While sports fishing off the Florida coast, a tourist capsized his boat. He could swim, but his fear of alligators kept him clinging to the overturned craft.
Spotting and old beachcomber standing on the shore, the tourist shouted,
"Are there any gators around here?!"
"Naw," the man hollered back, "they ain"t been around for years!"
Feeling safe, the tourist started swimming leisurely toward the shore.
About halfway there he asked the guy,
"How"d you get rid of the gators?"
"We didn"t do nothin"," the beachcomber said. "The sharks got "em."
- principles of justice used to correct or supplement the law.
- a value of the shares issued by a company. B (in pl.) Stocks and shares not bearing fixed interest. [latin aequitas: related to *equal]
ERASER
n. Thing that erases, esp. A piece of rubber etc. For removing pencil etc. Marks.
ERBIUM
n. Metallic element of the lanthanide series. [ytterby in sweden]
ERMINE
n. (pl. Same or -s) 1 stoat, esp. When white in winter.
- its white fur, used to trim robes etc. [french]
EROTIC
adj. Of or causing sexual love, esp. Tending to arouse sexual desire or excitement. erotically adv. [greek eros sexual love]
ERRAND
n. - short journey, esp. On another's behalf, to take a message, collect goods, etc.
- object of such a journey. [old english]
- of mercy n. Journey to relieve suffering etc.
ERRANT
adj. - erring.
- literary or archaic travelling in search of adventure (knight errant). errantry n. (in sense 2). [from *err: sense 2 ultimately from latin iter journey]
ERSATZ
adj. & n. Substitute, imitation. [german]
ESCAPE
clause n. Law clause specifying conditions under which a contracting party is free from an obligation.
- velocity n. Minimum velocity needed to escape from the gravitational field of a body.
- —v. (-ping) 1 (often foll. By from) get free of restriction or control.
- (of gas etc.) Leak.
- succeed in avoiding punishment etc.
- get free of (a person, grasp, etc.).
- avoid (a commitment, danger, etc.).
- elude the notice or memory of (nothing escapes you; name escaped me).
- (of words etc.) Issue unawares from (a person etc.). —n. - act or instance of escaping.
- means of escaping (often attrib.: escape hatch).
- leakage of gas etc.
- temporary relief from unpleasant reality. [latin cappa cloak]
ESCHEW
v. Formal avoid; abstain from. eschewal n. [germanic: related to *shy1]
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