Vocabulary

to throw up a smoke screen; to put up a false front; to purposely mislead

to need; to call for; to require

to be made angry; to fly into a rage

to assist; to help out

to be reliable

to rely on

to place one's arms under those of the opponent and lift them up, in order to prevent an overhand grip on one's mawashi

clapping with wooden clappers (to signal the beginning or end of a performance)

women appear the most beautiful when viewed from afar, in the dark, or when wearing a bamboo hat; seeing less is more

well connected; well known; having a large, diverse circle of acquaintances

to master something (through personal experience)

complete loss of face

to be left behind

third time lucky; third time's the charm

frustratingly difficult task; (applying) eyedrops from the second floor

to be extremely thorough, focusing on even the finest of details

to confuse (someone); to befuddle; to bewilder; to mystify; to throw up a smokescreen; to surround with smoke

to be deceived

final word; voice of authority; authoritative pronouncement

persona non grata; unwelcome person; undesirable person

to make; to make (something) what it should be; to cause to be

to take (someone) by surprise; to do something unexpected

tacit understanding; unspoken agreement

it's not much, but ...

mono no aware; appreciation of the fleeting nature of beauty; pathos of things; strong aesthetic sense

insisting

well-fed, well-bred; the poor can't afford manners; only when basic needs for living are met can people spare the effort to be polite

don't you ever come here again!; come here the day before yesterday

admittee; licensee

feeling sad or downhearted; down in the dumps

the student has become the master; blue dye comes from the indigo plant and is bluer than indigo

woman who has lost a man's affection or interest (as does a fan when summer turns to autumn)

we meet only to part; meeting is the first step to parting

the autumn sun sets as quickly as a bucket dropping into a well

bad news travels fast

nurture beats nature; keep good men company, and you shall be of the number; a mugwort amongst hemp (will grow straight, like the hemp)

completely helpless; unable even to drive away the flies on one's own head

slow but steady wins the race; constant effort will result in success; constant dripping wears away a stone

showing no signs of ...; extremely unlikely to ...

the law has holes large enough for the most wicked men to slip through; the long arm of the law doesn't reach everywhere; fishes big enough to eat boats aren't caught by the net