Magic Words

The Magician’s Hidden Library presents a book of magic words, which can be read online or purchased in hard copy. Magic Words, a dictionary, with 520 essay-style entries, includes “multiple meanings, auras of mystery, origins and history, popular variations, amusing trivia, and fascinating examples of usage from literature and popular culture.”

Magic words are naturally as old as conjuring itself, echoes of the rhythm and vibration of creative power. Medieval conjurors first began using exotic words to give their performances an air of authentic secret knowledge.

Whether they employed pseudo-Latin phrases, nonsense syllables, or esoteric terms from religious antiquity, these magicians were doing far more than merely adding a bit of enigmatic audio to their visuals. They were enhancing their specific illusions with a universal mystery: language as an instrument of creation.

A great many magic words have stood the test of time, passed on from master to apprentice, generation through generation, to find expression on the modern stage and street. These ancient, musical, poetic incantations have a profound—but not necessarily unfathomable—mystique.

From the familiar but oft-perplexing classics like abracadabra, alakazam, hocus pocus, presto-chango, shazam, and sim sala bim, to lesser known gems like the tongue-twisting tirratarratorratarratirratarratum, to whimsical modern inventions like izzy wizzy let’s get busy, these venerable magic words and phrases warrant a serious, scholarly tribute and indeed have earned a place of honor in their own special dictionary.

By the way, if you’re wondering where Abnu finds such amazing stuff to blog about, this rabbit was pulled out of John Walkenbach’s hat.