Ambrose Bierce Quotes - Page 13

• A lottery is a tax on stupidity.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Stupidity, Taxes, Lottery

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• Destiny: A tyrant's authority for crime and a fool's excuse for failure.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Failure, Destiny, Tyrants

  Enlarged Devil's Dictionary (1967) p. 64

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• DELUGE, n. A notable first experiment in baptism which washed away the sins (and sinners) of the world.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Baptism, World, Firsts

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

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• LECTURER, n. One with his hand in your pocket, his tongue in your ear and his faith in your patience.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Faith, Science, Hands

  Ambrose Bierce (2016). “The Devil's Dictionary: The Devil World”, p.124, 谷月社

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• TALK, v.t. To commit an indiscretion without temptation, from an impulse without purpose.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Temptation, Purpose, Impulse

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

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• WINE, n.Fermented grape-juice known to the Women's Christian Union as "liquor," sometimes as "rum." Wine, madam, is God's next best gift to man.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Christian, Food, Wine

  Ambrose Bierce (2001). “The Unabridged Devil's Dictionary”, p.238, University of Georgia Press

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• PIRACY, n. Commerce without its folly-swaddles, just as God made it.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Justice, Made, Folly

  Ambrose Bierce (2009). “The Devil's Dictionary: Easyread Large Bold Edition”, p.226, ReadHowYouWant.com

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• PROPHECY, n. The art and practice of selling one's credibility for future delivery.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Art, Future, Practice

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

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• Dog - a kind of additional or subsidiary Deity designed to catch the overflow and surplus of the world's worship.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Dog, Literature, World

  Ambrose Bierce (2016). “The Devil's Dictionary: The Devil World”, p.48, 谷月社

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• Molecule, n.: The ultimate, indivisible unit of matter. It is distinguished from the corpuscle, also the ultimate, indivisible unit of matter, by a closer resemblance to the atom, also the ultimate, indivisible unit of matter ... The ion differs from the molecule, the corpuscle and the atom in that it is an ion.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Ions, Molecules, Atoms

  Ambrose Bierce (2001). “The Unabridged Devil's Dictionary”, p.165, University of Georgia Press

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• URBANITY, n. The kind of civility that urban observers ascribe to dwellers in all cities but New York. Its commonest expression is heard in the words, "I beg your pardon," and it is not consistent with disregard of the rights of others.

  Ambrose Bierce

  New York, Rights, Expression

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

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• Electricity is the power that causes all natural phenomena not known to be caused by something else

  Ambrose Bierce

  Home, Energy, Causes

  Ambrose Bierce (2016). “The Devil's Dictionary: The Devil World”, p.53, 谷月社

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• What a woman most admires in a man is distinction among men. What a man most admires in a woman is devotion to himself.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Men, Devotion, Distinction

  Ambrose Bierce (2013). “Delphi Complete Works of Ambrose Bierce (Illustrated)”, p.2690, Delphi Classics

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• PAIN, n. An uncomfortable frame of mind that may have a physical basis in something that is being done to the body, or may be purely mental, caused by the good fortune of another.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Pain, Mind, Done

  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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• REALISM, n. The art of depicting nature as it is seem by toads. The charm suffusing a landscape painted by a mole, or a story written by a measuring-worm.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Art, Nature, Moles

  Ambrose Bierce (2000). “Tales of Soldiers and Civilians: and Other Stories”, p.18, Penguin

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• The poor man's price of admittance to the favor of the rich is his self-respect.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Men, Self, Favors

  Ambrose Bierce (2013). “Delphi Complete Works of Ambrose Bierce (Illustrated)”, p.1219, Delphi Classics

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• Accordion, n. An instrument in harmony with the sentiments of an assassin.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Musical, Assassins, Harmony

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

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• In theology, the state of a luckless mortal prenatally damned. The doctrine of reprobation was taught by Calvin, whose joy in it was somewhat marred by the sad sincerity of his conviction that although some are foredoomed to perdition, others are predestined to salvation.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Joy, Atheism, Doctrine

  Ambrose Bierce (2016). “The Devil's Dictionary: The Devil World”, p.182, 谷月社

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• Labor is one of the processes by which A acquires property for B.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Process, Labor, Property

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

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• The gambling known as business looks with austere disfavor upon the business known as gambling.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Sarcastic, Money, Business

  Ambrose Bierce (2015). “A Cynic Looks at Life”, p.43, Sheba Blake Publishing

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• REASON, n. Propensitate of prejudice.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Prejudice, Reason

  Ambrose Bierce (2016). “The Devil's Dictionary: The Devil World”, p.177, 谷月社

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• HYDRA, n. A kind of animal that the ancients catalogued under many heads.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Kindness, Animal, Hydra

  Ambrose Bierce (2016). “The Devil's Dictionary: The Devil World”, p.94, 谷月社

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• ACCOUNTABILITY, n. The mother of caution.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Mother, Motherhood, Accountability

  Ambrose Bierce (2001). “The Unabridged Devil's Dictionary”, p.11, University of Georgia Press

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• ACCOMPLICE, n. One associated with another in a crime, having guilty knowledge and complicity, as an attorney who defends a criminal, knowing him guilty. This view of the attorney's position in the matter has not hitherto commanded the assent of attorneys, no one having offered them a fee for assenting.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Views, Knowing, Matter

  Ambrose Bierce (2013). “Delphi Complete Works of Ambrose Bierce (Illustrated)”, p.2352, Delphi Classics

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• PIANO, n. A parlor utensil for subduing the impenitent visitor. It is operated by depressing the keys of the machine and the spirits of the audience.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Funny, Music, Keys

  Ambrose Bierce (2009). “The Devil's Dictionary: Easyread Large Bold Edition”, p.224, ReadHowYouWant.com

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