Comments on: Magic Words: A Dictionary

By: Ian(boy)

Ian(boy) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 04:24:13 +0000

i want to learn some real magic in life please teach me how to learn magic words or latin to have my own magic please teach

By: KeeBlitz

KeeBlitz — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 19:54:21 +0000

How does a classic like "Sim Sim Sala Bim" get left out?

You've gotta give Hadji props...he had his magic words perfected!

By: arfies

arfies — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 23:35:54 +0000

(geek alert!) You've crossed your Darrins! Darrin #1 was convinced by Uncle Arthur (doing a practical joke) that he had magic powers, and the words were "Yagazuzy, yagazuzy, yagazuzy zim!" etc. Darrin #2 was given real magic powers by Samantha's father, Maurice, and that's where the words were "Zolda, pranken, kopeck, lum." Aunt Clara also used those words to try to levitate a teacup. It broke. (geek off...)

By: Craig Conley

Craig Conley — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 17:36:11 +0000

Shprocket, "open sesame" is widely thought to have been “inspired by the fact that the pods of the sesame plant burst open when the enclosed seeds reach maturity.” The name of the seed is over 4,000 years old and is “one of the few to have entered modern languages from the ancient Egyptian (sesemt).” (From MAGIC WORDS: A DICTIONARY)

By: Shprocket

Shprocket — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 16:39:53 +0000

Ali Baba didn't say "open sesame", that's a corruption. He said "open, says me".

By: dalycitymike

dalycitymike — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 00:30:59 +0000

what about "Traguna, macoides, tracorum sadis dee" -- the spell for substitutiary locomotion from Bedknobs and Broomsticks....

By: Jeff @ Omegaword

Jeff @ Omegaword — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 22:49:08 +0000

Holy Moly is an interesting revelation. I didn't know it came from 1940, not to mention the irony of its original use to protect against incantations.

Holy guacamole, this Craig . . . can't anyone STOP HIM??

By: Dave

Dave — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 22:46:54 +0000

Don't know if it qualifies as a magic word or not, but I've been told by several choir directors that if you forget the words to a song, just sing "watermelon" over & over, and nobody will be the wiser.

And Alex: if your daughter is anything like my kids, her recently acquired magic word will become more and more drawn out (puhleeeeeeeeeese?) with the extra emphasis of puppy eyes and maybe even a little tear in the eye, just for good measure. Make sure you know who's training who.

By: Craig Conley

Craig Conley — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 22:34:48 +0000

Miss Cellania, Groucho Marx's show technically featured a "secret word," but it had magical consequences.

By: Craig Conley

Craig Conley — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 22:32:41 +0000

Good point, Scooter -- how you order and pronounce the magic word is crucial! Imagine saying the words "I love you" in the classic monotone of Ben Stein. That probably wouldn't manifest any wedding bells. Comedian Russell Brand related proposing to a woman who spoke only Spanish, and he clumsily told her he loved himself.

By: Craig Conley

Craig Conley — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 22:25:32 +0000

Molli, you've named three of the most famous magic words, to be sure. As to my motivation, this reviewer summed it up pretty well:

http://mysteryarts.blogspot.com/2009/01/review.html

By: Craig Conley

Craig Conley — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 22:23:52 +0000

Yes, MadMolecule, the sacred and profane go together like light and shadow. "As above, so below," as it's been said.

By: MadMolecule

MadMolecule — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 21:21:14 +0000

I've always liked the buried mysticism of exclaiming "holy sh*t" when surprised or amazed. Combining the sacred and the profane in one tidy little phrase, one thing composed of two irreconcilable ideas.

By: molli

molli — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 21:07:03 +0000

wth - I must be brain dead or caught in time somewhere. But what the hell is this guy's motivation and what is he saying? The only magic words I know of: "open sesame" "abracadabra" and "please".

By: Scooter

Scooter — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 18:42:45 +0000

Klaatu barada.... Neck tie? Nickle?

You have to say the magic words right in order to pick up the book of the dead. Everyone knows that.

By: lisapeet

lisapeet — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 18:18:55 +0000

Re Bart's Zombie Spell: Zabar's isn't a discount chain -- it's a high-end gourmet food store. But it certainly is too good a name to resist as far as magic spells go.

By: Art W

Art W — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 16:38:48 +0000

According to Clarke's Law, we can include "Klaatu Barada Nikto", as being part of a science so far advanced so as to be indistinguishable from magic.

By: Miss Cellania

Miss Cellania — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 14:02:39 +0000

Groucho Marx had a different magic word every day on TV, but in the movies it was "swordfish".

Cab Calloway would say "Hidey-hidey-hidey-ho" and women would magically appear at the backstage door.

By: Alex

Alex — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 08:15:50 +0000

My daughter recently learned a very powerful magic word: "please" - we've been trying to get her to say please, but now she thinks that her request *can't* be denied if she attaches pleez to the end of it!