to rub / to grind / to polish / to sharpen / to wear down / to die out / to waste time / to pester / to insist
磨
=
石
+
麻
:
Mahatma Gandhi (m) has been tied down in the observatory's kitchen (o2) with ropes made of hemp (麻). He uses a stone (石) to patiently rub (磨) through the ropes.
砂
=
石
+
少
:
Sherlock Holmes (sh) wants to join the ashram. In front of the ashram (a1) he has to grind a rock (石) into sand (砂) while Smiley (少) is supervising him in order to prove himself.
膏
=
月
+
高
:
Guy Fawkes (g) built a skyscraper (高) in front of the aorta (ao1) which reaches up to the moon (月). Every month when the moon is full Guy Fawkes climbs the skyscraper to apply pain relieving paste (膏) to the moon's back to help him with his back pain.