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Definitions: Occasional |
OccasionalAdjective1. Occurring from time to time; "took an occasional glass of wine". 2. Occurring or appearing at usually irregular intervals; "episodic in his affections"; "occasional headaches". 3. Employed in a specified capacity from time to time; "casual employment"; "a casual correspondence with a former teacher"; "an occasional worker". Source: WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University. All rights reserved. |
Date "occasional" was first used in popular English literature: sometime before 1550. (references) |
Etymology: Occasional \Oc*ca"sion*al\, adjective. [Compare to French expression occasionnel.]. (Websters 1913) |
| Domain | Definitions |
Satire | OCCASIONAL, adj. Afflicting us with greater or less frequency. That, however, is not the sense in which the word is used in the phrase "occasional verses," which are verses written for an "occasion," such as an anniversary, a celebration or other event. True, they afflict us a little worse than other sorts of verse, but their name has no reference to irregular recurrence. Source: Devil's Dictionary. |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
Synonyms: OccasionalSynonyms: casual (adj), episodic (adj), occasional(a) (adj). (additional references) |
| Context | Synonyms within Context (source: adapted from Roget's Thesaurus). |
Discontinuity | Adjective: discontinuous, unsuccessive, broken, interrupted, dicousu; disconnected, unconnected; discrete, disjunctive; fitful; (irregular); spasmodic, desultory; intermitting, occasional; Verb:, intermittent; alternate; recurrent; (periodic). |
Uncertainty | Contingent, contingent on, dependent on; subject to; dependent on circumstances; occasional; provisional. |
| Source: adapted from Roget's Thesaurus. | |
Crosswords: Occasional |
| English words defined with "occasional": Accidental lights ♦ casual, Continuous impost ♦ Felsite, Fugitive compositions ♦ Incindental ♦ Obvention, Occasional cause, Occasionalism, Occasionality, Odd job ♦ pied-a-terre ♦ Spiranthy, Surplice fees ♦ To take acquaintance of, To throw in. (references) |
| Specialty definitions using "occasional": Articles interchanged ♦ boundary change ♦ COILED-COIL INSPECTOR ♦ Devil's Daughter's Portion ♦ Flint Jack, Fokker-Planck equation ♦ Guineapig ♦ haelleflinta ♦ infective jaundice ♦ Levator Syndrome, LICKSPITTLE, Lick-spittle ♦ Moniliformis ♦ Occasional, occasional abuser, occasional furniture, occasional light, occasional rider, occasional satellite time, occasional student, occasional transmissions, open-stope method ♦ RBV ♦ Things Hackers Detest and Avoid. (references) |
| Domain | Usage | |
Screenplays | My suggestion is to just ride it out, make the occasional smart-aleck quip, and next week, we'll return right to where we were, ready for another wacky adventure! (The Simpsons; writing credit: Artur Brauner; Paul Hengge) Between the 101-proof breath and the occasional bits of drool, some interesting words come out. (Leaving Las Vegas; writing credit: Mike Figgis) I regret trifling with married women, I'm thoroughly ashamed at cheating at cards, I deplore my occasional departures from the truth, Forgive me for taking your name in vain, my Saturday drunkenness, my Sunday Sloth. (The Cowboys; writing credit: William Dale Jennings; Irving Ravetch) | |
Clever | Occasional, constant infrequent headaches. (references; author: unknown) | |
Movie/TV Titles | Occasional Wife (1966) Strong Occasional (2002) An Occasional Hell (1996) | |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | ||
| Domain | Title | ||
Books |
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Periodicals |
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Theater & Movies | |||
Music |
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Consumer Goods | |||
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |||
| Thumbnail | Description & Credit | Thumbnail | Description & Credit |
 | Histopathology shows characterisitc erythrocyte-filled, slit-like spaces and occasional cells containing globules.Credit: CDC. |  | Hilly country with an occasional small farm in coal mining section of southern West Virginia.Credit: Library of Congress. |
 | Interior of shack in the hills near Cidra. Note bag of dried beans, gasoline can (used as water container) and pages from American magazines. The magazine pages came from a nearby tourist hotel where the man of the family finds occasional employment as a.Credit: Library of Congress. | ||
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |||
| Author | Quotation |
Conor Cruise O'Brien | Man watches his history on the screen with apathy and an occasional passing flicker of horror or indignation. |
Robertson Davies | If we seek the pleasures of love, passion should be occasional, and common sense continual. |
Sydney Smith | He had occasional flashes of silence that made his conversation perfectly delightful. |
Voltaire | The best government is a benevolent tyranny tempered by an occasional assassination. |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references. | |
| Author | Date | Quotation |
John Locke | 1690 | And herein we have the original of the legislative and executive power of civil society, which is to judge by standing laws, how far offences are to be punished, when committed within the common-wealth; and also to determine, by occasional judgments founded on the present circumstances of the fact, how far injuries from without are to be vindicated; and in both these to employ all the force of all the members, when there shall be need. (Second Treatise of Government) |
Communist Manifesto | 1848 | Thereupon the workers begin to form combinations (Trades Unions) against the bourgeois; they club together in order to keep up the rate of wages; they found permanent associations in order to make provision beforehand for these occasional revolts. (reference) |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references. | ||
| Title | Author | Quote |
Scarlet Letter | Hawthorne, Nathaniel | The only surgeon was one who combined the occasional exercise of that noble art with the daily and habitual flourish of a razor. |
Les Miserables | Hugo, Victor | Madame Magloire alone had occasional attacks of fear. |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references. | ||
| Subject | Topic | Quote |
Health | Men may experience occasional failure to attain an erection. (references) | |
BEB begins gradually with occasional eye blinking and/or irritation. (references) | ||
Some result from missed meals or occasional muscle tension and are easily remedied. (references) | ||
Business | The remaining are lying unutilized or handling occasional aircraft operations. (references) | |
With respect to the port sector, occasional sales through agents and distributors are possible. (references) | ||
Northwestern China has been troubled by occasional unrest among minority ethnic and religious groups. (references) | ||
Children | Ghana | In very occasional cases, the family abandons the girl or cannot afford the cost of the final rites, in which case she may remain at the shrine indefinitely. (references) |
Trinidad and Tobago | Some parts of the public school system seriously fail to meet the needs of the school age population due to overcrowding, substandard physical facilities, and occasional classroom violence by gangs. (references) | |
Hong Kong | However, despite inspections and occasional closure of noncompliant businesses, access to public buildings (including public schools) and transportation remains a serious problem for persons with disabilities. (references) | |
Civil Liberties | Solomon Islands | The system incorporates occasional government press conferences in its program. (references) |
Russia | Stiff fines for journalists were a common result of these proceedings, as well as occasional jail terms. (references) | |
Marshall Islands | A cable television company broadcasts a variety of foreign news and entertainment programs and occasional videotaped local events. (references) | |
Economic History | Pakistan | Canada is an occasional supplier. (references) |
Lebanon | There is occasional government interference in the court system. (references) | |
Armenia | Natural hazards: possibility of earthquakes; subject to occasional drought. (references) | |
Human Rights | Haiti | The Justice Ministry has made occasional efforts to address the problem of prolonged pretrial detention. (references) |
Australia | The law prohibits all such practices; however, there were occasional reports that police mistreated suspects in custody. (references) | |
Bangladesh | Political leaders, human rights activists, foreign NGO's, and journalists report occasional harassment by these security organizations. (references) | |
Minorities | Poland | Occasional cases of cemetery desecration, including of both Jewish and Catholic shrines, also occurred during the year. (references) |
Russia | Hostilities toward "nontraditional" religious groups reportedly sparked occasional harassment and even physical attacks. (references) | |
Egypt | The approximately 6 million Coptic Christians have been the objects of occasional violent assaults by the Islamic Group and other terrorists. (references) | |
Political Economy | Barbados | There continued to be occasional instances of excessive use of force by police. (references) |
Korea | Some members of the police were responsible for occasional human rights abuses. (references) | |
Ghana | Religious differences led to tension and occasional clashes between different groups. (references) | |
Trade | Tunisia | THIS ISSUE HAS BEEN THE SOURCE OF CONFUSION AND OCCASIONAL DIFFICULTY FOR SOME U.S. COMPANIES IN TUNISIA. (references) |
Trinidad | Customs clearance can consume much time because of bureaucratic inefficiency and occasional inflexible interpretation of regulations. (references) | |
Philippines | Philippine imports of fresh vegetables have previously been restricted and occasional imports were allowed only for tourist oriented establishments. (references) | |
Travel | Guinea | Local calls can be made in the downtown area of Conakry with occasional difficulty. (references) |
Russia | Medical care is usually far below western standards, with occasional shortages of basic medical supplies. (references) | |
Ireland | A travel umbrella, rainwear and sturdy walking shoes should also be included in the wardrobe since there is occasional light rain ("liquid sunshine") and many "soft" days. (references) | |
Women | United Arab Emirates | The Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce operates occasional programs to encourage small business entrepreneurship by women. (references) |
Hong Kong | The press carries occasional stories of women alleging discrimination in the workplace in connection with pregnancies. (references) | |
Worker Rights | Botswana | Nevertheless, employers generally provide for worker safety, with an occasional exception in the construction industry. (references) |
Lexicography | Devil's Dictionary | LICKSPITTLE, n. A useful functionary, not infrequently found editing a newspaper. In his character of editor he is closely allied to the blackmailer by the tie of occasional identity; for in truth the lickspittle is only the blackmailer under another aspect, although the latter is frequently found as an independent species. Lickspittling is more detestable than blackmailing, precisely as the business of a confidence man is more detestable than that of a highway robber; and the parallel maintains itself throughout, for whereas few robbers will cheat, every sneak will plunder if he dare. |
Source: compiled by the editor from ICON Group International, Inc.; see credits. | ||
| Speaker | Phrase(s) |
Louise Ashby | I didn't drink or do anything for four years, and recently I spoke to my doctor and I said, do you think I can have the occasional glass of wine, and he said absolutely. So I have the occasional drink. |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
| Speaker | Term | Phrase(s) |
Andrew Jackson | 1829-1837 | Partial injuries and occasional mortifications we may be subjected to, but a million of armed freemen, possessed of the means of war, can never be conquered by a foreign foe. |
Harry S. Truman | 1945-1953 | During this trial the voices of disunity among us were silent or were subdued to an occasional whine that warned us that they were still among us. |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references. | ||
| "Occasional" is generally used as an adjective (general or positive) -- approximately 99.46% of the time. "Occasional" is used about 2,613 times out of a sample of 100 million words spoken or written in English. Its rank is based on over 700,000 words used in the English language. Some parts-of-speech are not covered due to the samples used by the British National Corpus. (note: percents less than one-hundredth of one percent have been omitted) |
| Parts of Speech | Percent | Usage per 100 Million Words | Rank in English |
| Adjective (general or positive) | 99.46% | 2,599 | 3,511 |
| Noun (proper) | 0.54% | 14 | 93,893 |
| Total | 100.00% | 2,613 | N/A |
Source: compiled by the editor from several corpora; see credits.
Expressions using "occasional": occasional abuser ♦ occasional cause ♦ occasional furniture ♦ occasional light ♦ occasional poem ♦ occasional rider ♦ occasional satellite time ♦ occasional service ♦ occasional student ♦ occasional transmissions. Additional references. | |
| Hyphenated Usage | |
Beginning with "occasional": occasional-breeding. | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
| The following statistics estimate the number of searches per day across the major English-language search engines as identified by various trade publications. Hyperlinks lead to commercial use of the expression at Amazon.com. |
| Language | Translations for "occasional"; alternative meanings/domain in parentheses. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Albanian | rastësor (casual, episodic), i rastit (adventitious, casual, chance, coincidental, contingent, fortuitous, haphazard, incident, incidental, makeshift, odd, passing, random, scratch, stray, transient). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Arabic | مناسبي, متفرق (divided, separate, sporadic), متقطع (broken, casual, choppy, cut off, disconnected, discontinuous, fitful, fretful, intermission, intermittent, interrupted, irregular, remittent, spasmodic, sporadic, torn apart, uneven), متباعدة, حيني, سببي (causal, causative), عرضي (accidental, adventitious, casual, circumstantial, episodic, extraneous, extrinsic, incident, incidental, odd, passing, symptomatic, transverse, venial), إقتضائي. (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Bulgarian | случаен (accidental, adventitious, adventive, arbitrary, by, casual, chance, facultative, fortuitous, haphazard, hit or miss, hit-and-miss, idle, incidental, long, lucky, odd, pickup, precarious, promiscuous, random, sporadic, stray, unplanned, unsystematic), рядък (close, fine, infrequent, one in a thousand, rare, recherche, singular, sparse, thin, uncommon, washy), който става от време на време, нередовен (freak, informal, inordinate, irregular, odd), за случая, извънреден (emergency, extra, over, relief, special, supernumerary, supplemental). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Chinese | 偶然 (incidentally, occasionally), 偶尔. (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Czech | příležitostný (casual, odd), nahodilý (circumstantial, haphazard). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Danish | lejlighedsvis (occasionally). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Dutch | toevallig (accidental, adventitious, by accident, by chance, chance, random), gelegenheids-. (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Esperanto | foja. (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Farsi | مربوطبه بعضی ازمواقع یاگاه وبیگاه , وابسته به فرصت یاموقعیت . (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Finnish | tilapäinen (casual, provisional, temporary), ajoittainen (occurring at intervals, periodical, recurrent). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
French | occasionnel. (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
German | gelegentlich (casual, casually, eventually, incidental, now and again, now and then, occasionally, once in a while, some time, sporadic). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Greek | περιστατικόσ (circumstantial), τυχαίοσ (accidental, adventitious, casual, chance, circumstantial, coincidental, contingent, fortuitous, haphazard, incidental, random, scratch, stray). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Hebrew | מקרי (accidental, casual, chance, contingent, fortuitous, haphazard, incidental, random, stray), שלפעמים, ארעי (accidental, casual, ephemeral, episodic, impermanent, interim, pro tempore, provisional, temporary). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Hungarian | véletlen (accidental, adventitious, casual, chance, coincidence, contingent, fortuitous, fortune, hap, haphazard, happenstance, hazard, incidental, luck, promiscuous, random, unwitting), esetenkénti, alkalmi (ad hoc, casual, extemporal, extemporaneous, offbeat, stray, topical). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Indonesian | sekali-kali. (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Italian | occasionale (casual, casually, chance, fortuitous, occasionally, odd, random). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Japanese Kanji | 偶発的 (accidental, casual, incidental), 偶 (couple, doll, even number, friend, man and wife, rare, same kind). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Japanese Katakana | ぐうはつてき (accidental, casual, incidental), ぐう (couple, doll, even number, friend, man and wife, rare, same kind). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Korean | 임시 (Provisional, temporary). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Manx | oyragh (causal, causative, occasioning), keayrtagh (caller, circulating, periodic, touristic, tripper, visitor). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Pig Latin | occasionalay ocasional (accidental, odd). (various references) ocazional (accidental, casual, casually, circumstantial, fugitive, haphazard, incidental, infrequent, occasionally), de ocazie (odd), accidental (accidental, accidentally, adventitious, arbitrary, broken, casual, casually, chance, contingent, fortuitous, fortuitously, hurt, incidental, precarious, random, stray), întâmplãtor (accidental, accidentally, adventitious, casual, chance, circumstantial, contingent, facultative, fortuitous, haphazard, incidentally, occurrent, odd, random, transient). (various references) случайный (accidental, adventitious, aleatory, arbitrary, casual, chance, coincidental, contingent, episodic, extemporaneous, extemporary, fortuitous, haphazard, happy go lucky, hit or miss, incident, incidental, jobbing, lucky, odd, passing, promiscuous, punative, random, spurious, stray), редкий (far between, far-between, infrequent, out of print, rare, scarce, sparse, thin, uncommon, unusual). (various references) okazionalan, zgodan (appropriate, apt, attractive, comely, convenient, felicitous, good looking, handsome, nice-looking, opportune, pat, suitable), prigodan (apposite, becoming), povremen (periodical). (various references) ocasional (casual, casually, causeless, occasionally). (various references) enstaka (exceptional, isolated, odd, one off, single, sporadic, stray). (various references) ซึ่งใช้ในโอกาสพิเศษ, ซึ่งเป็นครั้งคราว. (various references) nadiren (every once in a while, far between, few and far, once in a while, rarely, seldom, uncommonly), fırsat düştükçe yapılan, ara sıra olan (snatchy, sporadic). (various references) рідкісний (few, infrequent, offbeat, out of the way, rare, scarce), випадковий (accidental, adventitious, aleatory, casual, chance, chanceful, circumstantial, coincidental, contingent, episodic, episodical, eventual, extemporary, facultative, fortuitous, haphazard, happy go lucky, hit or miss, incident, occurrent, odd, pickup, promiscuous, random, stray, unpremeditated), оказіональний, несподіваний (abrupt, accidental, extempore, helter-skelter, surprising, unexpected, unhoped, unlooked for, unsuspected), нерегулярний (casual, irregular, non-recurring, odd, snatchy, spasmodic, uneven), запасний (alternate, auxiliary, duplicate, emergency, reserve, reserved, spare), підсобний (ancillary). (various references) theo sự kiện lý do phụ, thỉnh thoảng (always, occasionally), lý do bề ngoài. (various references) ambell, achlysurol. (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Derivations | |
Words beginning with "occasional": occasionally. (additional references) | |
| |
"Occasional" is suggested in spellcheckers for the following: excisional, ocasiona, ocassional, ocational, occaisional, occasionalism, occasionall, occasionaly, occassional, occassionaly, occational, occcasional. (additional references) | |
| Source: compiled by the editor, based on several corpora (additional references). | |
| # of Phoneme Matches | Pronunciation | Word(s) rhyming with "occasional" (pronounced ukā"zhunul) |
| 5 | -zh u n u l | collisional, delusional, divisional, erosional, provisional. |
| 4 | -u n u l | abdominal, aberrational, aboriginal, additional, Arsenal, attitudinal, binational, biphenyl, cantonal, Cardinal, coeducational, compositional, computational, concessional, conditional, confessional, conformational, confrontational, congregational, congressional, connotational, constitutional, conventional, conversational, correctional, criminal, denominational, depositional, devotional, diagonal, dimensional, directional, doctrinal, duodenal, dysfunctional, educational, emotional, exceptional, factional, fictional, fluxional, foundational, fractional, functional, gastrointestinal, generational, gravitational, hexagonal, impersonal, improvisational, informational, inspirational, institutional, instructional, intentional, intergenerational, international, interpersonal, intestinal, investigational, Invitational, irrational, jurisdictional, juvenile, latitudinal, longitudinal, luminal, marginal, medicinal, motivational, multinational, national, navigational, nominal, noncriminal, nonprofessional, nontraditional, nutritional, obsessional, occupational, octagonal, operational, optional, organizational, original, personal, phenomenal, polygonal, processional, professional, promotional, proportional, rational, recreational, regional, relational, representational, retinal, rotational, seasonal, sectional, seminal, sensational, sentinel, situational, subliminal, superregional, supranational, terminal, traditional, transformational, transitional, transnational, unconditional, unconstitutional, unconventional, unemotional, unintentional, unprofessional, untraditional, virginal, vocational. |
| 3 | -n u l | adrenal, anal, annal, annul, atonal, autumnal, carnal, channel, Colonel, communal, cornel, Darnel, departmental, diurnal, empanel, eternal, external, faunal, fennel, final, flannel, fraternal, funnel, hormonal, Hymnal, impanel, infernal, internal, journal, kennel, kernel, maternal, monoclonal, monsoonal, morainal, nocturnal, panel, paternal, penal, polyvinyl, renal, semifinal, shrapnel, signal, spinal, tonal, tribunal, tunnel, vaginal, venal, vernal, Vinal, vinyl. |
Source: compiled by the editor (additional references); see credits. | ||
Scrabble® Enable2K-Verified Anagrams | |
| Words within the letters "a-a-c-c-i-l-n-o-o-s" | |
-2 letters: colonics, occasion. | |
-3 letters: alcaics, alnicos, asocial, calicos, canolas, cicalas, cloacas, cocains, colonic, conical, laconic, oilcans. | |
-4 letters: alcaic, alnico, aloins, cacaos, calico, canals, canola, casino, cicala, cloaca, clonic, coalas, cocain, cocoas, colics, colins, coloni, colons, conics, consol, lanais, lianas, linacs, nasial, nicols, oilcan, salina, saloon, siccan, social, solano, solion. | |
-5 letters: alans, alias, aloin, anils, anlas. | |
| Words containing the letters "a-a-c-c-i-l-n-o-o-s" | |
+2 letters: occasionally. | |
+4 letters: coalifications, consociational, machicolations. | |
+5 letters: achondroplastic, cyanocobalamins. | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. SCRABBLE® is a registered trademark. All intellectual property rights in and to the game are owned in the U.S.A and Canada by Hasbro Inc., and throughout the rest of the world by J.W. Spear & Sons Limited of Maidenhead, Berkshire, England, a subsidiary of Mattel Inc. Mattel and Spear are not affiliated with Hasbro. | |
Hexadecimal (or equivalents, 770AD-1900s) (references)4F 63 63 61 73 69 6F 6E 61 6C |
| Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519; backwards) (references)
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| American Sign Language (origins from 1620-1817 in Italy and, especially, France) (references)
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| Semaphore (1791, in France) (references)
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| Braille (1829, in France) (references)
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Morse Code (1836) (references)--- -.-. -.-. .- ... .. --- -. .- .-.. |
| Dancing Men (Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, 1903) (references)
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| Amazon.com BOOKS: Search for: "occasional" |
