Once Holmes was visited by the person with a request for help. He was in a worn suit, a shirt with shabby cuffs and an old top head on his head. Holmes refused to help him. When the man left, disappointed Watson jumped on his friend:
- Sherlock, you are a great detective. How could you refuse to help the poor man?
- My dear friend, he was not absolutely poor. It his purse there was 115 pounds and 25 pence.
- But how do you know ?
- It is elementary, Buddy. Let’s count it together.
bill n. Parliamentary bill affecting an individual or corporation only.
- company n. Company with restricted membership and no public share issue.
- detective n. Detective engaged privately, outside an official police force.
- enterprise n. Businesses not under state control.
- eye n. Colloq. Private detective.
- hotel n. Hotel not obliged to take all comers.
- means n.pl. Income from investments etc., apart from earned income.
- member n. Mp not holding government office.
- member's bill n. Bill introduced by a private member, not part of government legislation.
- parts n.pl. Euphem. Genitals.
- sector n. The part of the economy free of direct state control.
- soldier n. Ordinary soldier other than the officers.
- view n. Viewing of an exhibition (esp. Of paintings) before it opens to the public.
- —adj. - belonging to an individual, one's own, personal (private property).
- confidential, not to be disclosed to others (private talks).
- kept or removed from public knowledge or observation.
- not open to the public.
- (of a place) secluded.
- (of a person) not holding public office or an official position.
- (of education or medical treatment) conducted outside the state system, at the individual's expense. —n. - private soldier.
- (in pl.) Colloq. Genitals. in private privately. privately adv. [latin privo deprive]
PROBATE
n. - official proving of a will.
- verified copy of a will with a certificate as handed to executors. [latin probo *prove]
PROBITY
n. Uprightness, honesty. [latin probus good]
PROBLEM
n. - doubtful or difficult matter requiring a solution.
- something hard to understand or accomplish.
- (attrib.) Causing problems (problem child).
- puzzle or question for solution; exercise. [greek problema -mat-]
PROCEED
v. - (often foll. By to) go forward or on further; make one's way.
- (often foll. By with, or to + infin.) Continue with an activity; go on to do something (proceeded with their work; proceeded to beg me).
- (of an action) be carried on or continued (the case will now proceed).
- adopt a course of action (how shall we proceed?).
- go on to say.
- (foll. By against) start a lawsuit against (a person).
- (often foll. By from) originate (trouble proceeded from illness). [latin cedo cess- go]
PROCESS
—n. - course of action or proceeding, esp. A series of stages in manufacture etc.
- progress or course (in process of construction).
- natural or involuntary course or change (process of growing old).
- action at law; summons or writ.
- natural projection of a bone, stem, etc. —v. - deal with by a particular process.
- (as processed adj.) Treat (food, esp. To prevent decay) (processed cheese). [latin: related to *proceed]
- v. Walk in procession. [back-formation from *procession]
PROCTOR
n. Disciplinary officer (usu. One of two) at certain universities. proctorial adj. Proctorship n. [from *procurator]
PROCURE
v. (-ring) 1 obtain, esp. By care or effort; acquire (managed to procure a copy).
- bring about (procured their dismissal).
- (also absol.) Obtain (women) for prostitution. procurement n. [latin curo look after]
PRODIGY
n. (pl. -ies) 1 exceptionally gifted or able person, esp. A precocious child.
- marvellous, esp. Extraordinary, thing.
- (foll. By of) wonderful example (of a quality). [latin prodigium portent]
PRODUCE
—v. (-cing) 1 manufacture or prepare (goods etc.).
- bring forward for consideration, inspection, or use (will produce evidence).
- bear, yield, or bring into existence (offspring, fruit, a harvest, etc.).
- cause or bring about (a reaction, sensation, etc.).
- geom. Extend or continue (a line).
- supervise the production of (a play, film, broadcast, record, etc.). —n. - a what is produced, esp. Agricultural products collectively (dairy produce). B amount of this.
- (often foll. By of) result (of labour, efforts, etc.). producible adj. [latin duco duct- lead]
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