preparation; arrangements; provision; getting ready; laying out (e.g. a meal)
to follow suit; to imitate or follow someone blindly; to ride on someone's back; to ride someone's coattails; to take advantage (e.g. of another's popularity)
road; path; route; way; distance; journey; road (e.g. to victory)
in that case; (might not be what was expected or hoped for but) if that's the case
rational; reasonable; logical
thinking; thought; idea; notion; intention; plan
to fire oneself up; to give it one's all; to get psyched; to fire someone up (with scolding, corporal punishment, etc.); to rouse
you could say; you might say; verging on the
to prepare oneself (for the worst); to resolve oneself
to hear a rumor; to get wind of
time; hour; occasion; case; chance; opportunity
rumour; rumor; hearsay; report
kind; sort; type; equal; match; peer
information; (brief) notice; letting someone know; first report; initial report
to shake; to swing; to sway; to shock
oscillation; vibration; swing (e.g. of a pendulum)
to be open (to traffic); to lead to; to flow (liquid, current); to pass; to be understood; to be comprehended; to be honored
to be handed down; to be introduced; to be transmitted; to be circulated; to go along; to walk along
to become known; to come to light; to be known; to be understood; to clearly not amount to much; to be insignificant
loose; slack; gentle (slope, curve); slow (speed); lenient; liberal
descent; fall; drop; decline; downturn; subsidence
to follow (road); to pursue (course); to follow up; to follow (hyperlink)
(present) head of a family
body; oneself; one's place; one's position; main part; meat (as opposed to bone, skin, etc.)
considerably; not a little; in no small numbers
to happen to have on hand or in stock
to pile up; to make a heap; to lay (e.g. bricks); to acquire (e.g. experience); to build (a reputation)
pure; true; genuine; unmixed
insufficiency; deficiency; shortage; dissatisfaction; discontent; complaint
much more; still more; single layer (or storey, etc.); (arch.) rather; (arch.) sooner
to be irritated; to get annoyed; to lose one's patience
usually; under usual circumstances
diligent study; devoting oneself to one's studies
grounding (in a skill or subject); knowledge; training; achievements; attainments; accomplishments
descendant; posterity; offspring
carved seal; engraved stamp; to engrave (a seal); to carve; to make an impression (with a seal)
to take over; to hand over
to be in a hurry; to be impatient; to be anxious (to do); to get a fright; to panic; to get flustered
child; kid; (one's) child; offspring; young (animal); young woman; offshoot
to fall down; to drop; to be omitted; to be missing; to decrease; to sink; to fail (e.g. exam or class)
to finish; to stop; to close (a business, etc.); to close down; to put away; to put back
gradually; steadily; slowly; little by little; step by step; by degrees