Ambrose Bierce Quotes - Page 20

• A large stone presented by the archangel Gabriel to the patriarch Abraham, and preserved at Mecca. The patriarch had perhaps asked the archangel for bread.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Atheism, Gabriel, Mecca

  Ambrose Bierce (2009). “The Devil's Dictionary: Easyread Super Large 18pt Edition”, p.37, ReadHowYouWant.com

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• To apologize is to lay the foundation for a future offense.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Future, Apology, Foundation

  Ambrose Bierce (1911). “The collected works”

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• PREFERENCE, n. A sentiment, or frame of mind, induced by the erroneous belief that one thing is better than another.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Time, Mind, Belief

  Ambrose Bierce (2012). “The Devil's Dictionary”, p.97, Courier Corporation

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• ART, n. This word has no definition. Its origin is related by the ingenious Father Gassalasca Jape as "One day a wag - what would the wretch be at? Shifted a letter of the cipher RAT, And said it was a god's name! . . ."

  Ambrose Bierce

  Art, Father, Names

  Ambrose Bierce (2011). “Ambrose Bierce: The Devil's Dictionary, Tales, and Memoirs: The Devil's Dictionary, Tales, and Memoirs”, p.575, Library of America

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• A bird in the hand is worth what it will bring.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Hands, Bird

  Ambrose Bierce (2012). “The Devil's Dictionary”, p.114, Courier Corporation

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• ASPERSE, v.t. Maliciously to ascribe to another vicious actions which one has not had the temptation and opportunity to commit.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Opportunity, Temptation, Action

  Ambrose Bierce (2016). “The Devil's Dictionary: The Devil World”, p.15, 谷月社

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• Finance is the art or science of managing revenues and resources for the best advantage of the manager

  Ambrose Bierce

  Art, Finance, Advantage

  Ambrose Bierce (2001). “The Unabridged Devil's Dictionary”, p.81, University of Georgia Press

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• BATH, n. A kind of mystic ceremony substituted for religious worship, with what spiritual efficacy has not been determined.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Spiritual, Religious, Religion

  Ambrose Bierce (2016). “The Devil's Dictionary: The Devil World”, p.18, 谷月社

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• Hope is desire and expectation rolled into one.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Hope, Expectations, Hopeful

  Ambrose Bierce (2016). “The Devil's Dictionary: The Devil World”, p.92, 谷月社

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• HOMILETICS, n. The science of adapting sermons to the spiritual needs, capacities and conditions of the congregation.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Spiritual, Science, Needs

  Ambrose Bierce (2016). “The Devil's Dictionary: The Devil World”, p.91, 谷月社

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• We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are
  created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain
  inalienable rights; that among these are life, and the right to
  make that of another miserable by thrusting upon him an
  incalculable quantity of acquaintances; liberty, particularly the
  liberty to introduce persons to one another without first
  ascertaining if they are not already acquainted as enemies; and
  the pursuit of another's happiness with a running pack of
  strangers.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Running, Men, Rights

  Ambrose Bierce (2016). “The Devil's Dictionary: The Devil World”, p.115, 谷月社

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• Laziness. Unwarranted repose of manner in a person of low degree.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Funny, Sloth, Degrees

  Ambrose Bierce (2012). “The Devil's Dictionary”, p.69, Courier Corporation

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• IMPOSTOR n. A rival aspirant to public honors.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Honor, Rivals

  Ambrose Bierce (2009). “The Devil's Dictionary: Easyread Super Large 20pt Edition”, p.190, ReadHowYouWant.com

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• CALAMITY, n. A more than commonly plain and unmistakable reminder that the affairs of this life are not of our own ordering. Calamities are of two kinds: misfortune to ourselves, and good fortune to others.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Life, Two, Kind

  Ambrose Bierce (2001). “The Unabridged Devil's Dictionary”, p.31, University of Georgia Press

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• WRATH, n. Anger of a superior quality and degree, appropriate to exalted characters and momentous occasions; as, "the wrath of God," "the day of wrath," etc. . . .

  Ambrose Bierce

  Character, Wrath, Quality

  Ambrose Bierce (2012). “The Devil's Dictionary”, p.137, Courier Corporation

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• RADICALISM, n. The conservatism of to-morrow injected into the affairs of to-day.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Radicalism, Affair, Morrow

  Ambrose Bierce (2016). “The Devil's Dictionary: The Devil World”, p.176, 谷月社

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• Doubt, indulged and cherished, is in danger of becoming denial; but if honest, and bent on thorough investigation, it may soon lead to full establishment of the truth.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Doubt, Denial, May

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• RUIN, v. To destroy. Specifically, to destroy a maid's belief in the virtue of maids.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Maids, Ruins, Belief

  Ambrose Bierce (2012). “The Devil's Dictionary”, p.110, Courier Corporation

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• PITIFUL, adj. The state of an enemy or opponent after an imaginary encounter with oneself.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Enemy, Encounters, Opponents

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

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• Quill: An instrument of torture yielded by a goose and commonly weilded by as ass.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Art, Entertainment, Ass

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• Prejudice - a vagrant opinion without visible means of support.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Mean, Support, Religion

  Devil's Dictionary (1911) p. 264

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• It is evident that skepticism, while it makes no actual change in man, always makes him feel better.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Change, Feel Better, Men

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• RACK, n. An argumentative implement formerly much used in persuading devotees of a false faith to embrace the living truth. As a call to the unconverted the rack never had any particular efficacy, and is now held in light popular esteem.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Life, Truth, Light

  Ambrose Bierce (2001). “The Unabridged Devil's Dictionary”, p.192, University of Georgia Press

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• Wisdom is known only by contrasting it with folly; by shadow only we perceive that all visible objects are not flat. Yet Philanthropos would abolish evil!

  Ambrose Bierce

  Evil, Shadow, Flats

  Ambrose Bierce (2013). “Delphi Complete Works of Ambrose Bierce (Illustrated)”, p.1221, Delphi Classics

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• Convictions are variable; to be always consistent is to be sometimes dishonest.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Variables, Sometimes, Conviction

  Ambrose Bierce (2015). “A Cynic Looks at Life”, p.51, Sheba Blake Publishing

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