(Reproduced from Ellis & Webster's lecture notes "Ellis in Wonderland".)

PATTER: v. Polite applause from your relatives.

SILENT ACT: n. An act without patter.

MENTALISM: n. A predictable act.

ILLUSIONS: n. Thinking that you are entertaining.

SLEIGHT OF HAND: adj. Having small hands. "Digitally challenged".

MAGICIAN'S CHOICE: n. Get a real job or continue to be a bankrupt outcast.

MISER'S DREAM: v. The fantasy that you can go another year without buying a new costume. 

SPRING FLOWERS: v. Pieces of paper that look more like springs than flowers. 

AFGHAN BANDS: n. Groups of musical dogs. 

GUNG HO SILK BOX: n. An enthusiastically performed silk box. 

DOVE PAN: n. A device used for cooking birds. 

ZOMBIE BALL: n. The Magic Club's annual dinner dance. 

SUCKER TRICK: n. Any trick purchased by mail. 

ELECTRIC DECK: n. A battery operated device for lonely magicians. 

BLINDFOLD: n. Something you can see through. 

SPIRIT SLATES: n. The tab kept at the bar at a Magic Convention. 

PRESTIDIGITATION: n. The uncontrollable fidgeting that takes over the audience two minutes into a magic convention gala show and continues for the next seven hours. 

MENTAL EPIC: n. Trying to work out exactly what percentage of your fee your agent has actually taken. 

SUB TRUNK: n. The area below your torso. 

HEAD CHOPPER: v. The person in charge of the swords.

ZIG ZAG: med. A spinal condition peculiar to illusionists assistants. 

MISDIRECTION: v. Following an agent's instructions on how to get to a gig. 

KID'S PARTIES: v. Getting paid $80 to do something that even the parents, who love their child very, very much, aren't prepared to do. 

SERVANTE: n. Term used by the booker to describe the magician she has hired to 'entertain' the kiddies. 

PACK: n. Term used by the magician to describe the audience at a children's party. 

BREAKAWAY: n. A small child who wanders into the middle of your show - and suddenly has no parents. 

FRENCH DROP: v. Wrestling move used to control children. 

PALM: n. Part of the hand used to stun a child before executing the French Drop. 

BOBO SWITCH: Aust. Sending another clown to a party when you've got a better paying gig. 

GLIMPSE: n. Sneaking a look at your watch after every trick to see how long you have to continue. 

DOUBLE FACE: v. All your friends in the magic fraternity. 

DOUBLE BACK: n. What you need to hold the knives if you have a lot of friends. 

GAFF: coll. The tape that holds all your props together. 

BOTTOM DEAL: n. A novel way of distributing the cards without using your hands. 

BICYCLE CARDS: v. The things that go in your spokes to make that really cool motorbike sound. 

MARKED CARDS: v. Damaged cards at cheaper prices. 

THE PASS: Aust. Chatting someone up after the show. 

ELMSLEY COUNT: n. A technique of giving change at a magic shop. 

PROPS: n. Used to hold up old magicians. 

FLASH PAPER: v. Fancy letterhead. 

SEMI PROFESSIONAL: n. A truck driver.

By Tim Ellis & Christof!!

Addendum - Courtesy of 'Australian Magic Monthly' April 1992

BLINDFOLD EFFECTS: n. Magic you can do with your eyes shut. (See: 'Self-Working') 

BOOK TESTS: n. Attempting to perform a trick while reading the instructions. 

BREAKAWAY PROPS: n. Tables, Square Circles, Milk Jugs... anything bought by mail order. 

DITCH: n. What magicians would like to crawl into when using 'Breakaway Props'. 

FLIES: n. What Copperfield does, but most of us leave undone. 

HOUSE CURTAIN: n. The curtain at home you take publicity shots in front of. 

LAYMAN: n. A good lover. 

MAGICIAN'S WAX: n. A substance found in magician's ears when the conversation drifts away from themselves. 

PASSE PASSE: n. Most magicians' patter. 

PULL: v. Most magicians have one on stage. 

SELF WORKING EFFECT: n. A term used by dealers to fool magicians into buying a trick. Most 'self working effects' are way too difficult for the majority of magicians anyway. (NB: The author of 'The Expert At The Card Table' was S. W. Erdnase. "Self Working"?) 

SHELL: n. A hollow imitation of the real thing. (See: 'Joe Labero'). 

SIGHTLINES: n. How much of the audience you can see when you put your hand above your eyes like a salute and peer out at them. 

STOOGE: n. An assistant you train to pretend to be a 'volunteer' who, once on stage, behaves like Larry, Curly or Moe. 

STRIPPERS: n. The next step down on the entertainment ladder below magicians.