Ambrose Bierce Quotes - Page 23

• If every hypocrite in the United States were to break his leg to-day the country could be successfully invaded to-morrow by the warlike hypocrites of Canada.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Country, Hypocrite, United States

  Ambrose Bierce (2012). “The Collected Works of Ambrose Bierce, Volume 8 Epigrams, On With the Dance, Negligible Tales”, p.238, tredition

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• One engaged in a commercial pursuit. A commercial pursuit is one in which the thing pursued is a dollar.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Dollars, Pursuit, Engaged

  Ambrose Bierce (2013). “Delphi Complete Works of Ambrose Bierce (Illustrated)”, p.2461, Delphi Classics

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• Houseless: Having paid all taxes on household goods.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Taxes, Goods, Household

  Ambrose Bierce (2001). “The Unabridged Devil's Dictionary”, p.113, 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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• Bigot: One who is obstinately and zealously attached to an opinion that you do not entertain.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Racist, Literature, Opinion

  Ambrose Bierce (2016). “The Devil's Dictionary: The Devil World”, p.22, 谷月社

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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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• Worms'-Meat, n. The finished product of which we are the raw material. The contents of the Taj Mahal, the Tombeau Napoleon and the Granitarium. Worms'-meat is usually outlasted by the structure that houses it, but "this too must pass away." Probably the silliest work in which a human being can engage is construction of a tomb for himself. The solemn purpose cannot dignify, but only accentuates by contrast the foreknown futility.

  Ambrose Bierce

  House, Passing Away, Meat

  Ambrose Bierce (2009). “The Devil's Dictionary: Easyread Super Large 20pt Edition”, p.475, ReadHowYouWant.com

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• 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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• Historian - a broad-gauge gossip.

  Ambrose Bierce

  History, Gossip, Gauges

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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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• A bird in the hand is worth what it will bring.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Hands, Bird

  Ambrose Bierce (2012). “The Devil's Dictionary”, p.114, Courier Corporation

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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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• NOTORIETY, n. The fame of one's competitor for public honors. The kind of renown most accessible and acceptable to mediocrity. A Jacob's-ladder leading to the vaudeville stage, with angels ascending and descending.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Leadership, Kindness, Angel

  Ambrose Bierce (2012). “The Devil's Dictionary”, p.85, Courier Corporation

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• Inhumanity, n. One of the signal and characteristic qualities of humanity.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Humanity, Quality, Characteristics

  Ambrose Bierce (2001). “The Unabridged Devil's Dictionary”, p.130, University of Georgia Press

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• predicament, n. The wage of consistency.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Consistency, Habit, Predicaments

  Ambrose Bierce (2012). “The Devil's Dictionary”, p.96, Courier Corporation

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• SAUCE, n. The one infallible sign of civilization and enlightenment. A people with no sauces has one thousand vices; a people with one sauce has only nine hundred and ninety-nine. For every sauce invented and accepted a vice is renounced and forgiven.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Food, Ninety Nine, Civilization

  Ambrose Bierce (1958). “The Devil's Dictionary: A Selection of the Bitter Definitions of Ambrose Bierce”, p.163, Prabhat Prakashan

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• PRIMATE, n. The head of a church, especially a State church supported by involuntary contributions. The Primate of England is the Archbishop of Canterbury, an amiable old gentleman, who occupies Lambeth Palace when living and Westminster Abbey when dead. He is commonly dead.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Gentleman, Church, Palaces

  Ambrose Bierce (2016). “The Devil's Dictionary: The Devil World”, p.171, 谷月社

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• renown, n. A degree of distinction between notoriety and fame - a little more supportable than the one and a little more intolerable than the other. Sometimes it is conferred by an unfriendly and inconsiderate hand.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Hands, Littles, Degrees

  Ambrose Bierce (2016). “The Devil's Dictionary: The Devil World”, p.181, 谷月社

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• adore, v.t. To venerate expectantly.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Adore

  Ambrose Bierce (2001). “The Unabridged Devil's Dictionary”, p.14, University of Georgia Press

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• prospect, n. An outlook, usually forbidding. An expectation, usually forbidden.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Expectations, Outlook, Forbidden

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

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• Conversation: A fair for the display of the minor mental commodities, each exhibitor being too intent upon the arrangement of his own wares to observe those of his neighbor.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Inspirational, Commodity, Neighbor

  Ambrose Bierce (2013). “Delphi Complete Works of Ambrose Bierce (Illustrated)”, p.2374, Delphi Classics

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