Everyone watching will think the coin is in the right hand, so hold it out straight, focus on it, and open the hand finger by finger. It will have vanished! Now reach toward a spectator with your cupped left hand and produce the coin from behind their ear! They can’t see the approach around the back, so this is fairly easy.
THE EASY VANISH
The Easy Vanish is simple to perform yet very deceptive. Hold both hands palms up with a coin on the second and third fingertips of the right hand. Hold the coin in place with the right thumb.
Now turn that hand over and slap the coin into the palm of the left hand. Close the fingers of the left hand over the fingers of the right; withdraw the right hand, but hang onto the coin, using your thumb. Drop your right hand down by your side and reveal an empty left hand!
THE BASIC VANISH
Hold both hands out, palms up, with a coin in the center of the right hand. The right hand approaches the left hand from below so the palm of the right hand touches the fingertips of the left hand.
The legitimate move is to drop the coin into the left hand as the right hand passes over it, closing the fingers of the left hand over the coin and dropping the right hand to one side.
Now to create the sleight, place the coin in the center of your right hand and close the fingers and thumb slightly, gripping the coin with your palm. This is called “palming.” As you pass over the left hand with the back of the right hand to the audience, you can retain the coin in your right hand. This will take some practice. Getting the coin in the right position for the palm needs confidence and a little patter to bounce it around until it’s right.
As before, practise the sleight and check in the mirror so it looks natural.
Outlined above are three easy vanishes, but as I said at the beginning, it is the reappearance that is important. One great reappearance that can be used for any of the vanishes is called “cough up.” It involves a little patter and a flourish.
At the beginning of the sleight, let the people watching know that you have a hole in the top of your head. Lean forward and let them look. Ask them if they can see it. They should say no and when they do, look a little confused and state that you can prove it. Smoothly perform one of the vanishes above, let’s say the French Drop, but do not reveal the empty right hand. Instead, slap the top of your head with it. Then move your left hand to your mouth and cough, letting the coin drop. Catch it with your right. This really does look as if you have passed a coin through your head! Remember, it’s smoothness that counts, and if people ask you to do it again always decline. Don’t give your tricks away too easily.
Light
WHAT IS LIGHT? Without the human sense of sight, the word “light” would have no meaning. Light enters our eyes and we “see” things. Seeing things is a mental sensation and light is the physical cause of this. The mental effect that light causes is still one of the mysteries of the mind, but we do understand a great deal about light on the physical side.
The thing we see might have its own light source—like a lightbulb, or light might be reflected off it from somewhere else—like the sun. We see most things by this reflected or borrowed light.
The origin of any light source will begin with the vibration of atoms. A lightbulb, for example, uses electricity to heat a filament to the point where it gives out energy in the form of white light. That light travels at about 186,000 miles per second (300,000 km/s) in empty space. It travels in waves or a steady flow of waves, like ripples on a pond. The waves have a very short wavelength (this is measured from the crest of one wavelength to another): 1/40,000 inch (0.00006350 cm) to 1/80,000 inch (0.00003175 cm), depending on the color.
When light shines on a non-luminous body (like a table), it stimulates the atoms to varying degrees. Some atoms absorb all the light that falls upon them, while other atoms absorb some of the light but allow the rest to be reflected. The light finally reaches the eye, producing on the retina an image of the object viewed. Thus we “see” and recognize the different parts of an object.
Light waves of various wavelengths create the sensation of color when they fall on the eye.
These waves can be identified by passing light through a prism, a colored strip called “the spectrum” being produced, red at one end and passing through orange, yellow, green, blue and indigo to violet at the other end. “ROY G. BIV” is a good way to remember the colors of the spectrum.
By mixing colors, using colored glass and a white background, any color whatever can be produced, including some that are not present in the spectrum, like brown. The eye cannot tell the composition of the light that produces any given color; for example, the color yellow is a simple color, but may be produced by mixing red and green in the correct proportions. Whiteness is caused by a mixture of all the simple colors. The classic way to see this is to color a card disk with the shades of the rainbow and punch a pencil through the middle. When spun quickly, the colors will blur into whiteness.
When we look at a raindrop, we call it transparent, and think that the light goes straight through. Actually some of it is reflected from the inner surfaces. The light is bent or “refracted” as it enters the raindrop and again when it leaves.
Raindrops act in the same way as rough prisms of glass or ice and cause rainbows. The drops of water split up the sunlight into the colors of the rainbow by “refracting” each of the different colors of light to a different degree.
You will always find that your shadow points directly to the middle of the rainbow. You might also hear of a “pot of gold” where the rainbow ends. Unfortunately, a rainbow has no end. As you move your position, so the rainbow will move with you. Curiously no two people will ever see exactly the same rainbow. They generally appear when the sun is fairly low in the early morning and afternoon. The lower the sun, the higher the bow.
Color is an affair of the mind, while light is purely physical, but you cannot have one without the other.
Latin Phrases Every Boy Should Know
THERE ARE HUNDREDS of thousands of Latin roots in English. If that wasn’t enough, some Latin words have become so common they are often believed to be English! “Agenda” (things to be done), “alter ego” (other self), “exit” (he/she leaves), “verbatim” (word for word), and “video” (I see) fall into that group. There is satisfaction in understanding your own language—and that includes its origins.
Latin phrases crop up in conversation as well as the law courts. It is still the gold standard of education, but be warned—showing off is not a suitable reason for learning this list.
The precision of Latin can be a pleasure, but the main reason for this chapter is cultural. If you know English, you should know a little Latin. What follows can only ever be a small sample of the whole.
Learn one a day, perhaps. After each phrase, you’ll find a home-made phonetic pronunciation guide. Stressed syllables are in capitals (SCISsors, DInosaur.) For some, you’ll find an example of it being used.
Ad hoc (ad-hok). Literally “to this.” Improvised or made up. “I wrote an ad hoc poem.”
Ad hominem (ad HOM-in-em). This is a below-the-belt, personal attack, rather than a reasoned response to an argument.
Ad infinitum (ad in-fin-EYE-tum). To infinity—carried on endlessly. “And so on and so on, ad infinitum . . .”
Anno Domini (AN-no DOM-in-eye). In the year of our Lord. Example: “This is the year of our lord, 1492—when Columbus sailed the ocean blue.”
Ante meridiem (AN-tay Mer-ID-ee-em). Before noon—4 a.m., for instance.
Aqua vitae (AK-wa VIT-eye). Water of life. Most often used to refer to whiskey or brandy.
Audio (ORD-i-o). I hear. Romans would probably have pronounced this like Audi cars.
Bona fides (BONE-uh FIDE-eez). Bona fides are credentials establishing good faith or honesty. Technically it is nominative singular, though it is usually heard with a plural verb these days, because it ends in “s.”
Carpe diem (CAR-pay DEE-em). Seize the day, or use your time.
> Cave canem (CAV-ay CAN-em). Beware of the dog. Found preserved in a mosaic floor in Pompeii, to name one place.
Circa (SUR-ca). Around—approximately. Julius Caesar was born circa 100 BC.
Cogito ergo sum (COG-it-o ER-go sum). “I think, therefore I am”—a famous conclusion from René Descartes, the French philosopher. He considered the statement to be the only defensible proof of existence. All else could be fantasy.
Curriculum vitae (cur-IC-you-lum VEET-eye). The course of life—or school and work history. Usually abbreviated to CV.
Deus ex machina (DAY-us ex MAK-in-a). Literally, a god out of a machine, as when Greek playwrights would have Zeus lowered on wires to solve story problems. It has come to mean poor storytelling, where some outside force makes it all end well.
Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori (DOOL-chay et de-COR-um est pro pat-ri-ya MORE-ee). “It is sweet and fitting to die for your country.” A line from Horace. Later used ironically by Wilfred Owen in a World War I poem.
Ergo (UR-go). Therefore.
Exempli gratia (ex-EM-pli GRA-ti-ya). For (the sake of) example—usually abbreviated to “e.g.”
Fiat lux! (FEE-at lux). Let there be light.
Habeas corpus (HABE-e-as CORP-us). Literally “You must have the body.” This has come to mean that a person cannot be held without trial—the “body” must be brought before a court.
Iacta alea est (YACT-a AL-i-ya est). The die is cast. Julius Caesar said this on the Rubicon river, when he was deciding to cross it. He meant “It’s done. The decision is made.”
In camera (in CAM-e-ra). In secret—not in the open. “The meeting was held in camera.”
In flagrante delicto (in flag-RANT-ay de-LICT-o). In “flaming crime”—caught red-handed, or in the act.
Ipso facto (IP-so FACT-o). By the fact itself. “I have barred my house to you. Ipso facto, you are not coming in.”
Magna cum laude (MAG-na coom LOUD-ay). With great praise and honor. “He graduated magna cum laude.”
Modus operandi (MODE-us op-er-AND-ee). Method of operation—a person’s professional style of habits.
Non compos mentis (non COM-pos MEN-tis). Not of sound mind. Cracked.
Non sequitur (non SEK-wit-er). Does not follow—a broken argument. “He never takes a bath. He must prefer cats to dogs.”
Nota bene (NO-ta BEN-ay). Note well. Usually abbreviated to “n.b.” Note that “Id est” is also very common and means “that is.” “Id est” is usually abbreviated to “i.e.”
Paterfamilias (PAT-er-fam-IL-i-as). Father of the family—paternal figure.
Persona non grata (Per-SONE-a non GRART-a). An unwelcome person.
Post meridiem (POST me-RID-ee-em). After noon—usually abbreviated to “p.m.”
Post mortem (post MOR-tem). After death. Usually taken to mean investigative surgery to determine cause of death.
Postscriptum (post-SCRIP-tum). Literally “thing having been written afterward”—usually abbreviated to “p.s.”
Quis custodiet ipsos custodes? (kwis cus-TOAD-ee-yet IP-soss cus-TOAD-ez). Who guards the guards?
Quod erat demonstrandum (kwod e-rat dem-on-STRAN-dum). Which was to be demonstrated. Usually written as QED at the end of arguments.
Quo vadis? (kwo VAD-is). Where are you going?
Requiescat in pace (rek-wi-ES-cat in par-kay). “May he or she rest in peace”—usually abbreviated to RIP.
Semper fidelis (SEMP-er fid-EL-is). Always faithful. The motto of the United States Marine Corps. The motto of the Royal Air Force is “Per ardua ad astra”—through difficulties to the stars. The Royal Marines motto is “Per mare per terram”—by sea, by land.
Senatus Populusque Romanus (sen-AH-tus pop-yool-US-kway rome-ARN-us). The senate and the people of Rome. Imperial legions carried SPQR on their banners. Oddly enough, it is still to be found on drain-hole covers in modern Rome.
Status quo (state-us kwo). “The state in which things are.” The existing state of affairs. Example: “It is crucial to maintain the status quo.”
Stet (stet). Let it stand. Leave it alone. Often used in manuscripts, to indicate that no editing change is necessary.
Sub rosa (sub ROSE-a). Under the rose—secret. From the custom of placing a rose over a doorframe to indicate what was said inside was not to be repeated.
Tabula rasa (TAB-yool-a RAR-sa). Literally a “scraped tablet.” Blank slate. A state of innocence.
Terra firma (TER-a FIRM-a). Solid ground.
Terra incognita (TER-a in-cog-NIT-a). Land unknown. Used on old maps to show the bits as yet unexplored.
Vade retro satana! (VAR-day RET-ro sa-TARN-a). Get behind me, Satan. This is an order to crush desires or temptations to sin.
Veni, vidi, vici (WAYN-ee WEED-ee WEEK-ee). I came, I saw, I conquered. Said by Julius Caesar after a rebellion in Greece that he defeated in one afternoon.
Versus (VER-sus). Against—usually abbreviated to “v” or “vs.”
Veto (VEE-tow). I forbid. Another one so commonly used as to appear English.
Vox populi (vox POP-yool-ee). Voice of the people. Often abbreviated to “vox pop”—a short interview on the street.
AND THE NUMBERS . . .
There are only seven kinds of Roman numerals. These are: I, V, X, L, C, D and M (1, 5, 10, 50, 100, 500 and 1000). From just those seven, all other numbers can be made. The only difficulty comes in recognizing that some numbers, like four and nine, are made by IV and IX—one less than five, one less than ten. This pattern is used all through Roman numerals, so 999 will be IM. MCM will be 1900. Note that you may only use a maximum of three of the same digit in a row (for example, 900 is not DCCCC, but CM). That’s it. Spend ten minutes on this page and then go and read any gravestone you wish.
The year 1924, for example, would be represented as MCMXXIV.
How to Play Poker
EVERY BOY should know how to play this game—but be warned. Luck has very little to do with it. High rollers in Las Vegas stay clear of poker because playing against experts is a humiliating way of giving money to strangers. In many cases, the roulette wheel is more attractive to those people—at least when they are thrown out wearing nothing more than their underpants, they have only themselves to blame.
There are dozens of variations of poker, so we’re going to cover only two popular games: Five-Card Draw and Texas Hold-’Em. It is worth mentioning at this point that poker is a game that must be played for money. There is no risk in throwing all your matchsticks into the pot—and therefore no chance to bluff. It is possible to limit the bets to a level where it doesn’t mean you have to sell the dog, but you can still feel as if you’ve won something.
FIVE-CARD DRAW
The aim is to beat the other players and that can be done by sudden changes in betting, bluffing, or simply having a better hand. The very first thing to learn is the value of hands. Here they are, in order:
The best hand possible is the royal flush—all cards in sequence, from ace to 10, and of the same suit. The odds against being dealt this hand are 650,000/1. It would be a lifetime event to see one of these in the first five cards. Below that is a straight flush—again, all the cards in sequence and of the same suit, but lower down the line: 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 in spades, for example. Even that has odds of 72,000/1.
Four of a kind. Odds against being dealt it: 4,000/1.
Full house. Three of a kind and a pair. Into the realm of possibility, perhaps, at 700/1.
Flush. All cards of the same suit but of mixed ranks. Odds: 500/1.
Straight. All five cards in sequence, but of different suits: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 for example, or the high one seen in the picture. Odds: 250/1.
Three of a kind. Three cards of the same rank. Odds: 50/1.
Two pairs. Odds: 20/1.
One pair. Odds: 2.5/1.
High card or no pair. Odds: 2/1.
Memorize these rankings and what they mean. You really can’t check them while playing.
Four players is the classic home game n
umber, but five or even six can be accommodated.
Begin by placing an agreed amount in the pot. This is to prevent weak hands being automatically folded. If one player does nothing but hold on, he may scoop the pot—and that should be worth something.
A dealer is nominated to start. Whoever is dealer will go clockwise around the table. It is common practice for the dealer to shuffle the cards, then slap the shuffled pack onto the table for the person on his right to cut.
When the dealer is ready, he deals five cards facedown to each player. These are examined without showing them to anyone.
A round of betting follows. Betting also goes in a clockwise direction, so the person to the left of the dealer puts an amount of money into the pot. For the sake of the example, we’ll say the bet is ten cents.
Going around the circle, each player now has three choices.
They can pay ten cents to stay in, saying “I’ll see that ten.” The word “call” is also used.
They can raise the bet, saying “I’ll see that ten and raise you another ten.”
They can fold their cards, saying “Fold,” and drop out of the hand.
The person opening the betting has a further choice of saying “Check,” meaning “No bet.” It could be a bluff, or it could be a weak hand. Other players can also say “Check” in response, but if someone puts money in, everyone has to match it or fold.
If the ten-cent bets go around the table, the betting round ends. It cannot be raised by the first better.
If someone does raise it, saying “I’ll see that ten cents and raise you another ten,” they are showing their confidence in their hand. To stay in now, everyone else will have to match the combined bet of twenty cents.
When the round of betting is over, the dealer offers the person to his left the chance to exchange up to three cards. If the player already has an excellent hand, he might refuse the offer. Most players will exchange, though, keeping the pair of sevens they were dealt and hoping to be given another one.
The Dangerous Book for Boys Page 22