c Cadabra (see abracadabra and kadabra) [He talked] such a curious, gentle, primeval cadabra that it drew her toward some violent unknown whirlpool and made her hum and shake. -- Barbara Trapido, Temples of Delight (1990) Mystique: Cadabra is that flash when your mind is blown, like a hit of a powerful drug -- "Sniff, cadabra," as novelist Rachel Timms puts it.1 The word has an aura of necromancy to it, with its similarity to cadaver. It has all the impact of the longer word abracadabra, but without any dilly-dallying -- it goes straight for the punch. Meanings: Scholar William Isaacs explains that cadabra can be broken up into two root words: "Ca translates to 'as.' Dabra is the first person of the verb daber, 'to speak.'" So cadabra means "as I speak," equivalent to "upon my command." Facts: Jeff Bezos, the founder of the internet bookstore Amazon.com "originally planned to call the company Cadabra -- a reference to the magic incantation. Fortunately for him, his friends convinced him that, while the name might have spellbinding connotations, it also sounded very similar to 'cadaver.'" Common Magician's Applications: Triggering. For example: "With your finger under his chin, gently push his chin up as you say 'Cadabra, now lift.' Be careful: you don't want to use a lot of pressure. Push just enough to move his head up, just before you say your magic words."4 Variations and Incantations: • Cadavra The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra is a horror-comedy film released in 2001. • Kadabra • Kedavra In Literature: • "When politicians prophesy that prices will float to their correct levels, they sound like magicians chanting prophecies that 'abra will rise, cadabra will fall.'" -- Martin Feldstein, New Ideas from Dead Economists (1989) 1 Whatever You Want (200 ) Dialogue: The Art Of Thinking Together (1999) Daniel Goleman, Business: The Ultimate Resource (2002) 4 Loris Bree, Kids' Magic Secrets (200 )