A drummer, sick of all the drummer jokes, decides to change his instrument. After some thought, he decides on the accordion.
So he goes to the music store and says to the owner, "I"d like to look at the accordions, please."
The owner gestures to a shelf in the corner and says, "All our accordions are over there."
After browsing, the drummer says, "I think I"d like the big red one in the corner."
The store owner looks at him and says, "You"re a drummer, aren"t you?"
The drummer, crestfallen, says, "How did you know?"
The store owner says, "That "big red accordion" is the radiator."
n. - inflammable waxy or oily hydrocarbon distilled from petroleum or shale, used in liquid form (also paraffin oil) esp. As a fuel.
- chem. = *alkane. [latin, = having little affinity]
- wax n. Paraffin in its solid form.
PARAKEET
n. Small usu. Long-tailed parrot. [french: related to *parrot]
PARALLAX
n. - apparent difference in the position or direction of an object caused when the observer's position is changed.
- angular amount of this. [greek, = change]
PARALLEL
bars n.pl. Pair of parallel rails on posts for gymnastics.
- —adj. - a (of lines or planes) continuously side by side and equidistant. B (foll. By to, with) (of a line or plane) having this relation (to or with another).
- (of circumstances etc.) Precisely similar, analogous, or corresponding.
- a (of processes etc.) Occurring or performed simultaneously. B computing involving the simultaneous performance of operations. —n. - person or thing precisely analogous to another.
- comparison (drew a parallel between them).
- (in full parallel of latitude) a each of the imaginary parallel circles of constant latitude on the earth's surface. B corresponding line on a map (49th parallel).
- printing two parallel lines (||) as a reference mark. —v. (-l-) 1 be parallel, or correspond, to.
- represent as similar; compare.
- cite as a parallel instance. in parallel (of electric circuits) arranged so as to join at common points at each end. parallelism n. [greek, = alongside one another]
PARALYSE
v. (us paralyze) (-sing or -zing) 1 affect with paralysis.
- render powerless; cripple. [greek: related to *para-1, luo loosen]
PARALYZE
v. (brit. Paralyse) (-sing or -zing) 1 affect with paralysis.
- render powerless; cripple. [greek: related to *para-1, luo loosen]
PARAMOUR
n. Archaic or derog. Illicit lover of a married person. [french par amour by love]
PARANOIA
n. - mental disorder with delusions of persecution and self-importance.
- abnormal suspicion and mistrust. paranoiac adj. & n. Paranoiacally adv. Paranoic adj. Paranoically adv. Paranoid adj. & n. [greek: related to *nous]
PARAQUAT
n. A quick-acting highly toxic herbicide. [from *para-1, *quaternary]
PARASITE
n. - organism living in or on another and feeding on it.
- person exploiting another or others. parasitic adj. Parasitically adv. Parasitism n. [greek: related to *para-1, sitos food]
Crocodiles and alligators are surprisingly fast on land. Although they are rapid, they are not agile; so if you ever find yourself chased by one, run in a zigzag line. You"ll lose him or her every time.
