Konigsberg, I. The complete film dict., 1997 (parody: A work that comically imitates another work or group of works of a more serious nature. The parody performs its humorous imitation by picking out the more pronounced and sometimes silly elements of its subject and exaggerating them, though it may do so in a good-natured as well as satiric manner; takeoff)

Singleton, R.S. Filmmaker's dict., c2000 (parody: Satirical or humorous imitation of a serious subject. Related terms: satire, spoof, takeoff; spoof: Humorous parody. For example, Airplane! (1980) was a spoof of airplane disaster films; takeoff: Another name for a parody. Also called a send-up)

History of the American cinema, c1990: v. 9, p. 290 (genre parody: "In the 1980s ... genre parody would become a genre unto itself ... archival pastiches like Dead Man Don't Wear Plaid, mock documentaries like This is Spinal Tap, and parody series like those originating with Airplane! and The Naked Gun)

Siegel, S. American film comedy, c1994: pp. 219-220, entry under: parody films (parodies of famous films and film genres; the Western parody Blazing Saddles and the horror spoof Young Frankenstein; movie parodies)

Langman, L. Encyc. of Am. film comedy, 1987: p. 469, entry under: Parody (In films, a humorous imitation of another work, such as a particular novel, play, poem, or another film; spoof; silent parodies; film parodies)

Geduld, H.M. An ill. glossary of film terms, c1973: under genre: Parody film, see Parody (Parody: an imitation, and distortion, of a more serious film for humorous effect; Spoof: a parody or mockery of another film or film genre)

Web. 3 (spoof n. 2: a light, amiable, humorous but usu. telling takeoff (as on human nature, customs, or manners) : parody)

Am. herit. dict. of the Eng. lang., c2000 (spoof 3. A gentle satirical imitation; a light parody)

Random House Web. unabr. dict., c1997 (spoof 1. a mocking imitation of someone or something, usually light and good-humored; lampoon or parody)

The top 25 best parody/take off movies, via YouTube, viewed Dec. 8, 2012.

Collins thesaurus of the English language, via TheFreeDictionary website, Dec. 8, 2012 (spoof noun (Informal) parody, take-off (informal), satire, caricature, mockery, send-up (Brit. informal), travesty, lampoon, burlesque)

TheFreeDictionary website, Dec. 8, 2012: thesaurus (spoof - a composition that imitates or misrepresents somebody's style, usually in a humorous way: parody, pasquinade, put-on, sendup, charade, lampoon, mockery, burlesque, travesty, takeoff)

Google search, Dec. 9, 2012 (January 23, 1932: Educational Films Corporation signs 3-year-old Shirley Temple to appear in a series of film take-offs called Baby Burlesks; film takeoffs; film sendups of the traditional genre film; one of the funniest h'wood film sendups; horror film send-ups; feature-film send-ups of that oh-so-'70s sitcom [The Brady Bunch]; The Wizard of Oz has appeared in various recent film send-ups; silent film send-ups)

Films that comically imitate another work or group of works of a more serious nature. For films that use wit, irony, or sarcasm to hold up human vices or foibles to ridicule or scorn see Satirical films.

Note under Satirical films