How would you explain a drum fill to a non-drummer?

Fill (drum) n : a short, ornamented, rhythmic phrase for justifying the purchase of extra toms, cymbals, and other percussion-instrument toys
 
If the non-drummer is a musician, I figure the simplest thing would be to write it out, no?

If the person, however, is NOT a musician by any stretch of the imagination, and cannot get him/herself to "feel" what the fill is about (no pun intended), then (IMHO) it would be utterly pointless to even attempt an explanation...
 
The basic explanation of a drum fill is where the drum beat of the song is being interrupted. For example:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQ_X25MtP6k

Fast forward to 1:06. This is the intro. It is a type of fill.
At 1:10 he starts the beat, which is the basic rhythm of the drum part.
At 1:16 he starts yet another fill, this one lasting until about 1:18, at which point he returns to the beat.
At 1:24 he starts a final fill that he uses to end the beat.

If you don't understand what a drum fill is now, I'm afraid you never will.
 
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