ONE of the busiest times for a meat-department manager in a supermarket occurs when there is a sale on particular cuts. When they put cross-rib roasts on sale one day the result was predictable.

They'd bring out a cart of roasts and before the workers could get them on display, women customers were jostling for their share. Three times they returned with a cart of roasts and three times they were gone before the workers got to the counter.

The fourth time out one worker noticed that a man who had quietly been watching began to approach the worker's cart. He elbowed his way in, pushing and shoving, and finally grasped a roast.

Before he could retreat from the crush, an irate woman glared at him and said, "Sir, how about being a gentleman!" The fellow turned and said, "Ma'am, for twenty minutes I've been a gentleman, now I'm going to be a lady!" And with that he smiled, took his roast and walked away.