stick; club; cudgel; bludgeon
is not; am not; are not; isn't it?
pattern; design; body build; figure; essential qualities; character
in the meanwhile; during the time
dryness; aridity; drying (e.g. clothes); insipidity
water; liquid; fluid; moisture; humidity; sap
to put together; to combine; to join together; to match against (e.g. in a sport)
all-purpose kitchen knife; santoku knife
ultrahigh speed; ultrafast
fondly; admiringly; with fascination; with adoration; with enchantment
manufacturer (esp. a major company); producer; maker; maker (person or device that makes something)
prank; practical joke; horseplay; mischievous trick
to affect a stylish air; to try to look good; to show off
(practical) application; putting to practical use; applied (e.g. physics, linguistics, research)
tolerance level; permissible range; acceptable limits
overcoat; exceeding; going over; exaggerated; overdone; over par; overexposure
to be far apart (from); to be a long way off (from); to be remote; to be very different (from); to be quite unlike; to be far from (e.g. the truth)
kiss; squeak (of a mouse); with a slurp
foot; paw; leg; gait; pace; lower radical of a kanji; money
to shoot (a gun, person, etc.); to fire
speciality; specialty; special subject of study; sole interest; single focus; concentrating exclusively on
to create; to bring forth; to invent; to think up and bring into being; to give birth to; to bear
whole life; a lifetime; all through life; (the only, the greatest, etc.) of one's life
to spend; to expend; to waste; to squander; to devote
family; relatives; dependents; household
secret ceremony; ritual; sanctum sanctorum
if that is the case; if it becomes so; when it becomes so
subtle; delicate; difficult; complex; doubtful; questionable
scabbard; sheath; cap (on a brush, pen, etc.); case; margin (between two prices); spread
to manufacture; to produce; to raise (crops); to invent; to dream up; to create
of uncertain meaning; ambiguous; cryptic; nonsensical; incomprehensible; perplexing
ancient times; distant past; antiquity
word; term; language; speech
I got it; I see; I now know; so that's the reason
utterly lacking (in ability); hopeless; useless; poor
as one would expect from ...; given that ... (naturally ...); precisely because ...; all the more because of ...; on account of ...; ... being what it is
unevenness; roughness; ruggedness; inequality; imbalance; unevenness
to become familiar with; to get used to; to become accustomed to; to come to fit; to go (well) with; to suit
master; expert; Meijin (professional title); Meijin (highest title for male players in competitive karuta)
ergonomics; human factors; human engineering
something-something (e.g. platitudes, waffling); yada yada; so-and-so
sales pitch; sales lure; catchphrase
round; circular; curved; smooth; harmonious; calm
astonishment; amazement; surprise; fright; shock