PROJECTILE

n : The final arbiter in international disputes. Formerly these disputes were settled by physical contact of the disputants, with such simple arguments as the rudimentary logic of the times could supply —the sword, the spear, and so forth. With the growth of prudence in military affairs the projectile came more and more into favor, and is now held in high esteem by the most courageous. Its capital defect is that it requires personal attendance at the point of propulsion. PROOF, n. Evidence having a shade more of plausibility than of unlikelihood. The testimony of two credible witne es as opposed to that of only one. PROOF-READER, n. A malefactor who atones for making your writing nonsense by permitting the compositor to make it unintelligible. 273