)
tough guy; wild one; fearless fighter
tactician; strategist; schemer; maneuverer
disturbance; perturbation; derangement
isolation; being alone; being friendless
to make war (on); to wage war (against); to compete (against); to struggle (against adversities, etc.); to fight
dimness; obscurity; indistinctness; unclear; unintelligible
gift; boon; (good) result; fruit (e.g. of one's efforts)
having strings attached (of a loan, etc.); having conditions attached; having a string or cord attached (of a bag, clothing, etc.); something with a string attached; having a lover (of a woman); woman with a male lover
skewer; spit; skewering; impalement; running through (e.g. with spear)
tying up; restraint; restriction; arrest
high rating; good reputation
exaggerated; bombastic; highly colored; highly coloured
to feel that something is true or actually happening; to hit one (realization, thought); to sink in
root; source; origin; foundation; basis; essence
to push down; to knock down