A man goes into a pet shop to buy a parrot.
The shop owner points to three identically looking parrots on a perch and says:
"The parrot on the left costs $500."
"Why does the parrot cost so much?", asks the guest.
The owner says,
"Well, the parrot knows how to use a computer."
The man then asks about the next parrot. He is told that this one costs $1000, because it can do everything the other parrot can do, plus it knows how to use the UNIX operating system.
Naturally, the increasingly startled man asks about the third parrot. He is told that it costs $2000. Needless to say this begs the question,
"What can it do?"
To which the owner replies,
"To be honest I have never seen it do a thing, but the other two call him boss!"
battery n. (also dry cell) electric battery or cell in which electrolyte is absorbed in a solid.
- dock n. Dock that can be pumped dry for building or repairing ships.
- ice n. Solid carbon dioxide used as a refrigerant.
- land n. Land as distinct from sea etc.
- measure n. Measure for dry goods.
- rot n. Decayed state of unventilated wood; fungi causing this.
- run n. Colloq. Rehearsal.
- —adj. (drier; driest) 1 free from moisture, esp.: a with moisture having evaporated, drained away, etc. (clothes are not dry yet). B (of eyes) free from tears. C (of a climate etc.) With insufficient rain; not rainy (dry spell). D (of a river, well, etc.) Dried up. E using or producing no moisture (dry shampoo; dry cough). F (of a shave) with an electric razor.
- (of wine) not sweet (dry sherry).
- a plain, unelaborated (dry facts). B uninteresting (dry book).
- (of a sense of humour) subtle, ironic, understated.
- prohibiting the sale of alcohol (a dry state).
- (of bread) without butter etc.
- (of provisions etc.) Solid, not liquid.
- impassive.
- (of a cow) not yielding milk. 10 colloq. Thirsty (feel dry). —v. (dries, dried) 1 make or become dry.
- (usu. As dried adj.) Preserve (food etc.) By removing moisture.
- (often foll. By up) colloq. Forget one's lines. —n. (pl. Dries) 1 act of drying.
- dry ginger ale.
- dry place (come into the dry). dry out 1 make or become fully dry.
- treat or be treated for alcoholism. Dry up 1 make or become utterly dry.
