stagehand in kabuki and bunraku (who dresses fully in black)

steam whistle

drop (of liquid); droplet

(idiomatic, proverb) be quick on the uptake, understand the whole situation from just a few clues

祝く, 寿く: congratulate, wish well / 惚く, 呆く: be senile or mentally slow

北: (漢音; kan'on pronunciation)

飛び子: roe of the flying fish

The hiragana syllable きょ (kyo). Its equivalent in katakana is キョ (kyo).

居: residence / 挙: / 虚: / 距: / 裾:

拒否: refusal / 巨費: great cost