(literary) if indeed; (bound form) careless; negligent; (bound form) temporarily

(idiom) to struggle on whilst at death's door

to live without dignity; to barely sustain oneself

perfunctory; careless; drifting along; resigned to one's fate; improper (relations); illicit (sex)

(literary) to extort; to take as bribe

(idiom) to struggle on whilst at death's door

to live without dignity; to barely sustain oneself

perfunctory; careless; drifting along; resigned to one's fate; improper (relations); illicit (sex)

(literary) to extort; to take as bribe

illicit sexual relations

not lax; not casual; careful; conscientious

lit. not even one stroke is negligent (idiom); fig. to write characters (calligraphy) in which every stroke is placed perfectly

not one thread loose (idiom); strictly according to the rules; meticulous; not one hair out of place

(lit.) to swarm like flies around rotten food and drag out an ignoble existence like a dog (idiom); (fig.) to lead an undignified life; to resort to any means for personal gain