rural area; countryside; the sticks; hometown
major subject; special study
variety; kind; type; counter for kinds, species, etc.
special characteristic; special quality; trait; idiosyncrasy; peculiarity
low (rank, degree, value, content, quality, etc.); low (position); close to the ground; short (height); deep (voice); in a low key
dealing with; coping with
to make a mistake (in); to commit an error (e.g. in calculation); to confuse; to mistake something for something else
so much; so often; oh, yes!; that's it; that's right; quite
danger; peril; hazard; risk
to meet; to encounter; to see; to have an accident; to have a bad experience
positive; assertive; active; proactive; aggressive
ferocious; brutal; atrocious; savage; barbarous
stupid; meaningless; worthless; hopeless (person, situation); beyond help; beyond saving
mystery; something inexplicable; unfathomable (of a Buddha's abilities); 10^64 (or 10^80)
to be conceivable that; to be thinkable that
these days; nowadays; present day; at this time (of the day)
regarding; in; to; towards; with regards to
science; learning; scholarship; arts and sciences; academic pursuits
predecessor; pioneer; ancestor
(approximate) time; around; suitable time (or condition); time of year; season
to stay on (e.g. at one's friends house); to remain in the same neighborhood
to be affected; to be influenced; to be concerned with; to have to do with; to stick to (opinions)
in; on; at (place); as for; regarding
nature; property; disposition
soil; breeding ground; fertile ground (for); foundation (for the development of ...)
betterment; improvement; kaizen (Japanese business philosophy of continuous improvement)
environment; circumstance
purification; cleanup (e.g. of politics); purge
bad reputation; disgrace; unpopularity
to want; to wish for; to request; to demand; to seek; to search for
to gather; to collect; to assemble
stale; old fashioned; hackneyed; trite; antiquated; obsolete
when it comes to ...; if one were to speak of ...; by ... you mean ...; when you say ... you mean that ...; whenever ...; if it's ... then (without fail)
to be used up; to be run out; to be exhausted; to be consumed; to come to an end
I see; that's right; indeed
hmm; well ...; humph; roughly; harshly; violently
to make fun of; to look down on; to make light of