In the art of conjuring, lapping refers to a set of techniques whereby a performer seated at a table can secretly dispose of an item into his/her lap. A common lapping technique is to sweep an item into the lap while pretending to pick it off the tabletop.
Two issues with lapping: 1) one must prepare the lap beforehand so that objects do not slip between the legs 2) retrieval of the lapped object(s).
Subtle uses of lapping, such as secret switches or disposing of secret devices, enable effects that would not otherwise be possible. Stand-up magicians, such as "table-hoppers" at restaurants, may need to use a Topit or other device to obtain a similar effect, due to their inability to lap.
The magician Slydini was particularly noted for his brilliant lapping technique, which relied heavily on subtle misdrection.
Famous quotes containing the word lapping:
“As we approached the log house,... the projecting ends of the logs lapping over each other irregularly several feet at the corners gave it a very rich and picturesque look, far removed from the meanness of weather-boards. It was a very spacious, low building, about eighty feet long, with many large apartments ... a style of architecture not described by Vitruvius, I suspect, though possibly hinted at in the biography of Orpheus.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)