[johnfowles]

Originally Posted by Louise

Hi,

I don't often post on the group, but this a question that grabbed me (since I teach English literature!) I checked the Oxford English Dictionary and there is one definition for "stem" as a verb that may apply. It can mean "To beg or panhandle on the streets."

Maybe that's it?

Thanks for many great discussions.

Louise

Great answer Louise although personally I like catmanRon's more picturesque version much more than a simple prosaic dictionary explanation
Oh dear not another corfiddler from the boondocks of Moncton,NS
Beware of Jesse Joe on your local streets. word has it he carries an axe not the stringed variety either!!