MAGIC WORDS In Literature: • "He withdrew his wand from a pocket, then waved it in a circular motion in front of the large eye-shaped glyph in the very center of the door. Then, quietly, he spoke the magic word, 'Apokalypto,' and four of the many glyphs glowed golden, forming a word." -- Thalia M. Kendall, "Charms and Curses" (2002) Arbadacarba (see abracadabra) Facts: Arbadacarba, the word abracadabra spelled backwards, is "the most powerful magic spell extant" according to Jean Hugard and Frederick Braue in The Royal Road to Card Magic (1951). Common Magician's Applications: Reversing an effect. In Literature: • "The Magician put a serious expression on his face and raised his cloaked arms. 'Arbadacardba,' he muttered mysteriously." -- T. S. Ionta, The Cloak of Dreams (200 ) • "'Arbadacarba!' he shouted, lowering his hands at the same time, like pulling an invisible curtain over the frustrating magical scene he surveyed." -- Lloyd H. Whitling, This World (2002) Ariath Dupius Cancyck In Literature: • "'Ariath dupius, cancyck!' chanted the mage, and the trees and thornbushes before him curled out of the way." -- Douglas Niles, Black Wizards (2004) Art Just pronounce the magic word 'Art', and everything is O.K. -- George Orwell, "Benefit of Clergy: Some Notes on Salvador Dali," Fifty Orwell Essays (1944) In Literature: • "And then, too, Madame Chebe no longer believed in her husband, whereas, by virtue of that single magic word, 'Art!' her neighbor never had doubted hers." -- Alphonse Daudet, Fromont et Risler (c. 1874)