(spoiler) what's the magic word?

[flying_ford_anglia]

Original Yahoo! HPFG Header:
No: HPFGUIDX C4789
From: flying_ford_anglia
Subject: (spoiler) what's the magic word?
Reply To: [Yahoo! #4756] Re: Still puzzled...(spoiler)
Date: 7/21/00 12:48 pm  (ET)

a
a
a
a
a
a
a
a
a
a
a
a
a
a
a
a
a
a
a
a
a
a
a
a
a
a
a
a
a
aa

This is the result of a bit of web surfing and a bit of dictionary
surfing: -

Abracadabra is one of the most ancient of all charms, used to protect
the user from disease, toothache, and spiritual assault. When recited
or chanted, it is spoken repeatedly, each repetition dropping the last
letter until only the letter A remains.

Abracadabra is said to have originated in one of two ways:

- from the Hebrew declaration "he brachah dabarah" (speak the blessing);

- from the Hebrew words "Ah, Ben and Ruch a Cadsch" (Father, Son and
Holy Spirit).

The literal translation is something like "I bless the dead".

Avada Kedavra - is a little closer to "I crave death" - avere/avid being
derived from the French for "to covet", and kedavra, being close to
"cadaver", or dead body, as we've noted.

And now, I'll pull a rabbit out of my hat.

Neil