Ambrose Bierce Quotes - Page 21

• PHILISTINE, n. One whose mind is the creature of its environment, following the fashion in thought, feeling and sentiment. He is sometimes learned, frequently prosperous, commonly clean and always solemn.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Fashion, Learning, Feelings

  Ambrose Bierce (2012). “The Devil's Dictionary”, p.93, Courier Corporation

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• TRICHINOSIS, n. The pig's reply to proponents of porcophagy.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Food, Pigs, Cooking

  Ambrose Bierce (2001). “The Unabridged Devil's Dictionary”, p.229, University of Georgia Press

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• Advice: The suggestions you give someone else which you hope will work for your benefit.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Giving, Advice, Suggestions

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• If every hypocrite in the United States were to break his leg to-day the country could be successfully invaded to-morrow by the warlike hypocrites of Canada.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Country, Hypocrite, United States

  Ambrose Bierce (2012). “The Collected Works of Ambrose Bierce, Volume 8 Epigrams, On With the Dance, Negligible Tales”, p.238, tredition

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• A man who piously shuts himself up to meditate upon the sin of wickedness and to keep it fresh in his mind joins a brotherhood of awful examples.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Men, Brotherhood, Mind

  Ambrose Bierce (2016). “The Devil's Dictionary: The Devil World”, p.32, 谷月社

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• YOUTH, n. The Period of Possibility, when Archimedes finds a fulcrum, Cassandra has a following and seven cities compete for the honor of endowing a living Homer.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Life, Cities, Honor

  Ambrose Bierce (2001). “The Unabridged Devil's Dictionary”, p.242, University of Georgia Press

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• HURRICANE, n. An atmospheric demonstration once very common but now generally abandoned for the tornado and cyclone. The hurricane is still in popular use in the West Indies and is preferred by certain old- fashioned sea-captains.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Science, West Indies, Sea

  Ambrose Bierce (2009). “The Devil's Dictionary: Easyread Super Large 18pt Edition”, p.147, ReadHowYouWant.com

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• Calamities are of two kinds: misfortunes to ourselves, and good fortune to others.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Funny, Jealousy, Sarcastic

  Cynic's Word Book (1906) p. 41

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• EXPOSTULATION, n. One of the many methods by which fools prefer to lose their friends.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Friendship, Fool, Method

  Ambrose Bierce (2016). “The Devil's Dictionary: The Devil World”, p.61, 谷月社

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• One engaged in a commercial pursuit. A commercial pursuit is one in which the thing pursued is a dollar.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Dollars, Pursuit, Engaged

  Ambrose Bierce (2013). “Delphi Complete Works of Ambrose Bierce (Illustrated)”, p.2461, Delphi Classics

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• One of the greatest of poets, Coleridge was one of the wisest of men, and it was not for nothing that he read us this parable. Let us have a little less of "hands across the sea," and a little more of that elemental distrust that is the security of nations. War loves to come like a thief in the night; professions of eternal amity provide the night.

  Ambrose Bierce

  War, Night, Men

  Ambrose Bierce (2016). “The Devil's Dictionary: The Devil World”, p.232, 谷月社

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• DUEL, n. A formal ceremony preliminary to reconciliation of two enemies. Great skill is necessary to its satisfactory observance; if awkwardly performed . . . deplorable consequences sometimes ensue. A long time ago a man lost his life.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Life, Time, Men

  Ambrose Bierce (2001). “The Unabridged Devil's Dictionary”, p.60, University of Georgia Press

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• Erudition - dust shaken out of a book into an empty skull.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Book, Dust, Skulls

  Ambrose Bierce (2001). “The Unabridged Devil's Dictionary”, p.70, University of Georgia Press

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• Houseless: Having paid all taxes on household goods.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Taxes, Goods, Household

  Ambrose Bierce (2001). “The Unabridged Devil's Dictionary”, p.113, University of Georgia Press

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• TEETOTALER, n. One who abstains from strong drink, sometimes totally, sometimes tolerably totally.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Strong, Food, Cooking

  Ambrose Bierce (2001). “The Unabridged Devil's Dictionary”, p.225, University of Georgia Press

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• TABLE D'HOTE, n. A caterer's thrifty concession to the universal passion for irresponsibility.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Food, Passion, Cooking

  Ambrose Bierce (2001). “The Unabridged Devil's Dictionary”, p.223, University of Georgia Press

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• Self-restraint is indulgence of the propensity to forgo.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Self, Restraint, Indulgence

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• Rhubarb: essence of stomach ache.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Food, Essence, Cooking

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• Curiosity, n. An objectionable quality of the female mind. The desire to know whether or not a woman is cursed with curiosity is one of the most active and insatiable passions of the masculine soul.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Passion, Soul, Curiosity

  Ambrose Bierce (2011). “Ambrose Bierce: The Devil's Dictionary, Tales, and Memoirs: The Devil's Dictionary, Tales, and Memoirs”, p.601, Library of America

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• OPERA, n. A play representing life in another world, whose inhabitants have no speech but song, no motions but gestures and no postures but attitudes.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Life, Song, Attitude

  Ambrose Bierce (2001). “The Unabridged Devil's Dictionary”, p.174, University of Georgia Press

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• Battle, n., A method of untying with the teeth a political knot that would not yield to the tongue.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Yield, Political, Battle

  Cynic's Word Book (1906) p. 30

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• PARDON, v. To remit a penalty and restore to the life of crime. To add to the lure of crime the temptation of ingratitude.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Life, Temptation, Add

  Ambrose Bierce (2009). “The Devil's Dictionary: Easyread Super Large 24pt Edition”, p.106, ReadHowYouWant.com

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• Famous, adj.: Conspicuously miserable.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Miserable, Fame

  Ambrose Bierce (2009). “The Devil's Dictionary: Easyread Super Large 18pt Edition”, p.95, ReadHowYouWant.com

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• Nonsense, n. The objections that are urged against this excellent dictionary.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Nonsense, Excellent, Dictionary

  Ambrose Bierce (2012). “The Devil's Dictionary”, p.85, Courier Corporation

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• The fact that boys are allowed to exist at all is evidence of remarkable Christian forbearance among men - were it not for a mawkish humanitarianism, coupled with imperfect digestive powers, we should devour our young, as Nature intended.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Christian, Men, Boys

  "Ambrose Bierce: A Biography". Book by Richard O'Connor, 1968.

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