Upon entering the little country store, the stranger noticed a sign saying "DANGER! BEWARE OF DOG!" posted on the glass door.
Inside he noticed a harmless old hound dog asleep on the floor beside the cash register.
He asked the store manager,
"Is that the dog folks are supposed to beware of?"
"Yep, that"s him," he replied.
The stranger couldn"t help but be amused.
"That certainly doesn"t look like a dangerous dog to me. Why in the world would you post that sign?"
"Because," the owner replied, "before I posted that sign, people kept tripping over him."
- v. (-bb-) fob off 1 (often foll. By with a thing) deceive into accepting something inferior.
- (often foll. By on or on to a person) offload (an unwanted thing). [cf. Obsolete fop dupe]
FOE
abbr. Friends of the earth.
- n. Esp. Poet. Enemy. [old english]
FOG
—n. - thick cloud of water droplets or smoke suspended at or near the earth's surface.
- cloudiness on a photographic negative etc.
- uncertain or confused position or state. —v. (-gg-) 1 cover or become covered with or as with fog.
- perplex. [perhaps a back-formation from *foggy]
FOP
n. Dandy. foppery n. Foppish adj. [perhaps from obsolete fop fool]
FOR
prefix forming verbs etc. Meaning: 1 away, off (forget; forgive).
- prohibition (forbid).
- abstention or neglect (forgo; forsake). [old english]
- —prep. - in the interest or to the benefit of; intended to go to (did it all for my country; these flowers are for you).
- in defence, support, or favour of.
- suitable or appropriate to (a dance for beginners; not for me to say).
- in respect of or with reference to; regarding (usual for ties to be worn; ready for bed).
- representing or in place of (mp for lincoln; here for my uncle).
- in exchange with, at the price of, corresponding to (swapped it for a cake; give me £5 for it; bought it for £5; word for word).
- as a consequence of (fined for speeding; decorated for bravery; here's £5 for your trouble).
- a with a view to; in the hope or quest of; in order to get (go for a walk; send for a doctor; did it for the money). B on account of (could not speak for laughing).
- to reach; towards (left for rome). 10 so as to start promptly at (meet at seven for eight). 11 through or over (a distance or period); during (walked for miles). 12 as being (for the last time; i for one refuse). 13 in spite of; notwithstanding (for all your fine words). 14 considering or making due allowance in respect of (good for a beginner). —conj. Because, since, seeing that. be for it colloq. Be about to be punished etc. For all (that) in spite of, although. For ever for all time (cf. *forever). [old english reduced form of *fore]
FOX
—n. - a wild canine animal with a bushy tail and red or grey fur. B its fur.
- cunning person. —v. - deceive, baffle, trick.
- (usu. As foxed adj.) Discolour (leaves of a book etc.) With brownish marks. foxlike adj. [old english]
FPA
abbr. Family planning association.
FRI
Abbr. Friday.
FRO
adv. Back (now only in to and fro: see *to). [old norse: related to *from]
