A renowned philosopher was held in high regard by his driver, who listened in awe at every speech while his boss would easily answer questions about morality and ethics.
Then one day the driver approached the philosopher and asked if he was willing to switch roles for the evening"s lecture.
The philosopher agreed and, for a while, the driver handled himself remarkably well.
When it came time for questions from the guests, a woman in the back asked,
"Is the epistemological view of the universe still valid in an existentialist world?"
"That is an extremely simple question," he responded. "So simple, in fact, that even my driver could answer that, which is exactly what he will do."
upper lip n. Appearance of being calm in adversity.
- —adj. - rigid; inflexible.
- hard to bend, move, or turn etc.
- hard to cope with; needing strength or effort (stiff climb).
- severe or strong (stiff penalty).
- formal, constrained.
- (of a muscle, person, etc.) Aching owing to exertion, injury, etc.
- (of esp. An alcoholic drink) strong.
- (foll. By with) colloq. Abounding in. —adv. Colloq. Utterly, extremely (bored stiff). —n. Slang 1 corpse.
- foolish or useless person. stiffish adj. Stiffly adv. Stiffness n. [old english]
STILE
n. Steps allowing people but not animals to climb over a fence or wall. [old english]
STILL
life n. (pl. Lifes) painting or drawing of inanimate objects, e.g. Fruit or flowers.
- —adj. - not or hardly moving.
- with little or no sound; calm and tranquil.
- (of a drink) not effervescing. —n. - deep silence (still of the night).
- static photograph (as opposed to a motion picture), esp. A single shot from a cinema film. —adv. - without moving (sit still).
- even now or at a particular time (is he still here?).
- nevertheless.
- (with compar.) Even, yet, increasingly (still greater efforts). —v. Make or become still; quieten. stillness n. [old english]
- n. Apparatus for distilling spirits etc. [obsolete still (v.) = *distil]
STILT
n. - either of a pair of poles with foot supports for walking at a distance above the ground.
- each of a set of piles or posts supporting a building etc. [low german or dutch]
STING
—n. - sharp wounding organ of an insect, snake, nettle, etc.
- a act of inflicting a wound with this. B the wound itself or the pain caused by it.
- painful quality or effect.
- pungency, vigour.
- slang swindle. —v. (past and past part. Stung) 1 a wound or pierce with a sting. B be able to sting.
- feel or give a tingling physical or sharp mental pain.
- (foll. By into) incite, esp. Painfully (stung into replying).
- slang swindle, charge exorbitantly. sting in the tail unexpected final pain or difficulty. [old english]
STINK
bomb n. Device emitting a stink when opened.
- —v. (past stank or stunk; past part. Stunk) 1 emit a strong offensive smell.
- (often foll. By out) fill (a place) with a stink.
- (foll. By out etc.) Drive (a person) out etc. By a stink.
- colloq. Be or seem very unpleasant. —n. - strong or offensive smell.
- colloq. Row or fuss. [old english]
STINT
—v. - supply (food or aid etc.) Meanly or grudgingly.
- (often refl.) Supply (a person etc.) In this way. —n. - limitation of supply or effort (without stint).
- allotted amount of work (do one's stint).
- small sandpiper. [old english]
STOAT
n. Mammal of the weasel family with brown fur turning mainly white in the winter. [origin unknown]
STOCK
exchange n. - place for dealing in stocks and shares.
- dealers working there.
- market n. - = *stock exchange.
- transactions on this.
- —n. - store of goods etc. Ready for sale or distribution etc.
- supply or quantity of anything for use.
- equipment or raw material for manufacture or trade etc. (rolling-stock).
- farm animals or equipment.
- a capital of a business. B shares in this.
- reputation or popularity (his stock is rising).
- a money lent to a government at fixed interest. B right to receive such interest.
- line of ancestry (comes of cornish stock).
- liquid basis for soup etc. Made by stewing bones, vegetables, etc. 10 fragrant-flowered cruciferous cultivated plant. 11 plant into which a graft is inserted. 12 main trunk of a tree etc. 13 (in pl.) Hist. Timber frame with holes for the feet in which offenders were locked as a public punishment. 14 base, support, or handle for an implement or machine. 15 butt of a rifle etc. 16 (in pl.) Supports for a ship during building or repair. 17 band of cloth worn round the neck. —attrib. Adj. - kept in stock and so regularly available.
- hackneyed, conventional. —v. - have (goods) in stock.
- provide (a shop or a farm etc.) With goods, livestock, etc.
- fit (a gun etc.) With a stock. in (or out of) stock available (or not available) immediately for sale etc. Stock up (often foll. By with) provide with or get stocks or supplies (of). Take stock 1 make an inventory of one's stock.
- (often foll. By of) review (a situation etc.). [old english]
STOIC
—n. - member of the ancient greek school of philosophy which sought virtue as the greatest good and taught control of one's feelings and passions.
- (stoic) stoical person. —adj. - of or like the stoics.
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