Continuity mistake: After Dark Helmet has stolen Lone Starr's ring of the Schwartz and dropped it down in the grill, Lone Starr is wearing it again after he gets into his Starship.
Spaceballs (1987)
Plot summary
Directed by: Mel Brooks
Starring: Bill Pullman, John Candy, Rick Moranis, Mel Brooks, Daphne Zuniga, Joan Rivers, George Wyner
Dark Helmet plots to steal the combination to Planet Druidia's airshield to save Planet Spaceball. He kidnaps Princess Vespa of Druidia and only Captain Lone Starr and Barf can save her.
MissNiece
Dark Helmet: Before you die there is something you should know about us, Lone Star.
Lone Starr: What?
Dark Helmet: I am your father's brother's nephew's cousin's former roommate.
Lone Starr: What's that make us?
Dark Helmet: Absolutely nothing! Which is what you are about to become.
Trivia: President Skroob's name is an anagram of Mel Brooks' last name.
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Answer: Its a reference to how the stars streak around the ships in "Star Wars". "Ludicrous speed" had to have a ludicrous color. It is also referencing 2001: A Space Odyssey, where this "tartan" effect occurs when Dave is in the pod towards the end of the film.
Grumpy Scot
Those answers are quite correct and possible, but how about this: Warp and weft are the two directions of yarn in weaving (of plaids and other things). It might be a very meta joke since plaid is at much higher level than warp. On the other hand, it's Mel Brooks. On the gripping hand, he was born in Brooklyn in the mid 20's and might have been exposed to the basics and vocabulary of the tailor at a young age.
Btw, it's also a clear reference to the sentence from Star Trek "They've gone to warp."