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."
- cost or damage caused by a disaster etc. take its toll be accompanied by loss, injury, etc.
- —v. - a (of a bell) sound with slow uniform strokes. B ring (a bell) in this way. C (of a bell) announce or mark (a death etc.) In this way.
- strike (the hour). —n. - tolling.
- stroke of a bell. [(now dial.) Toll entice, pull, from an old english root]
TOMB
n. - burial-vault.
- grave.
- sepulchral monument. [greek tumbos]
TOME
n. Heavy book or volume. [greek temno cut]
TONE
poem n. Orchestral composition with a descriptive or rhapsodic theme.
- —n. - musical or vocal sound, esp. With reference to its pitch, quality, and strength.
- (often in pl.) Modulation of the voice expressing a particular feeling or mood (a cheerful tone).
- manner of expression in writing or speaking.
- mus. A musical sound, esp. Of a definite pitch and character. B interval of a major second, e.g. C–d.
- a general effect of colour or of light and shade in a picture. B tint or shade of a colour.
- prevailing character of the morals and sentiments etc. In a group.
- proper firmness of the body.
- state of good or specified health. —v. (-ning) 1 give the desired tone to.
- modify the tone of.
- (often foll. By to) attune.
- (foll. By with) (esp. Of colour) be in harmony with. tone down make or become softer in tone. Tone up make or become stronger in tone. toneless adj. Tonelessly adv. Toner n. [greek tonos from teino stretch]
