Vocabulary

to nitpick; to complain about trifles

my home; my family

up until now; as recently as the present

to pass an exam

to fail an exam

auxiliary verb indicating past condition or occurrence (e.g. "was", "had been", etc.)

auxiliary verb indicating the speaker's personal recollection or something they've heard (e.g. "was", "wasn't it?", "is said to have ...", etc.)

critical hit (esp. in RPGs)

to be forestalled; to fall behind; to be one step behind

to get (become) acquainted; to get to know; to get (become) intimate with; to become friendly with; to become friends

to stand on a podium

seasonal greeting; conventional opening phrase in a letter, appropriate to the season

to look down on; to condescend

to speculate; to make an educated guess; to gamble (e.g. on getting the right questions)

to speculate; to make an educated guess; to gamble (e.g. on getting the right questions)

way of learning; way of studying; way of mastering

as; because; with; due to

to close in on the truth

to pin one's hope on; to look forward to; to look toward; to get one's hopes up

though; even if; whether ... or ...

troublesome; difficult (e.g. customer, guest, child); laborious (e.g. task, dinner)

even if not; even without

or something

when in Rome, do as the Romans do

to burst into flames

person (generally male) who won't learn their lesson; persistent jerk

to have an interest (in)

to be talkative; to have a glib tongue; to speak fluently; to be a good talker

to be slightly offended; to be somewhat irritated

indicates emotion, admiration, emphasis, etc.

to fall to one's knees; to go down on one's knees (e.g. to express respect)

to be relieved; to feel relieved

to lay hands on; to touch

to write down

to take a seat; to sit

to occupy the throne; to sit on the royal throne

to concentrate one's attention; to be engrossed in

staying up all night

what is it?

by all rights; legally speaking; properly speaking