one's superior; higher-up; boss; senior
convenient; useful; finding useful; coming in handy; (priceless) treasure
warrior (esp. of military retainers of daimyos in the Edo period); samurai; (arch.) man in attendance (on a person of high standing); (arch.) retainer
-ical; -ive; -like; -ish; (something) like; along the lines of
ball; sphere; bead (of sweat, dew, etc.); drop; ball (in sports); pile (of noodles, etc.); bullet
shame; embarrassment; disgrace
even a little; any at all; if only a little; no matter how little
quantity; amount; volume; number; amount of money
column; beam; girder; digit; decade; order of magnitude
certainly; surely; undoubtedly; just; precisely; exactly
major incident; major happening; big scandal
having to be; must be; should be; ought to be
natural; understandable; reasonable; no wonder
that's the way it is; such is life
in appearance; to look at; judging from appearances
serious; honest; sober; grave; earnest; steady
sure; no mistaking it; for certain; without doubt
there is no way that ...; easy; simple
tedium; boredom; dullness; to feel bored; to get bored with; to get tired of
to miss; to overlook; to let pass (a matter); to overlook (e.g. a wrongdoing); to pass up (e.g. an opportunity); to let (a good ball) go by
to press for an answer; to shower questions on someone
desperate; frantic; excited; worked up; heated; eager
to start to say; to attempt to say; to be about to say; to speak to; to address
bag; satchel; briefcase; basket
pressing; urging; demanding; demand
to sigh; to breathe a sigh
to hear; to listen (e.g. to music); to ask; to enquire; to hear about; to hear of; to follow (advice, order, etc.)
(United States of) America; United States; US; America (land mass); the Americas
the point of ...; the place where ...; a place called ...; places known as ...; I would say ...; ... is how I'd put it
Washington, DC (United States); Washington (US state)
boy; juvenile; young boy; youth; lad
mountain; hill; mine (e.g. coal mine); heap; pile; crown (of a hat); thread (of a screw)
to cut down; to chop down; to fell
story; tale; narrative; account; fable; legend
to begin talking; to open up
like this; in this way; as you see
song lyrics; words of a song; libretto
something broad and flat; common; ordinary; low-ranking employee; freshman
to show signs of ...; to have the appearance of ...
sure; no mistaking it; for certain; without doubt
to sprout; to put forth buds
plaintive; piteous; doleful
not less than; ... and over; beyond (e.g. one's expectations); above; above-mentioned; aforementioned
ambition; aspiration; sinister designs; treachery