A porter in a British hotel comes upon an American tourist impatiently jabbing at the button for the lift.
"Sir, the lift will be here in a moment."
"Lift? Lift?" replies the American. "Oh, you mean the elevator."
"No sir, here we call it a lift."
"Well, as it was invented in the United States, it’s called an elevator."
"Yes sir, but as the language was invented here, it’s called a lift."
n. Chief monetary unit of india, pakistan, etc. [hindustani]
RURAL
adj. In, of, or suggesting the country (rural seclusion). [latin rus rur- the country]
- dean see *dean1.
- district n. Hist. Group of country parishes with an elected council.
RUSSO
comb. Form russian; russian and.
RUSTY
adj. (-ier, -iest) 1 rusted or affected by rust.
- stiff with age or disuse.
- (of knowledge etc.) Impaired, esp. By neglect (my french is rusty).
- rust-coloured.
- (of black clothes) discoloured by age. rustiness n.
RABBET
—n. Step-shaped channel cut along the edge or face of a length of wood etc., usu. To receive the edge or tongue of another piece. —v. (-t-) 1 join or fix with a rabbet.
- make a rabbet in. [french rab(b)at: related to *rebate1]
RABBIT
punch n. Short chop with the edge of the hand to the nape of the neck.
- —n. - a burrowing plant-eating mammal of the hare family. B us hare.
- its fur. —v. (-t-) 1 hunt rabbits.
- (often foll. By on, away) colloq. Talk pointlessly; chatter. [origin uncertain]
RABBLE
n. - disorderly crowd, mob.
- contemptible or inferior set of people.
- (prec. By the) the lower or disorderly classes of the populace. [origin uncertain]
RABIES
n. Contagious viral disease of esp. Dogs, transmissible through saliva to humans etc. And causing madness; hydrophobia. [latin: related to *rabid]
RACEME
n. Flower cluster with separate flowers attached by short stalks at equal distances along the stem. [latin racemus grape-bunch]
RACIAL
adj. - of or concerning race.
- on the grounds of or connected with difference in race. racially adv.
