Vocabulary

getting an advance (on one's salary)

preface; foreword; preamble

dispensing with the preliminaries ...

such; like that; that sort of

all; whole; entire; complete; total; pan-

proper; respectable; decent; honest

really; truly; entirely; completely; wholly; perfectly

complete recovery of health

nationwide; countrywide; national; throughout the country

to meet fortuitously; to meet by chance; to happen across

observance (of laws, rules, etc.); adherence; obeying; following; abiding by; compliance

for the first time

first shrine visit of the New Year

place; spot; scene; site

what is called; what you call; what they call; so-called

after all; in the end; anyway

owner

written word; written language

to write down (what someone says); to take down dictation; to take notes (e.g. of a lecture)

various; many; several

various countries; various regions; various provinces

archipelago; group of islands

woman

girls' high school

female high school student

opportunity; occasion; chance

soon; before long; any time now; momentarily

to remove; to get rid of; to take away; to eliminate

to wound; to injure

shopping district; shopping street; downtown

child (esp. one of elementary school age or younger)

fraction (part of); decimal fraction

little by little; bit by bit

(not) at all; (not) a bit; (not) in the least; (not) in the slightest

besides; furthermore; on top of that

still more; even more; all the more

floor

barbershop; barber shop; barber

to invite; to ask

fire extinguisher