Ambrose Bierce Quotes - Page 31

• FICKLENESS, n. The iterated satiety of an enterprising affection.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Affection, Satiety, Enterprising

  Ambrose Bierce (2016). “The Devil's Dictionary: The Devil World”, p.66, 谷月社

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• RAREBIT n. A Welsh rabbit, in the speech of the humorless, who point out that it is not a rabbit. To whom it may be solemnly explained that the comestible known as toad-in-a-hole is really not a toad, and that riz-de-veau à la financière is not the smile of a calf prepared after the recipe of a she banker.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Food, Cooking, Bankers

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• Duty - that which sternly impels us in the direction of profit, along the line of desire.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Desire, Literature, Lines

  Ambrose Bierce (2009). “The Devil's Dictionary: Easyread Large Bold Edition”, p.63, ReadHowYouWant.com

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• Self-evident, adj. Evident to one's self and to nobody else.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Self, Evident

  Ambrose Bierce (2012). “The Devil's Dictionary”, p.117, Courier Corporation

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• Potable, n. Suitable for drinking. Water is said to be potable; indeed, some declare it our natural beverage, although even they find it palatable only when suffering from the recurrent disorder known as thirst, for which it is a medicine.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Drinking, Medicine, Water

  Ambrose Bierce (2001). “The Unabridged Devil's Dictionary”, p.185, University of Georgia Press

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• Epitaph: An inscription on a tomb showing that virtues acquired by death have a retroactive effect.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Death, Dying, Virtue

  Ambrose Bierce (2001). “The Unabridged Devil's Dictionary”, p.69, University of Georgia Press

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• PRESIDE, v. To guide the action of a deliberative body to a desirable result. In Journalese, to perform upon a musical instrument; as, "He presided at the piccolo."

  Ambrose Bierce

  Music, Body, Action

  Ambrose Bierce (2016). “The Devil's Dictionary: The Devil World”, p.170, 谷月社

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• Homo Creator's testimony to the sound construction and fine finish of Deus Creatus. A popular form of abjection, having an element of pride.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Pride, Sound, Abjection

  Ambrose Bierce (2013). “Delphi Complete Works of Ambrose Bierce (Illustrated)”, p.2541, Delphi Classics

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• A popular character in old Italian plays, who imitated with ludicrous incompetence the "buffone", or clown, and was therefore the ape of an ape; for the clown himself imitated the serious characters of the play.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Character, Italian, Play

  Ambrose Bierce (2009). “The Devil's Dictionary: Easyread Large Bold Edition”, p.334, ReadHowYouWant.com

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• A less popular name for the Second Person of that delectable newspaper Trinity, the Roomer, the Bedder, and the Mealer.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Names, Popularity, Newspapers

  Ambrose Bierce (2001). “The Unabridged Devil's Dictionary”, p.152, University of Georgia Press

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• REPLICA, n. A reproduction of a work of art, by the artist that made the original. It is so called to distinguish it from a "copy," which is made by another artist. When the two are mae with equal skill the replica is the more valuable, for it is suppose

  Ambrose Bierce

  Art, Work, Skills

  Ambrose Bierce (2009). “The Devil's Dictionary: Easyread Super Large 18pt Edition”, p.300, ReadHowYouWant.com

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• A penny saved is a penny to squander.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Pennies, Thrift, Saved

  Ambrose Bierce (2013). “The Best Of Ambrose Bierce: The Damned Thing + An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge + The Devil's Dictionary + Chickamauga (4 Classics in 1 Book)”, p.210, e-artnow

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• Alien - an American sovereign in his probationary state.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Immigration, Sovereign, Aliens

  Ambrose Bierce (2016). “The Devil's Dictionary: The Devil World”, p.10, 谷月社

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• FOLLY, n. That "gift and faculty divine" whose creative and controlling energy inspires Man's mind, guides his actions and adorns his life.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Life, Men, Creative

  Ambrose Bierce (2013). “Delphi Complete Works of Ambrose Bierce (Illustrated)”, p.2400, Delphi Classics

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• HOG, n. A bird remarkable for the catholicity of its appetite and serving to illustrate that of ours. Among the Mahometans and Jews, the hog is not in favor as an article of diet, but is respected for the delicacy and the melody of its voice. It is chiefly as a songster that the fowl is esteemed; the cage of him in full chorus has been known to draw tears from two persons at once. The scientific name of this dicky-bird is _Porcus Rockefelleri_. Mr. Rockefeller did not discover the hog, but it is considered his by right of resemblance.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Names, Two, Voice

  Ambrose Bierce (2013). “Delphi Complete Works of Ambrose Bierce (Illustrated)”, p.2419, Delphi Classics

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• A system of pitfalls thoughtfully prepared for the feet for the self-made man, along the path by which he advances to distinction.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Men, Self, Feet

  Ambrose Bierce (2013). “Delphi Complete Works of Ambrose Bierce (Illustrated)”, p.2410, Delphi Classics

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• PROJECTILE, n. The final arbiter in international disputes. With the growth of prudence in military affairs the projectile came more and more into favor, and is now held in high esteem by the most courageous.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Courage, Military, Growth

  Ambrose Bierce (2016). “The Devil's Dictionary: The Devil World”, p.172, 谷月社

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• FRYING-PAN, n. One part of the penal apparatus employed in that punitive institution, a woman's kitchen. The frying-pan was invented by Calvin, and by him used in cooking span-long infants that had died without baptism; and observing one day the horrible torment of a tramp who had incautiously pulled a fried babe from the waste-dump and devoured it, it occurred to the great divine to rob death of its terrors by introducing the frying-pan into every household in Geneva. Thence it spread to all corners of the world, and has been of invaluable assistance in the propagation of his sombre faith.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Long, Baptism, Cooking

  Ambrose Bierce (2001). “The Unabridged Devil's Dictionary”, p.91, University of Georgia Press

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• OUT-OF-DOORS, n. That part of one's environment upon which no government has been able to collect taxes. Chiefly useful to inspire poets.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Fun, Inspiration, Government

  Ambrose Bierce (2001). “The Unabridged Devil's Dictionary”, p.176, University of Georgia Press

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• TENACITY, n. A certain quality of the human hand in its relation to the coin of the realm. It attains its highest development in the hand of authority and is considered a serviceable equipment for a career in politics.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Hands, Careers, Quality

  Ambrose Bierce (2001). “The Unabridged Devil's Dictionary”, p.225, University of Georgia Press

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• LEAD, n. A heavy blue-gray metal much used ... as a counterpoise to an argument of such weight that it turns the scale of debate the wrong way. An interesting fact in the chemistry of international controversy is that at the point of contact of two patriotisms lead is precipitated in great quantities.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Science, Blue, Two

  Ambrose Bierce (2013). “Delphi Complete Works of Ambrose Bierce (Illustrated)”, p.2446, Delphi Classics

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• TEDIUM, n. Ennui, the state or condition of one that is bored. Many fanciful derivations of the word have been affirmed, but so high an authority as Father Jape says that it comes from a very obvious source --the first words of the ancient Latin hymn _Te Deum Laudamus_. In this apparently natural derivation there is something that saddens.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Father, Latin, Hymns

  Ambrose Bierce (2013). “Delphi Complete Works of Ambrose Bierce (Illustrated)”, p.2526, Delphi Classics

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• Pertaining to a certain order of architecture, otherwise known as Normal American. Most of the public buildings of the United States are of the Ramshackle order, though some of our earlier architects preferred the Ironic. Recent additions to the White House in Washington are Theo-Doric, the ecclesiastic order of the Dorians. They are exceedingly fine and cost one hundred dollars a brick.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Order, White, House

  Ambrose Bierce (2012). “The Devil's Dictionary”, p.100, Courier Corporation

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• Litigant. A person about to give up his skin for the hope of retaining his bones.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Funny, Hope, Giving Up

  Ambrose Bierce (2001). “The Unabridged Devil's Dictionary”, p.152, University of Georgia Press

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• A statesman who shakes the fruit trees of his neighbors - to dislodge the worms.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Tree, Fruit, Culture

  Ambrose Bierce (2001). “The Unabridged Devil's Dictionary”, p.13, University of Georgia Press

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