～というと

According to Edict:

1: (Usually written using kana alone) if one were to speak of ..., then certainly; if it were the case that ..., then certainly; if it were a ..., then certainly; phrase used to indicate the inevitability of what follows it (based on what precedes it);2: so that means (when used in sentence-initial position)

Ex. 初恋というと、まずなにを思い浮かべますか。
Hatsukoi to iu to, mazu nani wo omoiukabemasu ka?
When you say "first love", what is the first thing that comes to mind?

You can also use this to refer to your own question:

Ex. どうしてあきらめたかというともうがまんできいなかった。
Doushite akirameta ka to iu to mou gaman dekinatta.
The reason why I gave up is because I couldn't take it anymore.
Lit. If you ask me why I gave up, I couldn't take it anymore.

Reference: Maggie's site

Uses of ほど

Maggie's site gives a nice detailed lesson for ほど. I summarize the basic idea here, together with some expressions that are noteworthy.

ほど indicates degree or extent, and is usually used with a negative verb. It follows the pattern:

A wa B hodo [adjective]-nai.

Ex. Kumiko-san wa Mai-san hodo sei ga takakunai.
Kumiko is not as tall as Mai.

Ex. Kumiko-san wa Mai-san hodo Eigo ga heta ja nai.
Kumiko is not as bad in English as Mai is.

This is the most common usage of ほど. It can also mean "to the level of", as in the following:

Ex. この漫画は、飽きるほど読んだ
Kono manga wa akiru hodo yonda.
I read this manga until I got tired of it.

More interesting, though, are some expressions which utilize hodo.

1. + ば +   + ほど + ....
This means "the more...., the more...."

Ex.  彼のことを知れば知るほどわからなくなる。
Kare no koto wo shireba shiru hodo wakaranai.
The more I get to know him, the more I don't understand.
(Lit. If I get to know him, I will not understand to the point that I know.)

As you can see, it's better just to understand this phrase as a whole. :)

Ex. あの人のことを好きになれば好きになるほど、心が痛い。
Anohito no kotowo suki ni nareba suki ni naru hodo kokoro ga itai.
The more I get to like him, the more my heart hurts.

2. にもほどがある (ni mo hodo ga aru)
"There's a limit to...."

Ex. 我慢するにもほどがある
Gaman suru nimo hodo ga aru.
There's a limit to my patience.
(Lit. There's a limit to how much I can bear.)

Ex. 冗談にもほどがある
Joudan ni mo hodo ga aru.
This is no longer a joke!
Lit. There's a limit to jokes.

3. これ、それ、あれ + ほど
Means "of this/that extent"

Ex. これほどむずかしいと思わなかった。
Korehodo muzukashii to omowanakatta.
I didn't think it would be this difficult.

Ex. それほどお金に困っていたらどうして一言、相談してくれなかったの？
Sorehodo okane ni komatte itara doushite hitokoto, soudan shite kurenakatta no?
If you were that desperate for money, why didn't you tell me?
(Lit. komatte -> komaru -> be in trouble)

How to say thank you in Japanese: ありがとう、感謝する、etc.

Found this. Another interesting page from the same site is on Valentine's Day and 義理（ぎり）. 義理 is a moral obligation to repay someone after that someone gives you a favor, etc.

expressions involving 以上（いじょう）

以上 means "above" or "more than". Sentences from Tanimori's Handbook to Japanese Grammar.

Examples:
18さい以上のひとしか入れません。
18さい以上のひとしかはいれません。
Only those above 18 years of age are allowed to enter.

そこまで行くのに一時間以上かかります。
If you're going there, it's going to take more than 1 hour.

彼は王様以上だった。
He was more than a king.

It is also often used with これ、それ、and あれ.

Examples:
これ以上ここで待てません。
I can't wait here any longer.

それ以上は無理です。
Any more than that is impossible.

It can also mean "above-mentioned".

Examples:
以上の理由でこれは中止になりました。
This was cancelled for the reasons mentioned above.

考える (kangaeru) and 思う (omou).

The difference between the two are summarized in TheJapanesePage. I write it now in my own words. This  is another reference.

考える (kangaeru) -- involves logical thinking; may involve weighing pros and cons over a long period of time; you think with your head
思う (omou) -- involves feeling, opinions; more sudden than 考える; you think with your mind or heart

try to do: -てみる vs. volitional+とする

Although both mean "to try to do something", there are some nuances involved, and the two are not interchangeable. Thanks to Elenkis' post here, I finally got a decent explanation for this.

1. -[te form]+ みる is used when you are trying to do something because you want to see what happens afterwards. The emphasis here is on what happens if you try.

2. -[volitional form of verb -おう or -よう] + とする , on the other hand, emphasizes the fact that you are going to try, regardless of the result. Note that  In fact, a similar construction (-ようとした), indicates failure ("I tried..., but I failed.).

As Elenkis said, there is a difference between  “I’m going to try drinking sake (and see what what it’s like)” and “I’m going to try to finish my homework tonight”.

Other similar constructions are [plain non-past form]+ ようにする. Another is [plain non-past form] +ことにする.

3. [plain non-past form of verb]+ ようにする means that you put your mind on something, and you're going to exert all effort, even if you fail, until you reach your goal.

4. + ことにする means that you have decided on doing something. It can refer to a single or a habitual action. This seems close to the construction  -[volitional form]+と決める（きめる）, as mentioned by Tae Kim, although I haven't heard or read the latter used.

expressions involving わけ

わけ means "reason", and has the same meaning as 理由（りゆう）. In some cases, the two words are interchangeable:

Ex. 日本語を学ぶわけは興味があるからです。
Nihongo wo manabu wake wa kyoumi ga aru kara desu.
The reason why I study Japanese is that I am interested (lit. I have an interest) in it.

In this case, わけ means "reason" and thus can be replaced by 理由. However, in certain common expressions, this is not the case:

1. -る form of verb + わけには行かない

This is used when you can't do something, or when you shouldn't do something. It has the connotation of being powerless to do something (that you may want to do) because it is against your principles, etc.

Ex. だれにもじゃまさせるわけにはいかない。
Dare nimo jamasaseru wake ni wa ikanai.
I can't let anyone get in the way.

Note that this phrase is commonly written in kana only.

2. -ない form of verb + わけには行かない

This is a phrase which I have never heard used, but which is included in "A Handbook of Japanese Grammar" by scholar Masahiro Tanimori (Tuttle Publishing). It creates a double negative, so it gives a meaning that you "must do something".

Ex. 彼女を手伝わないわけにはいきません。
Kanojo wo tetsudawanai wake ni wa ikimasen.
I have to help her. (lit. I cannot not help her)

3. ～わけです。

This can be preceded by:
(a) -る form of verb
(b) な (for nouns)
(c) い (for i-adjectivesadjectives)
(d) -た (for verbs and i-adjectives)
(e) -ない (for verbs)

It means "it's natural that", or "so that's why..."

ex. それで遅れたわけですね。
Sore de okureta wake desu ne.
So that's why you're late, isn't it?

ex. それではたいへんなわけです。
Soredewa taihen na wake desu.
If that's the case, it will of course be difficult. (lit. If that's the case, that's why it's difficult.)

4. ～わけではない。

It means "it doesn't mean". It can be considered the negative of #3 (it's not natural that...)

It is preceded by a verb, an adjective (in i-form or na-form), or a noun + という, giving rise to the expression +というわけじゃない。

ex. そういうわけじゃない！
That's not what I mean!

ex. すべてあなたにさんせいするわけではありません。
It doesn't mean that I agree with you on everything.

It can also be preceded by という. It means that you are denying, though not completely, the sentence that precedes という.

彼女はそんなにきれいというわけではない。
Kanojo wa sonna ni kirei to iu wake dewa nai.
I wouldn't say she's pretty. OR She's not that pretty.


References:
Masahiro Tanimori, Handbook of Japanese Grammar, Tuttle Publishing, 1994
jisho.org (Online Japanese dictionary)
Maggie's site 

New words from Death Note ep2 + Code Geass ep1

どいつもこいつも -- everyone (negative connotation)
秒（びょう）-- seconds
ちんぷんかんぴん -- gibberish
理想（りそう）（の）-- ideal
用事 -- tasks
無駄（むだ）-- pointless
かぎる -- be restrained
しっかり
せいせき -- grades
なにしろ-- anyway
引き出し（ひきだし）from 引き出す -- drawer
（に）さわる -- touch something
いまごろ
れんらく
（で）きまる
～を～に書く -- write _ in __
人気のない -- deserted
こそこそ（と）、こそこそ（する）
きけん（の）-- risky
ふつう（の）-- usual
かくす-- hide
むしろ -- rather, better
わざと
目立つ（めだつ）-- obvious
ほとんど（の）-- most
まんぞく（する）-- be satisfied
あな -- hole
裏
みつかる
きけん -- risk
おかす
時点（じてん）-- point in time
（に）くらべる -- compare to
逆（ぎゃく）（に）-- on the contrary
安全（あんぜん）（にする）
（と）けんさくする
つかまえる
お互い（おたがい）（に）-- mutually
見つけ出す
直接（ちょくせつ）
実在（じつざい）（する） -- exist
手に入れる -- placed in possession of
～ようだ。-- looks like
とくに -- especially
なおさら
もっとも
犯人（はんにん）
うたがいはじめる -- begin to suspect
明らか（な）-- clear
ちょうせん - challenge
狙い（ねらい）-- aim/objective
つきとめる
付ける（つける）-- to follow (one of its several meanings)
寿命（じゅみょう）-- life span

Anime/manga Japanese transcripts

I highly recommend listening to anime and then cross-checking with the transcripts to see if you heard it right. You can also use rikai-chan (Firefox) or rikai-kun (Chrome) to check the readings of the kanji easily.

Found this for the Death Note manga:
http://lunar.littlestar.jp/stardust/english/DN/DN-1.html

Here's another site with both Japanese and English transcripts for animes (like Code Geass!):
http://animetranscripts.wikispaces.com/

For Geass: http://animetranscripts.wikispaces.com/Code+Geass%28Japanese%29%3E01.+The+Day+a+New+Demon+Was+Born

～（する）ことはない

"There is no need to ". Contrast this with ～（した）ことがある/ ない, which means "one has done/never done before".

Ex. 

ただの風邪ですから、心配することはありません. It's just a common cold, so there's no need to worry.

あやまることはないよ。There's no need to apologize!

Conditionals: ～と, ～たら, ~ば,～なら

Lifted entirely from Derek Schaab's answer. Basically the idea is:

～と: when something is a natural result of some action. Hence, this result cannot be volitional.

～ば: the emphasis here is on the condition (whether it will be met or not is unsure), not the result

～たら: this is the most versatile conditional. It is used when the speaker is more or less sure that the condition will be met, and therefore the emphasis here is on the result. For example, translating "When you're done cooking, call me upstairs" would require ~たら, not ~ば, although there are cases where ~たら can be used instead of ～と or ~ば.

～なら: Probably the most interesting conditional in terms of nuances. Schaab provides a good explanation. It is unique among all conditionals in that it allows you to give a "result" before the condition is met.

Ex. もううちに帰るのなら、この手紙をお母さんに上げてくれませんか。If you're already going home, could you please give this letter to your mom?

Note that the speaker here is requesting an answer BEFORE the speaker goes home.

As we can see, ～なら gives a "while you're at it" or "if you're going to do it anyway" feel. Given that the conditional clause is met, what conclusion or request can you draw from it? That's what ～なら does. This is why, in general, it is not interchangeable with ～と, ～たら or ~ば, all of which require that the condition is met first.

Anyway, let's see Schaab's original answer, lifted verbatim:

ものか - rhetorical question

Sample sentence from jisho.org:

二度と恋するなんかものか。
I won't fall in love again.

"used to create a form of question indicating that the speaker actually believes the opposite is true; emphasizes a determination not to do something"

In anime and colloquial speech, you'll probably hear/see this as もんか。

Questions in subordinate clauses

A sentence straight from Itazura no Kiss anime, episode 4 (last few minutes):

あいつが言ってたな、天才がいつけだものになる(の)かわからないってさ。
Aitsu ga itteta na, tensai ga itsu kedamono ni naru (no) ka wakaranai tte sa.
Lit. He was saying, you don't know when a genius will become a beast.

The focus now is on the boldfaced phrase.

I've heard questions nominalized without the "no の" -- that's why I put it in parentheses. Sample sentences in jisho.org also do not use の when nominalizing a question. However, Masahiro Tanimori's Handbook of Japanese Grammar uses the の. My guess is that both are correct, with the のconstruction as more formal (although I've never heard it before). Also, note the use of  "ga が" instead of "wa は", since this is a subordinate clause.

Another example is this sentence construction:

田中さんが来るかどうか知っていますか。
Tanaka-san ga kuru ka dou ka shitte imasu ka.
Lit. Do you know whether Mr. Tanaka will come or not?

The "かどうか" construction here means "whether or not".

kotaeru 答える, に vs. を

I've always thought that the verb "kotaeru"答える is placed after the particle "wo" を. I was mistaken. It should be "ni に":

質問に答えてください。
しつもんにこたえてください。
Shitsumon ni kotaete kudasai.
Please answer the question.

私はすべてに答えることができない。
わたしはすべてにこたえることができない。
Watashi wa subete ni kotaeru koto ga dekinai.
I can't answer/reply to everything.

New words--from Death Note ep1

This time, from Death Note:

ちょくやく
ゆえに -- therefore
そうすれば
病む（やむ）-- sick
くだらない  -- trash, worthless
まったく -- as an expression of exasperation: "sheesh"; also means "completely"
効果（こうか）-- effect
どうめい -- same name
じんぶつ -- person/character (I wonder what the difference is between this and other terms for person?"
一遍に（いっぺんに）-- at one time
死因（しいん）-- cause of death
くわしい
与える（あたえる
いたずら（な）-- mischievous
まんがいち・まんがいつ -- if by any small chance
殺人犯（さつじんはん）-- murderer
まさか -- expression: it can't be
可能性（かのうせい）-- possibility
死亡（しぼう）-- death/mortality (interestingly, a homonym 志望 means "wish/ambition". I think there's a difference in the intonation.)
ためす -- to test, to try out, to attempt
じじつ -- fact, reality
なるべく -- whenever possible (adverb)
避ける（さける）-- avoid
ますます -- increasingly, more and more
確信（かくしん）
直視（ちょくし）（する）
（に）かんする
記憶（きおく）-- memory
消す（けす）-- wipe out
おとなりさん -- next door neighbor
くらい - dark
きずな -- bonds
落とす（おとす）- dropped
たいくつ（する） -- bored
ところ- can also be used as "part"! ex. そこはDeathNoteの一番いいところだ。
犯罪者（はんざいしゃ）
下す（くだす）
（に）気がつく -- realized
（に）こたえる -- answer
拾う（ひろう）
地球（ちきゅう）
さばく -- pass judgment
けんり -- right (as in, "right to do ____")

Some words I learned recently...

Just listed some words that I learned recently after watching Itazura no Kiss and Rurouni Kenshin Tsuiokuhen. The words are in no particular order -- I just wrote them as they came to mind.

いっとくけど - FYI
しっと - jealousy (can be used as a suru verb)
めぐる - go around
けだもの -- beast
じゅんせい - pure (archaic?)
わがまま（な）- selfish
じんせい - life (from conception to death)
とっておき - most cherished thing
ほっと（する）- relieved
あやまる - apologize
あやめる - murder
すっかり - completely
じゅうぶん - enough
げんじつ - truth
ぐうぜん - coincidence
まんざら -- (not) altogether, (not) completely [used with negative verb]
色っぽい -- sexy, erotic
だいたん -- bold, courageous
どくしん -- single
もんかせい -- student (for kendo?)
世(よ) - world
くさる-- rot
おふくろ-- term for one's mother (but おかあさん seems to be more common)
いそうろう（する）-- live rent-free, freeload
かたおもい -- one-sided love
みとどける -- ascertain
ようじん-- close friend
けってん-- faults/weakness
ーだらけ-- full of
めにあう -- suffer something unpleasant
かってに-- by oneself
勘（かん）- intuition
ことわる - refuse  (note that this kanji is different from that of "kotowari")
理（ことわり）- principle/reason
すなわち - that is (archaic?)
剣（けん）- sword
剣客（けんかく）- swordsman
役に立つ（やくにたつ）-- be of service
かぞえる- count
二人目（ふたりめ）- second person
初恋（はつこい）- first love
うばう -- take away
じだい-- era
天誅（てんちゅう）-- Heaven's punishment
せおう -- carry
生かす（いかす）-- let me live
つらい-- painful
償う（つぐなう）-- atone
しんじつ -- truth (archaic?)
ぼうず-- word for young boys, samurai-speak
かつじけん -- sword that invigorates
かたじけない（さむらいの話し）-- "Thank you", samurai-speak
もくてき -- objective
かくご -- resolve (noun)
おそれる -- to be afraid
ぜったい（に）-- absolute
えらそう（な）-- self-important
まける-- lose
おせわになりました --Japanese expression
におい - smell
かなよめ - bride
ぎゅうなべ -- beef hot pot (sukiyaki)
てんさい -- genius
凶器（きょうき）-- lethal weapon
さつじん -- murder
ざま（を）みろ・ざまあみろ -- serves you right