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Definitions by Erin Catherine

garden snake 

A common but incorrect variation of "garter snake." Other variations are "gardner" and "gardener."
Calling them garden snakes would make more sense if they were found only in gardens.
garden snake by Erin Catherine August 18, 2008

mad as a March hare

Crazy, insane. Refers to male hares' habit of leaping wildly about in March, their breeding season.
Calm down; you're acting mad as a March hare!
1. A mythological creature depicted as a lion with a human head. Appears in Egyptian and Greek mythology.

2. A breed of hairless cat. They are often energetic, intelligent, and affectionate.

3. The main protagonist in the video game "Sphinx and the Cursed Mummy."
The riddle of the Sphinx: what creature walks on all fours in the morning, two legs at midday, and three legs at night?
sphinx by Erin Catherine July 1, 2008
In medicine, an obscure and unlikely diagnosis based on ordinary symptoms.
When you hear hoofbeats, think horses, not zebras.
zebra by Erin Catherine July 1, 2008

Ondine's curse 

A respiratory disorder, also called congenital central hypoventilation syndrome (CCHS) or primary alveolar hypoventilation, which is fatal if untreated. Because of a congenital failure of the body's involuntary control of breathing, people with the disorder must take each breath consciously; they typically die during sleep.

In German mythology, Ondine was a water nymph who fell in love with and married a mortal man, Sir Lawrence. He swore to her that his every waking breath shall be his pledge of love and faithfulness to her. Years later, she caught him in the arms of another woman. She cursed him thusly: "You swore faithfulness to me with every waking breath, and I accepted your oath. So be it. As long as you are awake, you shall have your breath, but should you ever fall asleep, then that breath will be taken from you and you will die!"

Sir Lawrence stayed awake as long as he could but eventually fell asleep from sheer exhaustion, and he stopped breathing and died.
Ondine's curse gives new meaning to the phrase, "I'll sleep when I'm dead."
Wow, that's a big house!
wow by Erin Catherine May 30, 2008