Ambrose Bierce Quotes - Page 6

• Mad, adj. Affected with a high degree of intellectual independence.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Sarcastic, Mad, Intellectual

  Ambrose Bierce (2013). “The Devil's Dictionary (or The Cynic's Wordbook: Unabridged with all the Definitions)”, p.126, e-artnow

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• ASS, n. A public singer with a good voice but no ear.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Voice, Ears, Singers

  Ambrose Bierce (2013). “Delphi Complete Works of Ambrose Bierce (Illustrated)”, p.2358, Delphi Classics

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• REFUSAL, n. Denial of something desired; Refusals are graded in a descending scale of finality thus: the refusal absolute, the refusal condition, the refusal tentative and the refusal feminine. The last is called by some casuists the refusal assentive.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Desire, Denial, Lasts

  Ambrose Bierce (2013). “Delphi Complete Works of Ambrose Bierce (Illustrated)”, p.2495, Delphi Classics

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• moral, adj. Conforming to a local and mutable standard of right. Having the quality of general expediency.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Quality, Morality, Standards

  Ambrose Bierce (2016). “The Devil's Dictionary: The Devil World”, p.146, 谷月社

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• ROSTRUM, n. In Latin, the beak of a bird or the prow of a ship. In America, a place from which a candidate for office energetically expounds the wisdom, virtue and power of the rabble.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Wisdom, Latin, America

  Ambrose Bierce (2013). “Delphi Complete Works of Ambrose Bierce (Illustrated)”, p.2504, Delphi Classics

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• MAGNETISM, n. Something acting upon a magnet. The two definitions immediately foregoing are condensed from the works of one thousand eminent scientists, who have illuminated the subject with a great white light, to the inexpressible advancement of human knowledge.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Science, Light, Two

  Ambrose Bierce (2016). “The Devil's Dictionary: The Devil World”, p.137, 谷月社

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• aim, n. The task we set our wishes to.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Wish, Desire, Tasks

  Ambrose Bierce (2013). “Delphi Complete Works of Ambrose Bierce (Illustrated)”, p.2354, Delphi Classics

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• REPORTER, n. A writer who guesses his way to the truth and dispels it with a tempest of words.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Truth, Way, Tempest

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

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• Idiot - A member of a large and powerful tribe whose influence in human affairs has always been dominant and controlling. The Idiot's activity is not confined to any special field of thought or action, but "pervades and regulates the whole." He has the last word in everything; his decision is unappealable. He sets the fashions and opinion of taste, dictates the limitations of speech and circumscribes conduct with a dead-line.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Fashion, Powerful, Decision

  Ambrose Bierce (2009). “The Devil's Dictionary: Easyread Super Large 18pt Edition”, p.150, ReadHowYouWant.com

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• PAST, n. That part of Eternity with some small fraction of which we have a slight and regrettable acquaintance... The Past is the Future of yesterday, the Future is the Past of to-morrow. They are one - the knowledge and the dream.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Dream, Future, Past

  "The Devil's Dictionary". Book by Ambrose Bierce, 1911.

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• We submit to the majority because we have to. But we are not compelled to call our attitude of subjection a posture of respect.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Attitude, Majority, Posture

  Ambrose Bierce (2013). “Delphi Complete Works of Ambrose Bierce (Illustrated)”, p.2692, Delphi Classics

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• Crowned with leaves of the laurel. In England the Poet Laureate is an officer of the sovereign's court, acting as dancing skeleton at every royal feast and singing-mute at every royal funeral.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Skeletons, Dancing, Funeral

  Ambrose Bierce (2013). “Delphi Complete Works of Ambrose Bierce (Illustrated)”, p.2445, Delphi Classics

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• Philosophy: A route of many roads leading from nowhere to nothing.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Leadership, Philosophy, Math

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

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• UXORIOUSNESS, n. A perverted affection that has strayed to one's own wife.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Wife, Affection

  Ambrose Bierce (2016). “The Devil's Dictionary: The Devil World”, p.229, 谷月社

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• There's no free will," says the philosopher; "To hang is most unjust." "There is no free will," assents the officer; "We hang because we must.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Unjust, Philosopher, Free Will

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

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• Self-denial is indulgence of a propensity to forego.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Self, Denial, Indulgence

  Ambrose Bierce (2013). “Delphi Complete Works of Ambrose Bierce (Illustrated)”, p.1223, Delphi Classics

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• INTERPRETER, n. One who enables two persons of different languages to understand each other by repeating to each what it would have been to the interpreter's advantage for the other to have said.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Two, Understanding, Different

  Ambrose Bierce (2001). “The Unabridged Devil's Dictionary”, p.135, University of Georgia Press

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• Distress: A disease incurred by exposure to the prosperity of a friend.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Disease, Prosperity, Exposure

  Ambrose Bierce (2001). “The Unabridged Devil's Dictionary”, p.58, University of Georgia Press

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• Alliance - in international politics, the union of two thieves who have their hands so deeply inserted in each other's pockets that they cannot separately plunder a third.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Peace, Government, Hands

  Cynic's Word Book (1906) p. 16

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• Admiration, n. Our polite recognition of another's resemblance to ourselves.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Love, Appreciation, Rewards And Recognition

  Cynic's Word Book (1906) p. 13

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• Quotation, n: The act of repeating erroneously the words of another.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Quotations

  Ambrose Bierce (2016). “The Devil's Dictionary: The Devil World”, p.174, 谷月社

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• Debt, n. An ingenious substitute for the chain and whip of the slavedriver.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Ties, Debtors, Owing A Debt

  Ambrose Bierce (2016). “The Devil's Dictionary: The Devil World”, p.40, 谷月社

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• PALMISTRY, n. The 947th method . . . of obtaining money by false pretences [by] "reading character" in the wrinkles [of] the hand. The pretence is not altogether false. . . for the wrinkles in every hand submitted plainly spell the word "dupe."

  Ambrose Bierce

  Money, Reading, Character

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• REBEL, n. A proponent of a new misrule who has failed to establish it.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Failure, Rebel

  Ambrose Bierce (2001). “The Unabridged Devil's Dictionary”, p.194, University of Georgia Press

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• PUSH, n. One of the two things mainly conducive to success, especially in politics. The other is Pull.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Success, Congratulations, Two

  Ambrose Bierce (2001). “The Unabridged Devil's Dictionary”, p.189, University of Georgia Press

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