For those of you asking why I sometimes keep emphasizing that "without rote memoration" thing

This gap of knowledge feels "worse" (although not worrying about it) than not having learned those words in the first place.
Nowadays, I only learn languages on the base of "whatever sticks that sticks, and whatever doesn't, that doesn't". And I am really happy about the fact that since then, there really was a big increase related to many, if not all, of those on my list.