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."
- a brisk flurry of bullets, dust, etc. B sudden copious arrival of gifts, honours, etc.
- (in full shower-bath) a cubicle, bath, etc. In which one stands under a spray of water. B apparatus etc. Used for this. C act of bathing in a shower.
- us party for giving presents to a prospective bride etc.
- slang contemptible person or group. —v. - discharge (water, missiles, etc.) In a shower.
- take a shower.
- (usu. Foll. By on, upon) lavishly bestow (gifts etc.).
- descend in a shower. showery adj. [old english]
SHRANK
past of *shrink.
SHREWD
adj. Astute; clever and judicious. shrewdly adv. Shrewdness n. [perhaps from obsolete shrew to curse, from *shrew]
SHRIEK
—n. Shrill scream or sound. —v. Make or utter in a shriek. [old norse]
SHRIKE
n. Bird with a strong hooked and toothed bill. [old english]
SHRILL
—adj. - piercing and high-pitched in sound.
- derog. Sharp, unrestrained. —v. Utter with or make a shrill sound. shrillness n. Shrilly adv. [origin uncertain]
SHRIMP
—n. - (pl. Same or -s) small edible crustacean, turning pink when boiled.
- colloq. Very small person. —v. Try to catch shrimps. [origin uncertain]
SHRINE
n. - esp. Rc ch. A place for special worship or devotion. B tomb or reliquary.
- place hallowed by some memory or association. [latin scrinium bookcase]
SHRINK
—v. (past shrank; past part. Shrunk or (esp. As adj.) Shrunken) 1 make or become smaller, esp. From moisture, heat, or cold.
- (usu. Foll. By from) recoil; flinch. —n. - act of shrinking.
- slang psychiatrist. [old english]
SHRIVE
v. (-ving; past shrove; past part. Shriven) rc ch. Archaic 1 (of a priest) hear and absolve (a penitent).
- (refl.) Submit oneself to a priest for confession etc. [old english scrifan impose as penance]
