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. Chirp of a small bird. —v. Make this noise. [imitative]
TWERE
archaic it were. [contraction]
TWERP
n. (also twirp) slang stupid or objectionable person. [origin unknown]
TWICE
adv. - two times; on two occasions.
- in double degree or quantity (twice as good). [old english: related to *two]
TWILL
archaic it will. [contraction]
- n. Fabric so woven as to have a surface of diagonal parallel ridges. twilled adj. [old english, = two-thread]
TWINE
—n. - strong coarse string of twisted strands of fibre.
- coil, twist. —v. (-ning) 1 form (a string etc.) By twisting strands.
- weave (a garland etc.).
- (often foll. By with) garland (a brow etc.).
- (often foll. By round, about) coil or wind.
- refl. (of a plant) grow in this way. [old english]
TWIRL
—v. Spin, swing, or twist quickly and lightly round. —n. - twirling motion.
- flourish made with a pen. [origin uncertain]
TWIRP
var. Of *twerp.
TWIST
—v. - a change the form of by rotating one end and not the other or the two ends in opposite directions. B undergo such a change. C wrench or pull out of shape with a twisting action (twisted my ankle).
- a wind (strands etc.) About each other. B form (a rope etc.) In this way.
- a give a spiral form to. B take a spiral form.
- (foll. By off) break off by twisting.
- misrepresent the meaning of (words).
- a take a winding course. B make (one's way) in a winding manner.
- colloq. Cheat.
- (as twisted adj.) Derog. (of a person or mind) neurotic; perverted.
- dance the twist. —n. - act of twisting.
- twisted state.
- thing formed by twisting.
- point at which a thing twists or bends.
- usu. Derog. Peculiar tendency of mind or character etc.
- unexpected development of events, esp. In a story etc.
- (prec. By the) popular 1960s dance with a twisting movement of the hips. round the twist slang crazy. Twist a person's arm colloq. Coerce, esp. Using moral pressure. Twist round one's finger easily persuade or dominate (a person). twisty adj. (-ier, -iest). [related to *twin, *twine]
