expression:

• if even the most crooked person is surrounded by good people, he will straighten up as does mugwort growing in a hemp field

expression / adjective:

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

expression:

• slow but steady wins the race; constant effort will result in success; constant dripping wears away a stone [literal] - proverb

expression / adjective:

• showing no signs of (verb); extremely unlikely to (verb) - after -masu stem of verb

expression:

• 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 [literal] - proverb

expression:

• secret, unrequited love - obscure term ➜ 鮑の貝の片思い

expression:

• secret, unrequited love - obscure term ➜ 鮑の片思い

expression:

• riding a horse so skillfully that it appears as if man and horse have become one - idiom

expression:

• there are exceptions to every rule; rocks will flow and leaves will sink [literal] - proverb - obscure term

expression:

• to refuse stubbornly to admit one is wrong - idiom - obscure term

expression / noun:

• perseverance prevails; three years on a (cold) stone (will make the stone warm) [literal] - proverb

expression:

• being excessively cautious; knocking on a strong stone bridge before crossing it [literal] - idiom

expression:

• failing to practice what one preaches - idiom

expression / noun:

• final emergency measure; final defence when one is cornered (defense) - idiom

expression:

• dogs and monkeys (esp. as an example of a bad relationship, like that between cats and dogs) ➜ 犬猿

expression:

• walls have ears ➜ 壁に耳あり障子に目あり

expression:

• it's the thought that counts

expression:

• diametric opposites; night and day; black and white; snow and ink [literal] - idiom

expression:

• making something strong even stronger; solidifying something's chances; giving a metal rod to an ogre [literal] - idiom

expression:

• dead men tell no tales - proverb

expression / noun:

• being outnumbered (e.g. in a military context)

expression:

• cute, white, oval face (appearing as if someone glued eyes and a nose on an egg) - obscure term

expression:

• paper lanterns and temple bells (esp. as an example of two things looking similar on the outside, but of a completely different nature); (like) chalk and cheese; you can't judge a book by its cover - obscure term ➜ 月と鼈【つきとすっぽん】

expression:

• how can (one) do something

expression:

• any event can bring about an effect in an unexpected way; if the wind blows the bucket makers prosper [literal] - proverb