Tongue-tied Several weeks ago I was riding in a cab when the driver's eyes caught mine in the rear view mirror and he said, "Excuse me, Miss? Can you help me? As any hard-bitten city dweller knows, the correct answer to a question like"Can you help me? should always be some version of It depends. "I chirped, "Sure Thank you, he said. He passed a slip of yellow paper into the back seat I stared at the paper, wondering Was this a joke? A threat? Hand printed on the paper in tiny block letters was this: proverb secular idiomaticSeveral weeks ago I was riding in a cab when the driver’s eyes caught mine in the rear view mirror and he said, “Excuse me, Miss? Can you help me?” As any hard-bitten city dweller knows, the correct answer to a question like “Can you help me?” should always be some version of “It depends.” I chirped, “Sure.” “Thank you,” he said. He passed a slip of yellow paper into the back seat. Tongue-tied I stared at the paper, wondering. Was this a joke? A threat? Hand￾printed on the paper in tiny block letters was this: proverb peculiar idiomatic