Where the Grandfather Clause Came From
Grandpa is an informal word for grandfather. The related phrase grandfather clause has a specific and unhappy origin in American voting law.
Grandpa is the familiar form of *grandfather*. The related legal phrase has a darker source than most people realise: after the American Civil War, several southern states imposed literacy tests for voting but exempted men whose grandfathers had voted before 1867 — which meant white men only. The exemptions were struck down in 1915, but *grandfather clause* stayed in the language for any rule that spares those already in place.
- An informal word for grandfather. *Grandpa taught me to fish.*
- Grandfather clause — an exemption for existing cases. *Existing users are grandfathered in.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | grandpa | My grandpa. |
| Plural | grandpas | Both grandpas. |
| Formal | grandfather | His paternal grandfather. |
| British | grandad / granddad | Down at Grandad's. |
| Verb | grandfather | Existing rates are grandfathered. |
How it is used in a sentence
- Grandpa still drives at eighty-six.Used as a name.
- Current members are grandfathered in.The verb, from the clause.
- The old licences were grandfathered for five years.Common in regulation.
Related terms
- Grandfather clause — an exemption for those already in place
- Legacy — the technology equivalent of the same idea
- Sunset clause — a rule that expires on a set date
- Transitional arrangement — the formal term regulators prefer
- Vested right — an entitlement already earned
*Grand-* comes from French, marking a generation further up. *Pa* is the nursery form of *father*, found in the same shape across many unrelated languages.
Is *grandfathered in* offensive?
Some organisations avoid it because of its origin in racially exclusionary voting laws. Legacy or exempted are common replacements.
Grandad or granddad?
Both are used in Britain. Granddad with two d's is more common in print; grandad is common in speech and informal writing.