superiors; big shots; higher-ups; VIPs; dignitaries
independence; self-reliance; independence (e.g. of a nation); freedom; separation; isolation
extravagant; absurd; unbelievable; enormous; tremendous; extraordinary
honest; upright; cleanhanded; unselfish
to fill one's own pocket by taking advantage of a position
preface; introduction; preamble
smoothly; easily; readily
eye for people; ability to judge character
to have heard somewhere; to sound familiar
side job (outside of one's main employment); side gig; homeworking; simple job carried out at home; (secretly) working on something unrelated to the class (or conference, etc.) one is attending
to stretch larger; to enlarge (photos); to delay (e.g. the end of a meeting)
good thing; nice thing; good excuse; good grounds; (good) idea; interjection used to impress an idea or to urge a response
even if not; even without
selfish; self-centred; egotistical
self-centeredness; selfishness; egotism; egocentricity
to substitute for; to stand in for; to fill in for
tattoo (esp. one in a style other than traditional Japanese)
sumi; India ink; squid ink; octopus ink; carpenter's inking string
rural district; farming area
young person; youngster; young people; (the) youth
mark; sign; to mark; to put a mark on; trademark; paying attention to
attractive; good-looking; stylish; cool; smooth; neat
beyond help; there's nothing that can be done
implication; hidden meaning; latitude; atmosphere; tone; sentiment
lukewarm; tepid; disagreeably warm (e.g. bath)
reputation; respectability; honour; honor
café; cafe; coffeehouse; hostess bar (serving western alcoholic beverages; Taisho and Showa period)
end; finish; bound; limit; delivery date (of a futures contract); finale (of a noh song); end of an act (in jōruri or kabuki)
embarrassed; feeling ashamed; feeling awkward
to support; to prop; to sustain; to hold at bay; to stem; to check
work; business; company; study
to spare; to grudge; to regret; to lament; to be reluctant (to do); to be unwilling
(place) near by; (place) close by; (place) right next to; as soon as; right after
fortunate person; lucky fellow; lucky dog
to give up on; to turn one's back on; to abandon; to forsake; to desert; to leave
complete defeat; losing all of one's matches; finishing the tournament with no wins
manner of swinging; way of swinging; way of dealing with something
to launch a surprise attack
modus operandi; criminal technique; trick
greedy; avaricious; covetous; raga (desire)
equilibrium; good balance; poise
wounded person; injured person