Idioms

grandfather clause

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grandfather clause

A clause that exempts certain people or businesses from new limitations or restrictions, thus allowing them to continue doing or benefiting from something as they did before. Originally referred to a clause added to the constitutions of some Southern US states that exempted people with relatives that had voted before 1867 from strict new voting requirements, in effect disproportionately limiting the ability of African Americans to vote. No, I still get to pay the reduced rate, thanks to a grandfather clause in my contract. If there are any changes to the pension plan, they better be accompanied by a grandfather clause for existing employees! Don't worry, I'll have the lawyers add in a grandfather clause so that only new hires are affected by this change.
See also: clause, grandfather
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

(a) grandfather clause

a clause in an agreement that protects certain rights granted in the past even when conditions change in the future. The contract contained a grandfather clause that protected my pension payments against claims such as might arise from a future lawsuit.
See also: clause, grandfather
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
See also:
References in periodicals archive
My suggestion is to dispense with the Grandfather Clause in Rule 2 (leaving only the "Senate Floor") and to modify Rule 1 so as to add two seats to every province after the remainders are considered.
"If the grandfather clause was canceled right now, we would benefit the most of any of the companies in Texas because our nitrogen oxide emissions add up to less than half a percent of the total," he says.
The grandfather clause discussed above does not apply to the multiple tax moratorium.
Amending state regulations to abolish a grandfather clause for pre-1957 oil wells and pits in the 100-year flood plain would go a long way toward alleviating the problem, PC&E officials believe.
"Healthy" was another word that garnered a lot of attention as FDA has proposed a "grandfather clause" that would allow "healthy" to remain in brand names of products on the market prior to October 25, 1989, but would not permit its use on products created afterward.
Key desirable changes that association executives continue to lobby for are a "grandfather clause" that would exempt U.S.
"Removing the grandfather clause would only serve to punish Gamma and hurt its workers," said Kalikow at the-hearing.
A grandfather clause, according to Wikipedia, "is a provision in which an old rule continues to apply to some existing situations, while a new rule will apply to all future cases.
The resulting "grandfather clause" permits operators to establish MAOP based on highest actual operating pressure to which the line was subjected during the five years preceding July 1, 1970, as reflected in a pipeline's records.
A grandfather clause allows all current HUBZone areas to remain in the program until 2010 census figures are released.
FAAA imposed various requirements on wine labels and included a grandfather clause for holders of a Certificate of Label Approval, which exempts them from prohibitions on the use of appellations of origin in brand names for wines.
* A grandfather clause on specific internet access taxes in place prior to 1998 for the full four-year period of the moratorium: and
There was some support, notably from Belgium and Luxembourg, for the Greek Presidency's idea of having a "grandfather clause" whereby those who already possess multiple voting rights could keep them but no new ones could be issued.
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