72 MAGIC WORDS Common Magician's Applications: "Here is a loop of string -- or rath er, two pieces of string tied together here, and here, with knots. Of course, what we want is one neat and knotless string and that is where magic comes in. In order to join the two pieces of string together, it is necessary to have nice, fresh, clean cut ends and these scissors will do that. A snip and one knot is out of the way. Put those fresh ends together, say the magic word 'rat-atar,' blow on the knot, and we have one fine, straight, knotless piece of string." Recipe Origins: Recipe is from a Latin word meaning "receive." Meanings: • Set of instructions • Something likely to lead to a particular outcome In Literature: • "They inscribe upon a sheet of paper, under the magic word 'Recipe,' the names of certain medicines, whereupon the Apothecary's assistant takes his mortar and pounds out of the wretched patient whatever health may still be left in him." -- Archibald Cockren, Alchemy Rediscovered and Restored (1941) Reduce, Reuse, Recycle Facts: These are professional magician Steve Trash's magic words. Reducio Origins: From the Middle English redusen, Reducio means "diminish." In Literature: • Reducio is a spell for returning an enlarged object to its normal size in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling (2000). Relashio Origins: Relashio is from an Italian word meaning "to release" (rilascio). 2 John Mulholland, Mulholland's Book of Magic (196 )