(Encyclopedia) rat, name applied to various stout-bodied rodents, usually having a pointed muzzle, long slender tail, and dexterous forepaws. It refers particularly to the two species of house rat,…
(Encyclopedia) clown, a comic character usually distinguished by garish makeup and costume whose antics are both humorously clumsy and acrobatic. The clown employs a broad, physical style of humor…
(Encyclopedia) Hammond, John Henry, 1910–87, American record producer; blues, jazz, and rock promoter; and music critic, b. New York City. A member of the wealthy Vanderbilt family, he entered the…
(Encyclopedia) Jay, Ricky, 1946–2018, American magician, actor, and writer, b. Brooklyn, N.Y., as Richard Jay Potash. The grandson of a fine amateur magician, Jay first performed at age four and as a…
(Encyclopedia) pantomime or mimemimepănˈtəmīm [key] [Gr.,=all in mimic], silent form of the drama in which the story is developed by movement, gesture, facial expression, and stage properties. It is…
Going on a road trip? The St. Louis Arch, Statue of Liberty and Golden Gate Bridge are great tourist sites. But if you prefer offbeat destinations, check out these roadside attractions and odd…
(Encyclopedia) Doulton wareDoulton waredōlˈtən [key], English pottery produced at Lambeth after 1815, first by John Doulton and his partners, then by his descendants. It won the medal at the…
(Encyclopedia) lignitelignitelĭgˈnīt [key] or brown coal, carbonaceous fuel intermediate between coal and peat, brown or yellowish in color and woody in texture. It contains more moisture than coal…
