Ambrose Bierce Quotes - Page 12

• ETHNOLOGY, n. The science that treats of the various tribes of Man, as robbers, thieves, swindlers, dunces, lunatics, idiots and ethnologists.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Science, Men, Thieves

  Ambrose Bierce (2016). “The Devil's Dictionary: The Devil World”, p.57, 谷月社

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• GRAPESHOT, n. An argument which the future is preparing in answer to the demands of American Socialism.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Demand, Answers, Argument

  Ambrose Bierce (2001). “The Unabridged Devil's Dictionary”, p.99, University of Georgia Press

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• TARIFF, n. A scale of taxes on imports, designed to protect the domestic producer against the greed of his consumer.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Greed, Tariffs, Scales

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

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• The circus a place where horses, ponies and elephants are permitted to see men, women and children acting the fool.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Horse, Children, Animal

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

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• Censor, n. An officer of certain governments, employed to supress the works of genius. Among the Romans the censor was an inspector of public morals, but the public morals of modern nations will not bear inspection.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Government, Genius, Bears

  Ambrose Bierce, Brian St. Pierre (1987). “The Devil's advocate: an Ambrose Bierce reader”, Chronicle Books (CA)

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• Doubt is the father of invention.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Father, Stupidity, Doubt

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• Truth is so good a thing that falsehood can not afford to be without it.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Truth Is, Can Not, Falsehood

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

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• Work: a dangerous disorder affecting high public functionaries who want to go fishing.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Lakes, Sea, Fishing

  Ambrose Bierce (2011). “Ambrose Bierce: The Devil's Dictionary, Tales, and Memoirs: The Devil's Dictionary, Tales, and Memoirs”, p.743, Library of America

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• ULTIMATUM, n. In diplomacy, a last demand before resorting to concessions.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Demand, Lasts, Diplomacy

  Ambrose Bierce (2016). “The Devil's Dictionary: The Devil World”, p.227, 谷月社

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• UNDERSTANDING, n. A cerebral secretion that enables one having it to know a house from a horse by the roof on the house. Its nature and laws have been exhaustively expounded by Locke, who rode a house, and Kant, who lived in a horse.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Life, Nature, Horse

  Ambrose Bierce (2013). “Delphi Complete Works of Ambrose Bierce (Illustrated)”, p.2534, Delphi Classics

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• LANGUAGE, n. The music with which we charm the serpents guarding another's treasure.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Music, Guarding, Treasure

  Ambrose Bierce (2013). “Delphi Complete Works of Ambrose Bierce (Illustrated)”, p.2444, Delphi Classics

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• Optimist – A proponent of the doctrine that black is white.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Optimistic, White, Optimism

  Ambrose Bierce (2001). “The Unabridged Devil's Dictionary”, p.175, University of Georgia Press

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• True, man does not know woman. But neither does woman.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Men, Doe, True Man

  Ambrose Bierce (2015). “A Cynic Looks at Life”, p.37, Sheba Blake Publishing

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• History is an account, mostly false, of events, mostly unimportant, which are brought about by rulers, mostly knaves, and soldiers, mostly fools.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Lying, History, Soldier

  Cynic's Word Book (1906) p. 161

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• A total abstainer is one who abstains from everything but abstention, and especially from inactivity in the affairs of others.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Affair, Inactivity, Abstention

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

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• Patriotism is as fierce as a fever, pitiless as the grave, blind as a stone, and irrational as a headless hen.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Patriotism, Fever, Stones

  Ambrose Bierce (2013). “Delphi Complete Works of Ambrose Bierce (Illustrated)”, p.2230, Delphi Classics

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• actually, adv. Perhaps; possibly.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Ambrose Bierce (2001). “The Unabridged Devil's Dictionary”, p.12, University of Georgia Press

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• Definition: CONNOISSEUR, n. A specialist who knows everything about something and nothing about anything else.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Wine, Definitions, Connoisseur

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• According to the most trustworthy statistics the number of adult Dullards in the United States is but little short of thirty millions, including the statisticians.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Numbers, Adults, United States

  Ambrose Bierce (2016). “The Devil's Dictionary: The Devil World”, p.49, 谷月社

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• CUI BONO? [Latin] What good would that do "me"?

  Ambrose Bierce

  Latin

  Ambrose Bierce (2001). “The Unabridged Devil's Dictionary”, p.46, University of Georgia Press

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• At war with savages and idiots. To be a Frenchman abroad is to be miserable; to be an American abroad is to make others miserable.

  Ambrose Bierce

  War, Savages, Idiot

  Ambrose Bierce (2001). “The Unabridged Devil's Dictionary”, p.9, University of Georgia Press

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• YESTERDAY, n. The infancy of youth, the youth of manhood, the entire past of age.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Past, Yesterday, Age

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

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• Adolescence: The stage between puberty and adultery.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Cynical, Adultery, Cynicism

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• Die: To stop sinning suddenly.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Dies, Sinning

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• LIAR, n. One who tells an unpleasant truth.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Truth, Liars

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