Spot the Frippet: magma.

You know, of course, that magma is the molten rock found under the surface of the earth. 


Cross-section of the land under Yellowstone Park, illustration by the National Parks Service

Sometimes magma finds its way to the earth's surface...


photo by Brocken Inaglory

...but then it is known as lava. Soon after that it solidifies into rocks such as granite:


photo by Man vyi.

But how on earth, you will ask, am I going to be able to spot magma when it doesn't exist on earth at all, but only under it?

Well, because magma has another meaning. Magma is also any paste made of fine bits of something solid mixed up in a liquid.



Angel food cake batter, photo by Michael Coté

So, luckily, spotting a bit of mud or thick batter will do nicely.

Spot the Frippet: magma. This word is Latin and means the dregs of an ointment. Before that it was Greek, and meant a salve made by kneading, from massein, to knead.