Ambrose Bierce Quotes - Page 37

• STORY, n. A narrative, commonly untrue. The truth of the stories here following has, however, not been successfully impeached.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Truth, Stories, Narrative

  Ambrose Bierce (2001). “The Unabridged Devil's Dictionary”, p.217, University of Georgia Press

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• INDIFFERENT, adj. Imperfectly sensible to distinctions among things.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Indifference, Distinction, Indifferent

  Ambrose Bierce (2016). “The Devil's Dictionary: The Devil World”, p.105, 谷月社

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• PILGRIM, n. A traveler that is taken seriously. A Pilgrim Father was one who [was] not permitted to sing psalms through his nose [in Europe], followed it to Massachusetts, where he could personate God according to the dictates of his conscience.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Father, Taken, Europe

  Ambrose Bierce (2001). “The Unabridged Devil's Dictionary”, p.182, University of Georgia Press

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• OATH, n. In law, a solemn appeal to the Deity, made binding upon the conscience by a penalty for perjury.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Law, Deities, Made

  Ambrose Bierce (2016). “The Devil's Dictionary: The Devil World”, p.151, 谷月社

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• EXHORT, v.t. In religious affairs, to put the conscience of another upon the spit and roast it to a nut-brown discomfort.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Religious, Nuts, Affair

  Ambrose Bierce (2016). “The Devil's Dictionary: The Devil World”, p.60, 谷月社

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• J, n. A consonant in English, but some nations use it as a vowel . . . from a Latin verb, "jacere", "to throw," because when a stone is thrown at a dog the dog's tail assumes that shape.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Dog, Latin, Verbs

  Ambrose Bierce (2016). “The Devil's Dictionary: The Devil World”, p.115, 谷月社

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• RITUALISM, n. A Dutch Garden of God where He may walk in rectilinear freedom, keeping off the grass.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Freedom, Garden, May

  Ambrose Bierce (2012). “The Devil's Dictionary”, p.109, Courier Corporation

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• TRUST, n. In American politics, a large corporation composed in greater part of thrifty working men, widows of small means, orphans in the care of guardians and the courts, with many similar malefactors and public enemies.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Mean, Men, Enemy

  Ambrose Bierce (2016). “The Devil's Dictionary: The Devil World”, p.226, 谷月社

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• PIGMY, n. One of a tribe of very small men found by ancient travelers in many parts of the world, but by modern in Central Africa only. The Pigmies are so called to distinguish them from the bulkier Caucasians - who are Hogmies.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Men, World, Tribes

  Ambrose Bierce (2001). “The Unabridged Devil's Dictionary”, p.182, University of Georgia Press

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• OYSTER, n. A slimy, gobby shellfish which civilization gives men the hardihood to eat without removing its entrails! The shells are sometimes given to the poor.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Food, Men, Oysters

  Ambrose Bierce (2001). “The Unabridged Devil's Dictionary”, p.177, University of Georgia Press

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• IMMORAL, adj. 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.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Running, Men, Numbers

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

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• CONGRESS, n. A body of men who meet to repeal laws.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Men, Law, Body

  Ambrose Bierce (2016). “The Devil's Dictionary: The Devil World”, p.34, 谷月社

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• INTENTION, n. The mind's sense of the prevalence of one set of influences over another set; an effect whose cause is the imminence, immediate or remote, of the performance of an involuntary act.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Mind, Causes, Influence

  Ambrose Bierce (2001). “The Unabridged Devil's Dictionary”, p.135, University of Georgia Press

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• DEGRADATION, n. One of the stages of moral and social progress from private station to political preferment.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Political, Progress, Degradation

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

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• JOSS-STICKS- Small sticks burned by the Chinese in their pagan tomfoolery, in imitation of certain sacred rites of our holy religion.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Chinese, Religion, Sacred

  Ambrose Bierce (1906). “The Cynic's Word Book”, p.207, Lulu.com

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• MONSIGNOR- A high ecclesiastical title, of which the Founder of our religion overlooked the advantages.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Religion, Titles, Advantage

  Ambrose Bierce (2016). “The Devil's Dictionary: The Devil World”, p.146, 谷月社

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• PYRRHONISM- An ancient philosophy, named for its inventor. It consisted of an absolute disbelief in everything but Pyrrhonism. Its modern professors have added that.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Philosophy, Ancient, Modern

  Ambrose Bierce (2016). “The Devil's Dictionary: The Devil World”, p.173, 谷月社

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• PESSIMISM- philosophy forced upon the convictions of the observer by the disheartening prevalence of the optimist with his scarecrow hope and his unsightly smile.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Hope, Philosophy, Pessimism

  Ambrose Bierce (2012). “The Devil's Dictionary”, p.93, Courier Corporation

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• If you would be accounted great by your contemporaries, be not too much greater than they.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Would Be, Too Much, Fame

  Ambrose Bierce (2015). “A Cynic Looks at Life”, p.38, Sheba Blake Publishing

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• WASHINGTONIAN, n. A Potomac tribesman who exchanged the privilege of governing himself for the advantage of good government. In justice to him it should be said that he did not want to.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Change, Government, Justice

  Ambrose Bierce (2016). “The Devil's Dictionary: The Devil World”, p.232, 谷月社

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• OSTRICH, n. A large bird to which (for its sins, doubtless) nature has denied that hinder toe . . . . The absence of a good working pair of wings is no defect, for, as has been ingeniously pointed out, the ostrich does not fly.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Ostriches, Wings, Bird

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

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• MANICHEISM, n. The ancient Persian doctrine of an incessant warfare between Good and Evil. When Good gave up the fight the Persians joined the victorious Opposition.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Fighting, Evil, Doctrine

  Ambrose Bierce (2001). “The Unabridged Devil's Dictionary”, p.162, University of Georgia Press

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• PREHISTORIC, adj. Belonging to an early period and a museum. Antedating the art and practice of perpetuating falsehood.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Art, Museums, Practice

  Ambrose Bierce (2001). “The Unabridged Devil's Dictionary”, p.186, University of Georgia Press

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• PALM, n. A species of tree . . . of which the familiar "itching palm" ("Palma hominis") is most widely distributed . . . . This noble vegetable exudes a kind of invisible gum, which may be detected by applying to the bark a piece of gold or silver.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Vegetables, Tree, Gold

  Ambrose Bierce (2013). “Delphi Complete Works of Ambrose Bierce (Illustrated)”, p.2476, Delphi Classics

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• CAVILER, n. A critic of our own work.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Work, Critics

  Ambrose Bierce (2013). “Delphi Complete Works of Ambrose Bierce (Illustrated)”, p.2369, Delphi Classics

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