Ambrose Bierce Quotes - Page 18

• REVIEW, v.t. To set your wisdom (holding not a doubt of it./ Although in truth there's neither bone nor skin to it)/ At work upon a book, and so read out of it/ The qualities that you have first read into it.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Wisdom, Truth, Book

  Ambrose Bierce (2001). “The Unabridged Devil's Dictionary”, p.200, University of Georgia Press

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• 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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• Immoral: Inexpedient. Whatever in the long run and with regard to the greater number of instances men find to be generally inexpedient comes to be considered wrong, wicked, immoral. If mans notions of right and wrong have any other basis than this of expediency; if they originated, or could have originated, in any other way; if actions have in themselves a moral character apart from and nowise dependent on, their consequences-then all philosophy is a lie and reason a disorder of the mind.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Running, Lying, Philosophy

  Ambrose Bierce (2016). “The Devil's Dictionary: The Devil World”, p.98, 谷月社

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• Respectability, n. The offspring of a liaison between a bald head and a bank account.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Bank Accounts, Liaison, Offspring

  Ambrose Bierce (2016). “The Devil's Dictionary: The Devil World”, p.183, 谷月社

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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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• The palmist looks at the wrinkles made by closing the hand and says they signify character. The philosopher reads character by what the hand most loves to close upon.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Character, Wrinkles, Hands

  Ambrose Bierce (2015). “A Cynic Looks at Life”, p.47, Sheba Blake Publishing

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• An army's bravest men are its cowards. The death which they would not meet at the hands of the enemy they will meet at the hands of their officers, with never a flinching.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Army, Men, Hands

  Ambrose Bierce (2012). “Civil War Stories”, p.14, Courier Corporation

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• The game of discontent has its rules, and he who disregards them cheats. It is not permitted to you to wish to add another's advantages or possessions to your own; you are permitted only to wish to be another.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Games, Wish, Add

  Ambrose Bierce (2013). “Delphi Complete Works of Ambrose Bierce (Illustrated)”, p.1212, Delphi Classics

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• Convictions are variable; to be always consistent is to be sometimes dishonest.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Variables, Sometimes, Conviction

  Ambrose Bierce (2015). “A Cynic Looks at Life”, p.51, Sheba Blake Publishing

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• Wisdom is known only by contrasting it with folly; by shadow only we perceive that all visible objects are not flat. Yet Philanthropos would abolish evil!

  Ambrose Bierce

  Evil, Shadow, Flats

  Ambrose Bierce (2013). “Delphi Complete Works of Ambrose Bierce (Illustrated)”, p.1221, Delphi Classics

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• While you have a future do not live too much in contemplation of your past: unless you are content to walk backward the mirror is a poor guide.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Past, Mirrors, Too Much

  Ambrose Bierce (2013). “Delphi Complete Works of Ambrose Bierce (Illustrated)”, p.1221, Delphi Classics

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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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• PIE, n. An advance agent of the reaper whose name is Indigestion.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Food, Names, Pie

  Ambrose Bierce (2016). “The Devil's Dictionary: The Devil World”, p.164, 谷月社

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• Rhubarb: essence of stomach ache.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Food, Essence, Cooking

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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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• 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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• 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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• Rome has seven sacraments, but the Protestant churches, being less prosperous, feel that they can afford only two, and these of inferior sanctity.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Rome, Two, Church

  Ambrose Bierce (2013). “Delphi Complete Works of Ambrose Bierce (Illustrated)”, p.2506, Delphi Classics

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• Quill: An instrument of torture yielded by a goose and commonly weilded by as ass.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Art, Entertainment, Ass

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• PITIFUL, adj. The state of an enemy or opponent after an imaginary encounter with oneself.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Enemy, Encounters, Opponents

  Ambrose Bierce (2016). “The Devil's Dictionary: The Devil World”, p.165, 谷月社

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• A large stone presented by the archangel Gabriel to the patriarch Abraham, and preserved at Mecca. The patriarch had perhaps asked the archangel for bread.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Atheism, Gabriel, Mecca

  Ambrose Bierce (2009). “The Devil's Dictionary: Easyread Super Large 18pt Edition”, p.37, ReadHowYouWant.com

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• Alligator: The crocodile of America, superior in every detail to the crocodile of the effete monarchies of the Old World.

  Ambrose Bierce

  America, Details, World

  Ambrose Bierce (2011). “Ambrose Bierce: The Devil's Dictionary, Tales, and Memoirs: The Devil's Dictionary, Tales, and Memoirs”, p.571, Library of America

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• Past, n. That part of Eternity with some small fraction of which we have a slight and regrettable acquaintance. A moving line called the Present parts it from an imaginary period known as the Future. These two grand divisions of Eternity, of which the one is continually effacing the other, are entirely unlike. The one is dark with sorrow and disappointment, the other bright with prosperity and joy.... Yet 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, Disappointment, Moving

  Ambrose Bierce (2016). “The Devil's Dictionary: The Devil World”, p.160, 谷月社

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• ELECTOR, n. One who enjoys the sacred privilege of voting for the man of another man's choice.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Men, Voting, Choices

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

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• EAT, v.i. To perform successively (and successfully) the functions of mastication, humectation, and deglutition. 'I was in the drawing-room, enjoying my dinner,' said Brillat-Savarin, beginning an anecdote. 'What!' interrupted Rochebriant; 'eating dinner in a drawing-room?' 'I must beg you to observe, monsieur,' explained the great gastronome, 'that I did not say I was eating my dinner, but enjoying it. I had dined an hour before.'

  Ambrose Bierce

  Food, Drawing, Cooking

  Ambrose Bierce (2013). “Delphi Complete Works of Ambrose Bierce (Illustrated)”, p.2387, Delphi Classics

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