I would call it a return in volleyball and tennis. Reception to American ears means a completed pass in American Football. Though, the two players can be called server and receiver.

It usually means "far away", but in this context refers to time: "far in the future".

Sounds like a reference to Timothy Leary: "Tune in, turn on, and drop out." I would take it to mean that you have to have something in common with the people you want to help, learn about them and their situation.

Usually a baseball term, To clinch means that no matter how many future games the team loses, they will still finish in first place. I would say that clinching an argument means that you've argued to a point where you can no longer lose the

It usually means to get out from behind a lot of work, though I suppose it could be used for reading, getting back in touch, etc. 1. Too ambiguous, you need to say what you're trying to catch-up with. 2. Just my opinion, but it doesn't

Most common usage would be that a table has one surface, while a desk can have one surface or multiple, as well as drawers.

At the University of California, they call this a symposium. A student teaches an entire class, while the professor observes.

I would avoid the forms of "make out", since the common idiom means "to kiss". "Do well" is easily substituted.

Style and substance: Style is how something looks. Substance is what something is. So, they're saying the program looks pretty, but doesn't do much.

I would say that favored (I'm an American, I'll spell it in AmE) could mean one of several, while favorite means only one. Like the magnitude difference between good, better, and best. Only one thing can be the best. Now for the