Little Johnny and his family lived in the country, and as a result seldom had guests. He was eager to help his mother after his father appeared with two dinner guests from the office. When the dinner was nearly over, Little Johnny went to the kitchen and proudly carried in the first piece of apple pie, giving it to his father who passed it to a guest.
Little Johnny came in with a second piece of pie and gave it to his father, who again gave it to a guest.
This was too much for Little Johnny, who said, "It"s no use, Dad. The pieces are all the same size."
int. Expressing hesitation or a pause in speech. [imitative]
UN
abbr. United nations.
- prefix 1 added to adjectives and participles and their derivative nouns and adverbs, meaning: a not (unusable). B reverse of (esp. With implied approval etc.) (unselfish; unsociable).
- (less often) added to nouns, meaning ‘a lack of’, ‘the reverse of’ (unrest; untruth). [old english]
- prefix added to verbs and (less often) nouns, forming verbs denoting: 1 reversal (undress; unsettle).
- deprivation (unmask).
- release from (unburden; uncage).
- causing to be no longer (unman). [old english]
- prefix chem. Denoting ‘one’, combined with other numerical roots nil (= 0), un (= 1), bi (= 2), etc., to form the names of elements based on the atomic number, and terminated with -ium, e.g. Unnilquadium = 104, ununbium = 112. [latin unus one]
UP
prefix in senses of *up, added: 1 as an adverb to verbs and verbal derivations, = ‘upwards’ (upcurved; update).
- as a preposition to nouns forming adverbs and adjectives (up-country; uphill).
- as an adjective to nouns (upland; up-stroke).
- —adv. - at, in, or towards a higher place or a place regarded as higher, e.g. The north, a capital or a university (up in the air; up in scotland; went up to london; came up in 1989).
- a to or in an erect or required position or condition (stood it up; wound up the watch). B in or into an active condition (stirred up trouble; the hunt is up).
- in a stronger or leading position (three goals up; am £10 up; is well up in class).
- to a specified place, person, or time (a child came up to me; fine up till now).
- higher in price or value (our costs are up; shares are up).
- a completely (burn up; eat up). B more loudly or clearly (speak up).
- completed (time is up).
- into a compact, accumulated, or secure state (pack up; save up; tie up).
- out of bed, having risen (are you up yet?; sun is up). 10 happening, esp. Unusually (something is up). 11 (usu. Foll. By before) appearing for trial etc. (up before the magistrate). 12 (of a road etc.) Being repaired. 13 (of a jockey) in the saddle. —prep. - upwards and along, through, or into (climbed up the ladder; went up the road).
- from the bottom to the top of.
- a at or in a higher part of (is up the street). B towards the source of (a river). —adj. - directed upwards (up stroke).
- of travel towards a capital or centre (the up train). —n. Spell of good fortune. —v. (-pp-) 1 colloq. Start, esp. Abruptly, to speak or act (upped and hit him).
- raise (upped their prices). be all up with be hopeless for (a person). On the up (or up and up) colloq. Steadily improving. Up against 1 close to.
- in or into contact with.
- colloq. Confronted with (a problem etc.).
US
abbr. United states.
- pron. - objective case of *we (they saw us).
- colloq. = *we (it's us again).
- colloq. = *me1 (give us a kiss). [old english]
UV
abbr. Ultraviolet.
UDA
abbr. Ulster defence association (a loyalist paramilitary organization).
