Illusion /iˈlo͞oZH(ə)n/ Noun something that misleads the senses or mind, creating a false idea or belief Limits, like fears, are often just an illusion. – Michael Jordan (1963-)

Clockwork /ˈkläkˌwərk/ Adjective/Noun Adjective 1. something driven by a system consisting of gears and springs used to drive a clock, toy, or other machine Evoking widespread wonder, hydraulic, spring-powered and clockwork automata proliferated in Europe, from mechanized angels in churches to Neptune automata in grottoes. “Ancient dreams of intelligent machines: 3,000 years of robots”, Nature Noun 2. a system consisting of gears and springs... Read More

Jest /jest/ Noun/Verb Noun 1. a joke Many a true word is spoken in jest. – Geoffrey Chaucer (1343-1400) Verb 2. to joke, to jeer “I do not jest,” he said with a wounded look. – Ophelia (2006), by Lisa Klein (1958-)

Emerge /əˈmərj/ Verb to come out or become visible Only through art can we emerge from ourselves and know what another person sees. – Marcel Proust (1871-1922)

Banana /bəˈnanə/ Noun a long, curved, yellow fruit that grows in tropical regions, with soft, sweet flesh Any ape can reach for a banana, but only humans can reach for the stars. – V. S. Ramachandran (1951-)

Excel /ikˈsel/ Verb to improve on, to be superior One who is persistent will excel. – Venus Williams (1980-)

Piano /pēˈanō/ Noun a musical instrument played by hitting its keys with fingers, which hit hammers which strike metal strings Life is like a piano – what you get out of it depends on how you play it.  – Tom Lehrer (1928-2025)

Forgery /ˈfôrjərē/ Noun 1. a false or altered document, art object, or other item, made for the purpose of fraud; a counterfeit A skeptic is a person who, when he sees the handwriting on the wall, claims it is a forgery. – Morris Bender (1905-1983) 2. the making of such an item While still a teenager, William Henry taught himself forgery and fabricated multiple... Read More