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."
- destruction. [low german or dutch wrak: cf. *wreck]
WRATH
n. Literary extreme anger. [old english: related to *wroth]
WREAK
v. - (usu. Foll. By upon) give play to (vengeance or one's anger etc.).
- cause (damage etc.) (wreak havoc). [old english, = avenge]
WRECK
—n. - the sinking or running aground of a ship.
- ship that has suffered a wreck.
- greatly damaged building, thing, or person.
- (foll. By of) wretched remnant. —v. - a seriously damage (a vehicle etc.). B ruin (hopes, a life, etc.).
- cause the wreck of (a ship). [anglo-french wrec from germanic]
WREST
v. - wrench away from a person's grasp.
- (foll. By from) obtain by effort or with difficulty. [old english]
- v. - wrench away from a person's grasp.
- (foll. By from) obtain by effort or with difficulty. [old english]
WRICK
var. Of *rick2.
- var. Of *rick2.
WRING
—v. (past and past part. Wrung) 1 a squeeze tightly. B (often foll. By out) squeeze and twist, esp. To remove liquid.
- break by twisting.
- distress, torture.
- extract by squeezing.
- (foll. By out, from) obtain by pressure or importunity; extort. —n. Act of wringing. wring one's hands clasp them as a gesture of distress. Wring the neck of kill (a chicken etc.) By twisting its neck. [old english]
- —v. (past and past part. Wrung) 1 a squeeze tightly. B (often foll. By out) squeeze and twist, esp. To remove liquid.
- break by twisting.
- distress, torture.
- extract by squeezing.
- (foll. By out, from) obtain by pressure or importunity; extort. —n. Act of wringing. wring one's hands clasp them as a gesture of distress. Wring the neck of kill (a chicken etc.) By twisting its neck. [old english]
WRIST
n. - joint connecting the hand with the arm.
- part of a garment covering this. [old english]
- n. - joint connecting the hand with the arm.
- part of a garment covering this. [old english]
WRITE
v. (-ting; past wrote; past part. Written) 1 mark paper or some other surface with symbols, letters, or words.
- form or mark (such symbols etc.).
- form or mark the symbols of (a word or sentence, or document etc.).
- fill or complete (a sheet, cheque, etc.) With writing.
