"I was hoping that once we got past the muffin-top look, we were going to be home free, " Mr. Beriau says.

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On the Burke-Gilman Trail, you will see a melange of biker species that comprise Seattle's teeming cycling community: competitive roadies suctioned head-to-toe in matching lycra, lay-cyclists out for the views, aloof bike messengers pierced in double-take places, downtown commuters bedazzled with blinky lights and reflectors, students getting somewhere fast and cheaply, weekend warrior dads working off the muffin-top, vegan earth-lovers determined to live sustainably and any mix thereof.

BBC: Cycling Seattle��s Burke-Gilman Trail

But when he sticks to his own subject, Mr. Wall allows readers to share his wonder at the circus world's arcane jargon: a "board muffin" (assistant standing on the top perch to help the trapeze artist) uses a "noodle" (hooked staff) to catch the trapeze.

WSJ: Book Review: The Ordinary Acrobat

She got down another plate, set it on the counter until she was ready to put the toasted muffin halves and the eggs smeared with ketchup on top of it.

NEWYORKER: Free Radicals