As for the rest of the time--when I'm watching ballroom-dancing competitions and searching for batteries for my Bop It and extracting all the sopapilla pieces from a gallon of limited edition cinnamon ice cream with the precision of a brain surgeon--there's no real excuse.
Definition of ALLOWANCE: A deduction, an average payment, a portion assigned or allowed: the act of allowing. The Law Dictionary Featuring Black's Law Dictionary Free Online Legal Dictionary 2nd Ed. Navigation
compensation (n). An allowance is a stipulated amount furnished at regular intervals as a matter of discretion or gratuity, as of food to besieged soldiers, or of money to a child or ward. Compensation is a comprehensive word signifying a return for a service done. Remuneration is applied to matters of great amount or importance.