What is "laughing gas"

Laughing \Laugh"ing\, a. & n. from Laugh, v. i. Laughing falcon (Zo["o]l.), a South American hawk ( Herpetotheres cachinnans); -- so called from its notes, which resemble a shrill laugh. Laughing gas (Chem.), hyponitrous oxide, or protoxide of nitrogen Laughing goose (Zo["o]l.), the European white-fronted goose. Laughing gull. (Zo["o]l.)

1. A common European gull ( Xema ridibundus); -- called also pewit, black cap, red-legged gull, and sea crow.

2. An American gull ( Larus atricilla). In summer the head is nearly black, the back slate color, and the five outer primaries black.

   Laughing hyena (Zo["o]l.), the spotted hyena. See Hyena.

   Laughing jackass (Zo["o]l.), the great brown kingfisher ( Dacelo gigas), of Australia; -- called also giant kingfisher, and gogobera.

   Laughing owl (Zo["o]l.), a peculiar owl ( Sceloglaux albifacies) of New Zealand, said to be on the verge of extinction. The name alludes to its notes.

n. nitrous oxide used as an anaesthetic.

n. inhalation anesthetic used as an anesthetic in dentistry and surgery [syn: nitrous oxide]

Laughing Gas is a comic novel by P. G. Wodehouse, first published in the United Kingdom on 25 September 1936 by Herbert Jenkins, London, and in the United States on 19 November 1936 by Doubleday, Doran, New York. Written in first person narrative, the story is set in Hollywood in the early 1930s (the Depression is mentioned twice) and is, compared to, say, Budd Schulberg's What Makes Sammy Run? (1941), a light-hearted and exclusively humorous look at the film industry and in particular at child stars. Both Schulberg and Wodehouse describe the methods of all those would-be screenwriters and actors hunting for jobs, but Wodehouse's depiction is not at all serious or critical.

Laughing gas may refer to:

• Nitrous oxide, a colorless, non-flammable gas
• Laughing Gas (novel), a 1936 novel by P.G. Wodehouse
• Laughing Gas (1914 film), a film starring Charlie Chaplin
• Laughing Gas (film), several movie shorts
• "Laughing Gas" (solo), a song by Quiet Riot
• Laughing Gas (improv), a comedy troupe in Miami, Florida, whose members included Gene Gabriel
• Reggie Attache, a Native American professional football player nicknamed Laughing Gas

Laughing Gas is the title of several American movie shorts (1907, 1914 starring Charlie Chaplin, 1915, 1920) whose plot revolves around real or would-be dentists.

"Laughing Gas" was a song performed by Quiet Riot at all the live performances while Randy Rhoads played with the band. It was never recorded onto an album until a live bootleg performance was enhanced (with rerecorded vocals) and placed on The Randy Rhoads Years. The improvised solo was just over 6 minutes long and contained clips from future songs of Ozzy Osbourne including, " Goodbye to Romance", " Mr. Crowley", " Dee", and " Crazy Train". The solo outlined Randy's talent and productivity level at such a young age. This solo also contained a reference to William Tell Overture and this certainly got the crowd roaring.

When Rhoads left the band, this song was never again performed.