to ward off (e.g. an attack); to fend off (e.g. a question); to elude; to evade; to dodge; to turn aside (e.g. a joke)
begging for one's life; pleading for one's life
persuasiveness; powers of persuasion; cogency
sounds good; sure thing; no problem
as one had hoped; as one wishes
dull; uninteresting; insignificant; unimportant; absurd; foolish
essence; quintessence; spirit; soul; heart; pith (and marrow)
seems; I think; I guess; right?; don't you agree?
frustrated (over a failure, humiliation or injustice); annoyed; chagrined; (bitterly) disappointed; bitter; vexed
old master; old teacher; old monk; aged priest
to spare; to grudge; to regret; to lament; to be reluctant (to do); to be unwilling
to become weak; to decline; to wear; to abate; to decay; to wither
removing one's hat; admiring (someone) greatly; taking one's hat off to
to regret bitterly; to be very sorry (for); (lit.) to bite one's navel
to praise extravagantly; to lionize; to lionise; to make much of
to arrive at (e.g. a decision); to reach (a stage); to lead to (a place); to get to; in the extreme case of; (arch.) to come
to get dark after sunset; to turn to dusk; to decline (after a peak); to wane; to be lost in thought; to be in a pensive mood
in a subdued voice; in undertones; in a whisper; dry and tasteless; stale
illness (usu. excluding minor ailments, e.g. common cold); disease; bad habit; bad behaviour; crazy; insane
to jest; to joke; to play the fool; to act indecently; to be silly over
meddling; meddlesomeness; nosiness; meddler; buttinsky; busybody
to discern (e.g. right from wrong); to discriminate; to distinguish; to know (manners, one's place, etc.); to understand; to bear in mind
to lose (through death; e.g. a wife, child)
at that time; in those days
vividly; clearly; distinctly; acutely
the art of war; martial arts; military force; the sword; (arch.) valor; (arch.) bravery
to value; to prize; to esteem; to respect; to honour; to honor
-less; lacking; non-existing
valuation; appraisal; evaluation; appreciation; recognition; acknowledgement
my; one's own; I ...; one ...
doubt; question; uncertainty; skepticism; scepticism; suspicion
aggressiveness; competitive spirit; fighting spirit
to reach; to amount to; to be up to the task; to come up to; to compare with; to be a match (for)