Sitting on the side of the highway waiting to catch speeding drivers, a State Police Officer see"s a car puttering along at 22 MPH.
He thinks to himself, "This driver is just as dangerous as a speeder!" So he turns on his lights and pulls the driver over. Approaching the car, he notices that there are five old ladies, two in the front seat and three in the back, wide eyed and white as ghosts. The driver, obviously confused, says to him, "Officer, I don"t understand, I was doing exactly the speed limit! What seems to be the problem?"
"Ma"am," the officer replies, "You weren"t speeding, but you should know that driving slower than the speed limit can also be a danger to other drivers."
"Slower than the speed limit? No sir, I was doing the speed limit exactly twenty-two miles an hour!" the old woman says a bit proudly.
The State Police officer, trying to contain a chuckle, explains to her that "22" was the route number, not the speed limit.
A bit embarrassed, the woman grinned and thanked the officer for pointing out her error.
"But before I let you go, Ma"am, I have to ask... Is everyone in this car OK? These women seem awfully shaken and they haven"t muttered a single peep this whole time," the officer asks.
"Oh, they"ll be all right in a minute officer. We just got off Route 142."
n. Organ producing pollen in a flower. [latin, = warp, thread]
STANCE
n. - standpoint; attitude.
- attitude or position of the body, esp. When hitting a ball etc. [italian stanza standing]
STANCH
v. (also staunch) 1 restrain the flow of (esp. Blood).
- restrain the flow from (esp. A wound). [french estanchier]
STANZA
n. Basic metrical unit of a poem etc., typically of four to twelve rhymed lines. [italian]
STAPLE
—n. U-shaped metal bar or piece of wire with pointed ends for driving into and holding papers together, or holding an electrical wire in place, etc. —v. (-ling) fasten or provide with a staple. stapler n. [old english]
- —n. - principal or important article of commerce (staples of british industry).
- chief element or main component.
- fibre of cotton or wool etc. With regard to its quality (cotton of fine staple). —attrib. Adj. - main or principal (staple diet).
- important as a product or export. [french estaple market]
STARCH
—n. - polysaccharide obtained chiefly from cereals and potatoes.
- preparation of this for stiffening fabric.
- stiffness of manner; formality. —v. Stiffen (clothing) with starch. [old english: related to *stark]
STARRY
adj. (-ier, -iest) 1 full of stars.
- like a star.
STARVE
v. (-ving) 1 (cause to) die of hunger or suffer from malnourishment.
- colloq. Feel very hungry (i'm starving).
- a suffer from mental or spiritual want. B (foll. By for) feel a strong craving for.
- (foll. By of) deprive of.
- compel by starving (starved into surrender). starvation n. [old english, = die]
