Vocabulary

to darken; to wane

to grow dark slowly

to fall completely dark

to linger (faint light of twilight); to remain lit in the lingering twilight

to become rough (waves, temper, etc.); to become excited

to polish (up); to dress up

to open; to vacate

to begin to grow light; to dawn

to become daylight

to remain in the morning sky (i.e. the Moon and stars)

to become daylight

to march on the capital

to attack persistently

to be at a loss how to continue an offensive; to be frustrated by impregnable defences

to take by storm (e.g. a castle); to assault; to capture; to reduce

to feign ignorance; to play dumb

to feign ignorance; to pretend not to know; to feign indifference; to assume a nonchalant air

to hang one's head; to droop one's head

to put on airs

to be balding in the front; to have a receding hairline

to draw swords and face off

to unsheathe one's sword

to fall out and be replaced; to shed; to moult (molt)

to skip out on one's bar bill

to drink too much

to drink away one's money; to be a sot; to get wasted

to get dead drunk; to drink oneself into a stupor

to sink (into); to cave in; to get stuck in (e.g. mud); to get bogged down in; to get lodged in

to attract; to be used to

to apportion drawn water; to ladle into separate containers

to bail out (water); to dip out; to ladle out; to scoop out; to pump out

to fill (a container) with (water)

to cling tearfully to (someone)

to be tear-stained; to have one's face covered with tears

to kowtow (to bow from a kneeling position such that the forehead touches the ground); to prostrate oneself; to give a deep, reverent bow

to adhere to formalities

to hit; to run into; to light on; to strike into; to come against; to deadlock

to reach an impasse; to come to a standstill; to be deadlocked; to make no progress

to come across; to happen upon

to visit frequently