Ambrose Bierce Quotes - Page 17

• Barometer, n.: An ingenious instrument which indicates what kind of weather we are having.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Weather, Kind, Barometer

  Ambrose Bierce (2001). “The Unabridged Devil's Dictionary”, p.23, University of Georgia Press

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• Every heart is the lair of a ferocious animal. The greatest wrong that you can put upon a man is to provoke him to let out his beast.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Heart, Animal, Men

  Ambrose Bierce (2013). “Delphi Complete Works of Ambrose Bierce (Illustrated)”, p.1209, Delphi Classics

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• Coronation: The ceremony of investing a sovereign with the outward and visible signs of his divine right to be blown skyhigh with a dynamite bomb.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Divine Right, Bombs, Investing

  Ambrose Bierce (2016). “The Devil's Dictionary: The Devil World”, p.36, 谷月社

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• Spring beckons! All things to the call respond; the trees are leaving and cashiers abscond.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Spring, Tree, Leaving

  Ambrose Bierce (2011). “Ambrose Bierce: The Devil's Dictionary, Tales, and Memoirs: The Devil's Dictionary, Tales, and Memoirs”, p.565, Library of America

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• TAIL, n. The part of an animal's spine that has transcended its natural limitations to set up an independent existence in a world of its own.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Independent, Animal, Tails

  Ambrose Bierce (2016). “The Devil's Dictionary: The Devil World”, p.217, 谷月社

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• adherent, n. A follower who has not yet obtained all that he expects to get.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Leadership, Followers

  Ambrose Bierce (2016). “The Devil's Dictionary: The Devil World”, p.8, 谷月社

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• A miracle is an act or event out of the order of nature and unaccountable, as beating a normal hand of four kings and an ace with four aces and a king.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Nature, Kings, Hands

  Ambrose Bierce (2001). “The Unabridged Devil's Dictionary”, p.164, University of Georgia Press

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• predicament, n. The wage of consistency.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Consistency, Habit, Predicaments

  Ambrose Bierce (2012). “The Devil's Dictionary”, p.96, Courier Corporation

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• renown, n. A degree of distinction between notoriety and fame - a little more supportable than the one and a little more intolerable than the other. Sometimes it is conferred by an unfriendly and inconsiderate hand.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Hands, Littles, Degrees

  Ambrose Bierce (2016). “The Devil's Dictionary: The Devil World”, p.181, 谷月社

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• ILLUSTRIOUS, adj. Suitably placed for the shafts of malice, envy and detraction.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Envy, Malice

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

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• adore, v.t. To venerate expectantly.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Adore

  Ambrose Bierce (2001). “The Unabridged Devil's Dictionary”, p.14, University of Georgia Press

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• Book - Learning : The dunce's derisive term for all knowledge that transcends his own impertinent ignorance.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Book, Ignorance, Knowledge

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• An absolute monarchy is one in which the sovereign does as he pleases so long as he pleases the assassins.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Long, Doe, Assassins

  Ambrose Bierce (2016). “The Devil's Dictionary: The Devil World”, p.7, 谷月社

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• Birth: The first and direst of all disasters.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Baby, Holy Water, Caverns

  Ambrose Bierce (2001). “The Unabridged Devil's Dictionary”, p.26, University of Georgia Press

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• Hope is an explorer who surveys the country ahead. That is why we know so much about the Hereafter and so little about the Heretofore.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Hope, Country, Littles

  Ambrose Bierce (2013). “Delphi Complete Works of Ambrose Bierce (Illustrated)”, p.1211, Delphi Classics

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• I believe we shall come to care about people less and less. The more people one knows the easier it becomes to replace them. It's one of the curses of London.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Believe, People, Care

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• Childhood: the period of human life intermediate between the idiocy of infancy and the folly of youth - two removes from the sin of manhood and three from the remorse of age.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Life, Children, Two

  Ambrose Bierce (2001). “The Unabridged Devil's Dictionary”, p.34, University of Georgia Press

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• DEBT, n. An ingenious substitute for the chain and whip of the slave-driver. As, pent in an aquarium, the troutlet Swims round and round his tank to find an outlet, Pressing his nose against the glass that holds him, Nor ever sees the prison that enfolds him; So the poor debtor, seeing naught around him, Yet feels the narrow limits that impound him, Grieves at his debt and studies to evade it, And finds at last he might as well have paid it.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Grieving, Glasses, Aquariums

  Ambrose Bierce (2013). “Delphi Complete Works of Ambrose Bierce (Illustrated)”, p.2379, Delphi Classics

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• The creator and arbiter of beauty is the heart; to the male rattlesnake the female rattlesnake is the loveliest thing in nature.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Beauty, Heart, Males

  Ambrose Bierce (2013). “Delphi Complete Works of Ambrose Bierce (Illustrated)”, p.2691, Delphi Classics

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• CLOSE-FISTED, adj. Unduly desirous of keeping that which many meritorious persons wish to obtain.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Wish, Persons

  Ambrose Bierce (2016). “The Devil's Dictionary: The Devil World”, p.31, 谷月社

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• A bad marriage is like an electrical thrilling machine: it makes you dance, but you can't let go.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Marriage, Letting Go, Machines

  Ambrose Bierce (2012). “The Collected Works of Ambrose Bierce, Volume 8 Epigrams, On With the Dance, Negligible Tales”, p.241, tredition

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• repose, v.i. To cease from troubling.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Repose, Cease

  Ambrose Bierce (2001). “The Unabridged Devil's Dictionary”, p.197, University of Georgia Press

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• Heaven lies about us in our infancy and the world begins lying about us pretty soon afterward.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Time, Lying, Childhood

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• Slang is the speech of him who robs the literary garbage carts on their way to the dumps.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Speech, Way, Garbage

  Ambrose Bierce (2013). “Delphi Complete Works of Ambrose Bierce (Illustrated)”, p.1214, Delphi Classics

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• DELUSION, n. The father of a most respectable family, comprising Enthusiasm, Affection, Self-denial, Faith, Hope, Charity and many other goodly sons and daughters.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Family, Faith, Daughter

  Ambrose Bierce (2016). “The Devil's Dictionary: The Devil World”, p.43, 谷月社

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