Events ("What?")

animation

the making of animated cartoons

 

plunk

a hollow twanging sound

 

auto-da-fe

the burning to death of heretics (as during the Spanish Inquisition)

 

party game

a game to amuse guests at a party

 

gantlet

a form of punishment in which a person is forced to run between two lines of men facing each other and armed with clubs or whips to beat the victim

 

trente-et-quarante

a card game in which two rows of cards are dealt and players can bet on the color of the cards or on which row will have a count nearer some number

 

shipwreck

an irretrievable loss

 

bounce

rebounding from an impact (or series of impacts)

 

dermabrasion

removal of scars or tattoos by anesthetizing the skin surface and then sanding or scraping off some of the outer skin layer

 

block vote

a vote proportional in magnitude to the number of people that a delegate represents

 

snobbism

the trait of condescending to those of lower social status

 

politeness

the act of showing regard for others

 

conferment

the act of conferring an honor or presenting a gift

 

short selling

sale of securities or commodity futures not owned by the seller (who hopes to buy them back later at a lower price)

 

phone-in

a program in which the audience participates by telephone

 

blow

an unpleasant or disappointing surprise

 

urging

insistent solicitation and entreaty

 

Holy Communion

the act of participating in the celebration of the Eucharist

 

nautch

an intricate traditional dance in India performed by professional dancing girls

 

smelling

the act of perceiving the odor of something