A father and son went fishing one day. While they were out in the boat, the boy suddenly became curious about the world around him. He asked his father, "How does this boat float?"
The father replied, "Don"t rightly know, son."
A little later, the boy looked at his father and asked, "How do fish breath underwater?"
Once again the father replied, "Don"t rightly know, son."
A little later the boy asked his father, "Why is the sky blue?"
Again, the father replied, "Don"t rightly know, son."
Finally, the boy asked his father, "Dad, do you mind my asking you all of these questions?"
The father replied, "Of course not, you don"t ask questions, you never learn nothin"."
n. Division of a group (esp. Religious) into sects etc., usu. Over doctrine. schismatic adj. & n. [greek skhizo to split]
SCHIST
n. Layered crystalline rock. [greek skhizo to split]
SCHIZO
colloq. —adj. Schizophrenic. —n. (pl. -s) schizophrenic person. [abbreviation]
SCHOOL
age n. Age-range of school attendance.
- year n. Period from september to july.
- —n. - a educational institution for pupils up to 19 years of age, or (us) including college or university level. B (attrib.) Of or for use in school (school dinners).
- a school buildings, pupils, staff, etc. B time of teaching; the teaching itself (no school today).
- university department or faculty.
- a group of similar artists etc., esp. Followers of an artist etc. B group of like-minded people (belongs to the old school).
- group of card-players etc.
- colloq. Instructive circumstances etc. (school of adversity). —v. - send to school; educate.
- (often foll. By to) discipline, train, control.
- (as schooled adj.) (foll. By in) educated or trained (schooled in humility). at (us in) school attending lessons etc. Go to school attend lessons. [greek skhole]
- n. (often foll. By of) shoal of fish, whales, etc. [low german or dutch]
SCONCE
n. Wall-bracket for a candlestick or light-fitting. [latin (ab)sconsa covered (light)]
SCORCH
—v. - burn or discolour the surface of with dry heat.
- become so discoloured etc.
- (as scorching adj.) Colloq. A (of the weather) very hot. B (of criticism etc.) Stringent; harsh. —n. Mark made by scorching. [origin unknown]
SCORIA
n. (pl. Scoriae) 1 cellular lava, or fragments of it.
- slag or dross of metals. scoriaceous adj. [greek skoria refuse]
SCOTCH
broth n. Meat soup with pearl barley etc.
- egg n. Hard-boiled egg in sausage meat.
- fir n. (also scots fir) = *scots pine.
- mist n. Thick drizzly mist.
- terrier n. (also scottish terrier) small rough-haired terrier.
- v. - put an end to; frustrate.
- archaic wound without killing. [origin unknown]
- whisky n. Whisky distilled in scotland.
- —adj. Var. Of *scottish or *scots. —n. - var. Of *scottish or *scots.
- scotch whisky. [from *scottish]
SCOUSE
colloq. —n. - liverpool dialect.
- (also scouser) native of liverpool. —adj. Of liverpool. [from *lobscouse]
SCRAPE
—v. (-ping) 1 a move a hard or sharp edge across (a surface), esp. To make smooth. B apply (a hard or sharp edge) in this way.
- (foll. By away, off, etc.) Remove by scraping.
- a rub (a surface) harshly against another. B scratch or damage by scraping.
- make (a hollow) by scraping.
- a draw or move with a scraping sound. B make such a sound. C produce such a sound from.
- (often foll. By along, by, through, etc.) Move almost touching surrounding obstacles etc. (scraped through the gap).
- narrowly achieve (a living, an examination pass, etc.).
- (often foll. By by, through) a barely manage. B pass an examination etc. With difficulty.
- (foll. By together, up) bring, provide, or amass with difficulty. 10 be economical. 11 draw back a foot in making a clumsy bow. 12 (foll. By back) draw (the hair) tightly back. —n. - act or sound of scraping.
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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.