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."
- enrapture. ravishment n. [latin: related to *rape1]
READER
n. - person who reads.
- book intended to give reading practice, esp. In a foreign language.
- device for producing an image that can be read from microfilm etc.
- (also reader) university lecturer of the highest grade below professor.
- publisher's employee who reports on submitted manuscripts.
- printer's proof-corrector.
- person appointed to read aloud, esp. In church.
REALLY
adv. - in reality.
- very (really useful).
- indeed, i assure you.
- expression of mild protest or surprise.
REALTY
n. Real estate.
REAPER
n. - person who reaps.
- reaping machine.
- (the reaper or grim reaper) death personified.
REASON
—n. - motive, cause, or justification.
- fact adduced or serving as this.
- intellectual faculty by which conclusions are drawn from premisses.
- sanity (lost his reason).
- sense; sensible conduct; what is right, practical, or practicable; moderation. —v. - form or try to reach conclusions by connected thought.
- (foll. By with) use argument with (a person) by way of persuasion.
- (foll. By that) conclude or assert in argument.
- (foll. By into, out of) persuade or move by argument.
- (foll. By out) think out (consequences etc.).
- (often as reasoned adj.) Express in a logical way.
- embody reason in (an amendment etc.). by reason of owing to. In (or within) reason within the bounds of moderation. With reason justifiably. [latin ratio]
REBATE
n. - partial refund.
- deduction from a sum to be paid; discount. [french rabattre: related to *re-, *abate]
- n. & v. (-ting) = *rabbet.
REBIND
v. (past and past part. Rebound) bind (esp. A book) again or differently.
REBOOT
v. (often absol.) Computing boot up (a system) again.
REBUFF
—n. - rejection of one who makes advances, proffers help, shows interest, makes a request, etc.
- snub. —v. Give a rebuff to. [french from italian]
