There once was a very rich man who wanted to take his wealth with him when he died. He prayed and prayed until the Lord gave in, but on one condition – he could only take one suitcase of his wealth.
The rich man began to worry, "What kind of currency should I take – the dollar, the pound, the euro, the yen?" He finally decided to turn everything into gold bullion.
The day came when God called him home. St. Peter told him that he couldn’t bring in his suitcase with him. The man explained that he had an agreement with God.
"That’s unusual," St. Peter said. "Mind if I take a look?"
The man opened his suitcase to reveal the shining gold bullion.
"Why in heaven would you bring pavement?" St. Peter exclaimed
n. Newtlike salamander, which in natural conditions retains its larval form of life. [nahuatl, = water-servant]
AZIMUTH
n. Angular distance from a north or south point of the horizon to the intersection with the horizon of a vertical circle passing through a given celestial body. azimuthal adj. [french from arabic]
AARDVARK
n. Mammal with a tubular snout and a long tongue, feeding on termites. [afrikaans]
ABATTOIR
n. Slaughterhouse. [french abatre fell, as *abate]
ABDICATE
v. (-ting) 1 (usu. Absol.) Give up or renounce (the throne).
- renounce (a duty, right, etc.). abdication n. [latin dico declare]
ABERDEEN
angus n. Animal of a scottish breed of hornless black cattle. [aberdeen in scotland]
ABERRANT
adj. Deviating from what is normal or accepted. [latin: related to *err]
ABEYANCE
n. (usu. Prec. By in, into) temporary disuse. [french: related to *ad-, beer gape]
ABLATIVE
gram. —n. Case (in latin) of nouns and pronouns indicating an agent, instrument, or location. —adj. Of or in the ablative. [latin ablatus taken away]
ABLUTION
n. (usu. In pl.) 1 ceremonial washing of the hands, sacred vessels, etc.
- colloq. A ordinary bodily washing. B place for this. [latin ablutio from luo lut- wash]
