One day Holmes and Watson are flying a dirigible balloon. It is foggy around, they have lost their way. Suddenly they see - a shepherd is grazing sheep below. The men are very glad and shout:
- The dear, tell us, please, where we are now?
- You are in the dirigible balloon.
- I understand... - Holmes says. - We are flying over Russia.
- But why? - Watson is surprised.
- It’s elementary, Buddy! Only a programmer could give such an exact and useless answer at the same time. And only in Russia programmers can look after sheep.
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).
Snails produce a colorless, sticky discharge that forms a protective carpet under them as they travel along. The discharge is so effective that they can crawl along the edge of a razor without cutting themselves.
