Sitting on the side of the highway waiting to catch speeding drivers, a State Police Officer see"s a car puttering along at 22 MPH.
He thinks to himself, "This driver is just as dangerous as a speeder!" So he turns on his lights and pulls the driver over. Approaching the car, he notices that there are five old ladies, two in the front seat and three in the back, wide eyed and white as ghosts. The driver, obviously confused, says to him, "Officer, I don"t understand, I was doing exactly the speed limit! What seems to be the problem?"
"Ma"am," the officer replies, "You weren"t speeding, but you should know that driving slower than the speed limit can also be a danger to other drivers."
"Slower than the speed limit? No sir, I was doing the speed limit exactly twenty-two miles an hour!" the old woman says a bit proudly.
The State Police officer, trying to contain a chuckle, explains to her that "22" was the route number, not the speed limit.
A bit embarrassed, the woman grinned and thanked the officer for pointing out her error.
"But before I let you go, Ma"am, I have to ask... Is everyone in this car OK? These women seem awfully shaken and they haven"t muttered a single peep this whole time," the officer asks.
"Oh, they"ll be all right in a minute officer. We just got off Route 142."
- a (in christian belief) the unmerited favour of god. B state of receiving this.
- goodwill, favour.
- delay granted as a favour (a year's grace).
- short thanksgiving before or after a meal.
- (grace) (in greek mythology) each of three beautiful sister goddesses, bestowers of beauty and charm.
- (grace) (prec. By his, her, your) forms of description or address for a duke, duchess, or archbishop. —v. (-cing) (often foll. By with) add grace to; confer honour on (graced us with his presence). with good (or bad) grace as if willingly (or reluctantly). [latin gratia]
GRADE
—n. - a certain degree in rank, merit, proficiency, etc. B class of persons or things of the same grade.
- mark indicating the quality of a student's work.
- us class in school.
- gradient, slope. —v. (-ding) 1 arrange in grades.
- (foll. By up, down, off, into, etc.) Pass gradually between grades, or into a grade.
- give a grade to (a student).
- reduce (a road etc.) To easy gradients. [latin gradus step]
GRAFT
—n. - bot. A shoot or scion inserted into a slit of stock, from which it receives sap. B place where a graft is inserted.
- surgery piece of living tissue, organ, etc., transplanted surgically.
- slang hard work. —v. - (often foll. By into, on, together, etc.) Insert (a scion) as a graft.
- transplant (living tissue).
- (foll. By in, on) insert or fix (a thing) permanently to another.
- slang work hard. [greek graphion stylus]
- colloq. —n. - practices, esp. Bribery, used to secure illicit gains in politics or business.
- such gains. —v. Seek or make such gains. [origin unknown]
GRAIL
n. (in full holy grail) (in medieval legend) cup or platter used by christ at the last supper. [medieval latin gradalis dish]
GRAIN
—n. - fruit or seed of a cereal.
- (collect.) Wheat or any allied grass used as food; corn.
- small hard particle of salt, sand, etc.
- unit of weight, 0.0648 gram.
- smallest possible quantity (not a grain of truth in it).
- roughness of surface.
- texture of skin, wood, stone, etc.
- a pattern of lines of fibre in wood or paper. B lamination in stone etc. —v. - paint in imitation of the grain of wood etc.
- give a granular surface to.
- form into grains. against the grain contrary to one's natural inclination or feeling. grainy adj. (-ier, -iest). [latin granum]
GRAND
jury n. Esp. Us jury selected to examine the validity of an accusation prior to trial.
- mal n. Serious form of epilepsy with loss of consciousness. [french, = great sickness]
- master n. Chess-player of the highest class.
- national n. Steeplechase held annually at aintree, liverpool.
- opera n. Opera on a serious theme, or in which the entire libretto (including dialogue) is sung.
- piano n. Large full-toned piano with horizontal strings.
- prix n. Any of several important international motor or motor-cycle racing events. [french, = great or chief prize]
- slam n. - sport winning of all of a group of matches etc.
- (in comb.) (in names of family relationships) denoting the second degree of ascent or descent (granddaughter). —n. - = *grand piano.
- (pl. Same) (usu. In pl.) Esp. Us slang a thousand dollars or pounds. grandly adv. Grandness n. [latin grandis full-grown]
GRANT
—v. - a consent to fulfil (a request etc.). B allow (a person) to have (a thing).
- give formally; transfer legally.
- (often foll. By that) admit as true; concede. —n. - process of granting.
- sum of money given by the state.
- legal conveyance by written instrument. take for granted 1 assume something to be true or valid.
- cease to appreciate through familiarity. grantor n. (esp. In sense 2 of v.). [french gr(e)anter var. Of creanter from latin credo entrust]
GRAPE
hyacinth n. Plant of the lily family with clusters of usu. Blue flowers.
- hyacinth n. Plant of the lily family with clusters of usu. Blue flowers.
- n. Berry (usu. Green, purple, or black) growing in clusters on a vine, used as fruit and in making wine. [french, probably from grappe hook]
GRAPH
comb. Form forming nouns and verbs meaning: 1 thing written or drawn etc. In a specified way (photograph).
- instrument that records (seismograph).
- comb. Form forming nouns and verbs meaning: 1 thing written or drawn etc. In a specified way (photograph).
- instrument that records (seismograph).
- paper n. Paper printed with a network of lines as a basis for drawing graphs.
- —n. Diagram showing the relation between variable quantities, usu. Of two variables, each measured along one of a pair of axes. —v. Plot or trace on a graph. [abbreviation of graphic formula]
- —n. Diagram showing the relation between variable quantities, usu. Of two variables, each measured along one of a pair of axes. —v. Plot or trace on a graph. [abbreviation of graphic formula]
