From f0963e3fb69ef628beabda9c6a6f36bc26d2f310 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: jwalz Date: Mon, 24 Apr 2006 20:00:11 +0000 Subject: [PATCH] Next batch from --- dat/data.base | 133 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++------ 1 file changed, 117 insertions(+), 16 deletions(-) diff --git a/dat/data.base b/dat/data.base index 648219feb..892676926 100644 --- a/dat/data.base +++ b/dat/data.base @@ -423,6 +423,22 @@ bat or bird proverb, and I will show you something that ought to be in some kind of a home. [ A Pelican at Blandings, by P. G. Wodehouse ] +bear*trap + Probably most commonly associated with trapping, the leghold + trap is a rather simple mechanical trap. It is made up of two + jaws, a spring of some sort, and a trigger in the middle. When + the animal steps on the trigger the trap closes around the leg, + holding the animal in place. Usually some kind of lure is used + to position the animal, or the trap is set on an animal trail. + Traditionally, leghold traps had tightly closing "teeth" to make + sure the animal stayed in place. The teeth also made sure the + animal could not move the leg in the trap and ruin their fur. + However, this resulted in many animals gnawing off legs in order + to escape. More modern traps have a gap called an "offset jaw" + and work more like a handcuff. They grip above the paw, making + sure the animal cannot pull out but does not destroy the leg. + This also allows the trapper to release unwanted catches. + [ Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia ] *bee This giant variety of its useful normal cousin normally appears in small groups, looking for raw material to produce @@ -526,6 +542,21 @@ candelabrum* guarded secret, possibly derived from nonhumans (see Dwarfs, Elves, and Gnomes). [ The Tough Guide to Fantasyland, by Diana Wynne Jones ] +*booze +potion of sleeping + On waking, he found himself on the green knoll whence he had + first seen the old man of the glen. He rubbed his eyes -- it + was a bright sunny morning. The birds were hopping and + twittering among the bushes, and the eagle was wheeling aloft, + and breasting the pure mountain breeze. "Surely," thought Rip, + "I have not slept here all night." He recalled the occurrences + before he fell asleep. The strange man with a keg of liquor -- + the mountain ravine -- the wild retreat among the rocks -- the + woe-begone party at ninepins -- the flagon -- "Oh! that flagon! + that wicked flagon!" thought Rip -- "what excuse shall I make + to Dame Van Winkle!" + [ Rip Van Winkle, a Posthumous Writing + of Diedrich Knickerbocker, by Washington Irving ] boulder I worked the lever well under, and stretched my back; the end of the stone rose up, and I kicked the fulcrum under. Then, @@ -602,6 +633,18 @@ bugle sun god Tezcatlipoca transformed himself into Mixcoatl-Camaxtli to make fire by twirling the sacred fire sticks. [ Encyclopedia of Gods, by Michael Jordan ] +camelot* + The seat of Arthur's power in medieval romance. The name is + of unknown origin and refers to the castle but also includes + the surrounding town. ... Camelot appears, most significantly, + as a personal capital as opposed to a permanent or national + one. It is Arthur's and Arthur's alone. There are no previous + lords and Arthur's successor, Constantine, does not take up + residence there. Camelot is actually said to have been + demolished after Arthur and Lancelot were gone by Mark. Fazio + degli Uberti, the Italian poet, claims to have seen the ruins + in the 14th century. + [ Encyclopedia Mythica, ed. M.F. Lindemans ] candy bar Only once a year, on his birthday, did Charlie Bucket ever get to taste a bit of chocolate. The whole family saved up @@ -621,6 +664,20 @@ candy bar so on. And in this way, Charlie would make his ten-cent bar of birthday chocolate last him for more than a month. [ Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, by Roald Dahl ] +carrot + In World War II, Britain's air ministry spread the word that + a diet of these vegetables helped pilots see Nazi bombers + attacking at night. That was a lie intended to cover the real + matter of what was underpinning the Royal Air Force's successes: + Airborne Interception Radar, also known as AI. ... British + Intelligence didn't want the Germans to find out about the + superior new technology helping protect the nation, so they + created a rumor to afford a somewhat plausible-sounding + explanation for the sudden increase in bombers being shot down. + ... The disinformation was so persuasive that the English public + took to eating carrots to help them find their way during the + blackouts. + [ Urban Legends Reference Pages ] s*d*g*r* cat Imagine a sealed container, so perfectly constructed that no physical influence can pass either inwards or outwards across its @@ -668,6 +725,23 @@ human cave*man there were ridges over the eye sockets, yet he unmistakably held in his genes the promise of humanity. [ 2001: A Space Odyssey, by Arthur C. Clarke ] +dwar* cave*man +gnom* cave*man + 'Twas in a land unkempt of life's red dawn; + Where in his sanded cave he dwelt alone; + Sleeping by day, or sometimes worked upon + His flint-head arrows and his knives of stone; + By night stole forth and slew the savage boar, + So that he loomed a hunter of loud fame, + And many a skin of wolf and wild-cat wore, + And counted many a flint-head to his name; + Wherefore he walked the envy of the band, + Hated and feared, but matchless in his skill. + Till lo! one night deep in that shaggy land, + He tracked a yearling bear and made his kill; + Then over-worn he rested by a stream, + And sank into a sleep too deep for dream. + [ The Dreamer, by Robert Service ] *centaur Of all the monsters put together by the Greek imagination the Centaurs (Kentauroi) constituted a class in themselves. @@ -708,17 +782,18 @@ kerberos Hercules confronted him and took him to the world of the living (as his twelfth and last labor). chameleon - Name of a family (_Chameleonidae_) and race (_Chameleo_) of - scaly lizards, especially the _Chameleo vulgaris_ species, - with a short neck, claws, a grasping tail, a long, extendible - tongue and mutually independent moving eyes. When it is - scared or angry, it inflates itself and its transparent skin - shows its blood: the skin first appears greenish, then - gradually changes color until it is a spotted red. The final - color depends on the background color as well, hence the - (figurative) implication of unreliability. [Capitalized:] - a constellation of the southern hemisphere (Chameleo). - [ Van Dale's Groot Woordenboek der Nederlandse Taal ] + A small lizard perched on a brown stone. Feeling threatened by + the approach of human beings along the path, it metamorphosed + into a stingray beetle, then into a stench-puffer, then into a + fiery salamander. + Bink smiled. These conversions weren't real. It had assumed + the forms of obnoxious little monsters, but not their essence. + It could not sting, stink or burn. It was a chameleon, using + its magic to mimic creatures of genuine threat. + Yet as it shifted into the form of a basilisk it glared at him + with such ferocity that Bink's mirth abated. If its malice + could strike him, he would be horribly dead. + [ A Spell for Chameleon, by Piers Anthony ] charo*n When an ancient Greek died, his soul went to the nether world: the Hades. To reach the nether world, the souls had to cross @@ -749,11 +824,20 @@ large box against the windowpanes. [ The Count of Monte Cristo, by Alexandre Dumas ] chih*sung*tzu - A Chinese rain god. + A character in Chinese mythology noted for bringing about the + end of a terrible drought which threatened the survival of + the people. He achieved this by means of sprinkling the + earth with water from a bowl, using the branch of a tree to + do so. He became the heavenly controller of the rain, and + lived with other celestial beings in their paradise on Mount + Kunlun. + [ The Illustrated Who's Who In Mythology, by Michael Senior ] chromatic dragon tiamat Tiamat is said to be the mother of evil dragonkind. She is extremely vain. +citrine* + A pale yellow variety of crystalline quartz resembling topaz. ~elven cloak ~oilskin cloak *cloak* @@ -818,6 +902,23 @@ c*ckatrice sicken and die. [ Mythical Beasts by Deirdre Headon (The Leprechaun Library) and other sources ] +*coin +~creeping coins +*coins +zorkmid* + The coin bears the likeness of Belwit the Flat, along with the + inscriptions, "One Zorkmid," and "699 GUE [ Great Underground + Empire ]." On the other side, the coin depicts Egreth Castle, + and says "In Frobs We Trust" in several languages. + [ Zork Zero, by Infocom ] +# not "stethoscope" +cope +* cope + The cope is a liturgical vestment which may be worn by any + rank of the clergy. Copes are made in all liturgical colours, + and are like a very long mantle or cloak, fastened at the breast + by a clasp. + [ Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia ] cornuthaum He was dressed in a flowing gown with fur tippets which had the signs of the zodiac embroidered over it, with various @@ -1098,8 +1199,8 @@ doppelganger of the Dum-Dum. [ Tarzan of the Apes, by Edgar Rice Burroughs ] ~dwarf ??m* +#~dwar* cave*man dwarf* -dwar* cave*man Dwarfs have faces like men (ugly men, with wrinkled, leathery skins), but are generally either flat-footed, duck-footed, or have feet pointing backwards. They are of the earth, earthy, @@ -1476,11 +1577,11 @@ giant humanoid boulders as weapons, hurling them over large distances. All types of giants share a love for men - roasted, boiled, or fried. Their table manners are legendary. -# note: "gnomish wizard" is a monster; cave*man entry doesn't fit nonhumans +# note: "gnomish wizard" is a monster ~gnome ??m* +#~gnom* cave*man gnome* gnomish wizard -gnom* cave*man ... And then a gnome came by, carrying a bundle, an old fellow three times as large as an imp and wearing clothes of a sort, especially a hat. And he was clearly just as frightened @@ -1537,7 +1638,6 @@ goddess [ The Tough Guide to Fantasyland, by Diana Wynne Jones ] gold gold piece -zorkmid A metal of characteristic yellow colour, the most precious metal used as a common commercial medium of exchange. Symbol, Au; at. no. 79; at. wt. 197.2. It is the most malleable @@ -3847,6 +3947,7 @@ javelin [ The Book of Three, by Lloyd Alexander ] *spider Eight legged creature capable of spinning webs to trap prey. + [] "You mean you eat flies?" gasped Wilbur. "Certainly. Flies, bugs, grasshoppers, choice beetles, -- 2.40.0