Quote:
Originally Posted by devo22
Thanks! I love English, but using grandfather as a verb seems like a weird idea  |
The term comes from the American Civil war where post-war voting rules didn't apply to people who had grandfathers that had voted before the war.
It terms of law and policy, it is very commonly used in English to mean that new rules do not affect individuals who were subject to different rules prior to the new rule brought into place but going forward, all new individuals must abide by it. It's a way to transition in a new policy without angering the older base of that group.
American gun laws for example, are often grandfathered in to appease the old gun owners so that they don't protest against the new restrictions (so the law can be passed) while new gun owners no-longer have the same privileges. For example, somebody who purchased a fully automatic assault rifle before 1986 can keep it but new buyers are restricted from purchasing them.