Ambrose Bierce Quotes - Page 17

• 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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• Death is a dignitary who when he comes announced is received with formal manifestations of respect, even by those most familiar with him. In the code of military etiquette silence and fixity are forms of deference

  Ambrose Bierce

  Military, Silence, Form

  Ambrose Bierce (2015). “Tales of Soldiers and Civilians”, p.11, Ambrose Bierce

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• NECTAR, n. A drink served at banquets of the Olympian deities. The secret of its preparation is lost, but the modern Kentuckians believe that they come pretty near to a knowledge of its chief ingredient.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Believe, Preparation, Secret

  Ambrose Bierce (2012). “The Devil's Dictionary”, p.84, Courier Corporation

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• BAIT, n. A preparation that renders the hook more palatable. The best kind is beauty.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Beauty, Kindness, Preparation

  Ambrose Bierce (2013). “Delphi Complete Works of Ambrose Bierce (Illustrated)”, p.2361, Delphi Classics

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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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• 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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• 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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• FEMALE, n. One of the opposing, or unfair, sex.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Sex, Science, Female

  Ambrose Bierce (2009). “The Devil's Dictionary: Easyread Large Bold Edition”, p.82, ReadHowYouWant.com

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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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• 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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• 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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• INFALAPSARIAN, n. One who ventures to believe that Adam need not have sinned unless he had a mind to - in opposition to the Supralapsarians, who hold that that luckless person's fall was decreed from the beginning.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Believe, Fall, Mind

  Ambrose Bierce (2009). “The Devil's Dictionary: Easyread Large Bold Edition”, p.143, ReadHowYouWant.com

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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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• 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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• WOMAN, n. An animal usually living in the vicinity of Man, and having a rudimentary susceptibility to domestication.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Life, Women, Animal

  Ambrose Bierce (2001). “The Unabridged Devil's Dictionary”, p.239, University of Georgia Press

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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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• 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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• 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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• INCOMPATIBILITY, n. In matrimony a similarity of tastes, particularly the taste for domination. Incompatibility may, however, consist of a meek-eyed matron living just around the corner. It has even been known to wear a moustache.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Life, Justice, May

  Ambrose Bierce (2001). “The Unabridged Devil's Dictionary”, p.125, University of Georgia Press

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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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• CENTAUR, n. One of a race of persons who lived before the division of labor had been carried to such a pitch of differentiation, and who followed the primitive economic maxim, "Every man his own horse."

  Ambrose Bierce

  Life, Horse, Men

  Ambrose Bierce (2016). “The Devil's Dictionary: The Devil World”, p.29, 谷月社

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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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• 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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