Ambrose Bierce Quotes - Page 16

• pleasure, n. The least hateful form of dejection.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Hateful, Pleasure, Form

  Ambrose Bierce (2016). “The Devil's Dictionary: The Devil World”, p.165, 谷月社

  7 Copy quote

• Immoral: Inexpedient. Whatever in the long run and with regard to the greater number of instances men find to be generally inexpedient comes to be considered wrong, wicked, immoral. If mans notions of right and wrong have any other basis than this of expediency; if they originated, or could have originated, in any other way; if actions have in themselves a moral character apart from and nowise dependent on, their consequences-then all philosophy is a lie and reason a disorder of the mind.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Running, Lying, Philosophy

  Ambrose Bierce (2016). “The Devil's Dictionary: The Devil World”, p.98, 谷月社

  9 Copy quote

• UNITARIAN, n. One who denies the divinity of a Trinitarian.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Divinity, Deny, Unitarian

  Ambrose Bierce (2012). “The Devil's Dictionary”, p.132, Courier Corporation

  7 Copy quote

• Inexpedient: Not calculated to advance one's interests.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Nihilism, Interest

  Ambrose Bierce (2016). “The Devil's Dictionary: The Devil World”, p.105, 谷月社

  16 Copy quote

• WOMAN, n. An animal usually living in the vicinity of Man, and having a rudimentary susceptibility to domestication.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Life, Women, Animal

  Ambrose Bierce (2001). “The Unabridged Devil's Dictionary”, p.239, University of Georgia Press

  4 Copy quote

• Learning -the kind of ignorance affected by (and affecting) civilized races, as distinguished from ignorance, the sort of learning incurred by savages. See nonsense.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Learning, Ignorance, Race

  4 Copy quote

• Condole - to show that bereavement is a smaller evil than sympathy.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Evil, Bereavement, Shows

  Ambrose Bierce (2016). “The Devil's Dictionary: The Devil World”, p.34, 谷月社

  4 Copy quote

• NEWTONIAN, Pertaining to a philosophy of the universe invented by Newton, who discovered that an apple will fall to the ground, but was unable to say why. His successors and disciples have advanced so far as to be able to say when.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Philosophy, Fall, Science

  Ambrose Bierce (2016). “The Devil's Dictionary: The Devil World”, p.149, 谷月社

  4 Copy quote

• POLICE, n. An armed force for protection and participation.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Police, Protection, Force

  Ambrose Bierce (2001). “The Unabridged Devil's Dictionary”, p.184, University of Georgia Press

  7 Copy quote

• I was born to poor because of honest parents.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Parent, Honest, Poor

  Ambrose Bierce (2015). “Negligible Tales”, p.23, Ambrose Bierce

  4 Copy quote

• RUSSIAN, n. A person with a Caucasian body and a Mongolian soul. A Tartar Emetic.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Soul, Body, Caucasian

  Ambrose Bierce (2016). “The Devil's Dictionary: The Devil World”, p.192, 谷月社

  7 Copy quote

• SAUCE, n. The one infallible sign of civilization and enlightenment. A people with no sauces has one thousand vices; a people with one sauce has only nine hundred and ninety-nine. For every sauce invented and accepted a vice is renounced and forgiven.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Food, Ninety Nine, Civilization

  Ambrose Bierce (1958). “The Devil's Dictionary: A Selection of the Bitter Definitions of Ambrose Bierce”, p.163, Prabhat Prakashan

  4 Copy quote

• FLAG, n. A colored rag borne above troops and hoisted on forts and ships. It appears to serve the same purpose as certain signs that one sees and vacant lots in London

  Ambrose Bierce

  Rags, Troops, Purpose

  Ambrose Bierce (1973). “The Collected Writings of Ambrose Bierce”, Ayer Company Pub

  56 Copy quote

• PLEONASM, n. An army of words escorting a corporal of thought.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Army, Escorting

  Ambrose Bierce (2001). “The Unabridged Devil's Dictionary”, p.184, University of Georgia Press

  4 Copy quote

• While your friend holds you affectionately by both your hands, you are safe, for you can watch both his.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Sarcastic, Hands, Watches

  Ambrose Bierce (2001). “The Unabridged Devil's Dictionary”, p.68, University of Georgia Press

  4 Copy quote

• CONSOLATION, n. The knowledge that a better man is more unfortunate than yourself.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Knowledge, Men, Consolation

  Ambrose Bierce (2001). “The Unabridged Devil's Dictionary”, p.41, University of Georgia Press

  7 Copy quote

• PHRENOLOGY, n. The science of picking the pocket through the scalp. It consists in locating and exploiting the organ that one is a dupe with.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Science, Pockets, Phrenology

  Ambrose Bierce (2001). “The Unabridged Devil's Dictionary”, p.181, University of Georgia Press

  67 Copy quote

• ORTHOGRAPHY, n. The science of spelling by the eye instead of the ear.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Eye, Science, Ears

  Ambrose Bierce (1996). “Poems of Ambrose Bierce”, p.75, U of Nebraska Press

  5 Copy quote

• PENITENT, adj. Undergoing or awaiting punishment.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Punishment

  Ambrose Bierce (2013). “Delphi Complete Works of Ambrose Bierce (Illustrated)”, p.2478, Delphi Classics

  4 Copy quote

• You cannot adopt politics as a profession and remain honest.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Political, Liberty, Libertarian

  7 Copy quote

• NECTAR, n. A drink served at banquets of the Olympian deities. The secret of its preparation is lost, but the modern Kentuckians believe that they come pretty near to a knowledge of its chief ingredient.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Believe, Preparation, Secret

  Ambrose Bierce (2012). “The Devil's Dictionary”, p.84, Courier Corporation

  8 Copy quote

• Duck-bill, n. Your account at your restaurant during the canvas-back season.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Ducks, Bills, Canvas

  Ambrose Bierce (2016). “The Devil's Dictionary: The Devil World”, p.48, 谷月社

  7 Copy quote

• Bacchus, n.: A convenient deity invented by the ancients as an excuse for getting drunk.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Food, Wine, Drunk

  Ambrose Bierce (2016). “The Devil's Dictionary: The Devil World”, p.17, 谷月社

  28 Copy quote

• OBSOLETE, adj. No longer used by the timid. Said chiefly of words. A word which some lexicographer has marked obsolete is ever thereafter an object of dread and loathing to the fool writer . . .

  Ambrose Bierce

  Lexicographer, Fool, Loathing

  Ambrose Bierce (2016). “The Devil's Dictionary: The Devil World”, p.152, 谷月社

  16 Copy quote

• IGNORAMUS, n. A person unacquainted with certain kinds of knowledge familiar to yourself, and having certain other kinds that you know nothing about.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Knowledge, Science, Kind

  Ambrose Bierce (2001). “The Unabridged Devil's Dictionary”, p.117, University of Georgia Press

  4 Copy quote

You May Also Like:

Edgar Allan Poe

Mark Twain

Stephen Crane

Algernon Blackwood

H. P. Lovecraft

Nathaniel Hawthorne

Arthur Machen

Sarah Orne Jewett