Ambrose Bierce Quotes - Page 4

• Abstainer: a weak person who yields to the temptation of denying himself a pleasure.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Motivational, Drinking, Beer

  The Devil's Dictionary

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• Quotation, n: The act of repeating erroneously the words of another.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Quotations

  Ambrose Bierce (2016). “The Devil's Dictionary: The Devil World”, p.174, 谷月社

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• Strive not for singularity in dress; Fools have the more and men of sense the less. To look original is not worth while, But be in mind a little out of style.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Men, Mind, Style

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

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• Ocean: A body of water occupying about two-thirds of a world made for man - who has no gills.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Sarcastic, Beach, Nature

  Ambrose Bierce (2016). “The Devil's Dictionary: The Devil World”, p.152, 谷月社

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• MYTHOLOGY, n. The body of a primitive people's beliefs concerning its origin, early history, heroes, deities and so forth, as distinguished from the true accounts which it invents later.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Hero, People, Body

  Ambrose Bierce (2016). “The Devil's Dictionary: The Devil World”, p.148, 谷月社

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• Hippogriff, n. An animal (now extinct) which was half horse and half griffin. The griffin was itself a compound creature, half lion and half eagle. The hippogriff was actually, therefore, only one-quarter eagle, which is two dollars and fifty cents in gold. The study of zoology is full of surprises.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Horse, Animal, Eagles

  Ambrose Bierce (2012). “The Devil's Dictionary”, p.51, Courier Corporation

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• Absurdity, n.: A statement or belief manifestly inconsistent with one's own opinion.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Belief, Opinion, Absurdity

  Ambrose Bierce (2016). “The Devil's Dictionary: The Devil World”, p.7, 谷月社

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• Opposition, n. In politics the party that prevents the government from running amuck by hamstringing it.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Running, Party, Government

  Ambrose Bierce (2016). “The Devil's Dictionary: The Devil World”, p.154, 谷月社

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• Death is not the end. There remains the litigation over the estate.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Clever, Inspiration, Ends

  Ambrose Bierce (2013). “Delphi Complete Works of Ambrose Bierce (Illustrated)”, p.2696, Delphi Classics

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• LIFE, n. A spiritual pickle preserving the body from decay. We live in daily apprehension of its loss; yet when lost it is not missed.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Life, Spiritual, Loss

  Ambrose Bierce (2001). “The Unabridged Devil's Dictionary”, p.150, University of Georgia Press

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• I keep a conscience uncorrupted by religion, a judgment undimmed by politics and patriotism, a heart untainted by friendships and sentiments unsoured by animosities.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Fear, Heart, Atheism

  Ambrose Bierce, S. T. Joshi, David E. Schultz (1998). “A Sole Survivor: Bits of Autobiography”, p.177, Univ. of Tennessee Press

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• Brain: an apparatus with which we think we think.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Education, Math, Thinking

  "The Devil's Dictionary". Book by Ambrose Bierce, 1911.

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• Responsibility, n. A detachable burden easily shifted to the shoulders of God, Fate, Fortune, Luck or one's neighbor. In the days of astrology it was customary to unload it upon a star.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Stars, Responsibility, Fate

  Ambrose Bierce (2012). “The Devil's Dictionary”, p.106, Courier Corporation

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• Painting, n.: The art of protecting flat surfaces from the weather, and exposing them to the critic.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Art, Weather, Painting

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

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• Clairvoyant, n.: A person, commonly a woman, who has the power of seeing that which is invisible to her patron - namely, that he is a blockhead.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Atheism, Invisible, Clairvoyant

  Ambrose Bierce (2001). “The Unabridged Devil's Dictionary”, p.36, University of Georgia Press

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• The only distinction that democracies reward is a high degree of conformity.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Democracy, Degrees, Rewards

  Ambrose Bierce (2013). “Epigrams by Ambrose Bierce”, p.10, e-artnow

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• Sweater, n.: garment worn by child when its mother is feeling chilly.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Family, Mothers Day, Mom

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• Present, n. That part of eternity dividing the domain of disappointment from the realm of hope.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Hope, Disappointment, Eternity

  Ambrose Bierce (2016). “The Devil's Dictionary: The Devil World”, p.169, 谷月社

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• An egotist is a person of low taste - more interested in himself than in me.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Humorous, Profound, Ego

  Cynic's Word Book (1906) p. 86

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• In our civilization, and under our republican form of government, intelligence is so highly honored that it is rewarded by exemption from the cares of office.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Funny, Humor, Government

  "The Devil's Dictionary". Book by Ambrose Bierce, 1911.

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• Insurance - an ingenious modern game of chance in which the player is permitted to enjoy the comfortable conviction that he is beating the man who keeps the table.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Player, Men, Gambling

  Ambrose Bierce (2001). “The Unabridged Devil's Dictionary”, p.133, University of Georgia Press

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• Divorce: a resumption of diplomatic relations and rectification of boundaries.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Divorce, Diplomatic Relations, Boundaries

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• Feast, n. A festival. A religious celebration usually signalized by gluttony and drunkenness, frequently in honor of some holy person distinguished for abstemiousness.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Religious, Food, Perspective

  Ambrose Bierce (2001). “The Unabridged Devil's Dictionary”, p.78, University of Georgia Press

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• DISCUSSION, n. A method of confirming others in their errors.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Science, Errors, Method

  Ambrose Bierce (2001). “The Unabridged Devil's Dictionary”, p.57, University of Georgia Press

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• Logic, n. The art of thinking and reasoning in strict accordance with the limitations and incapacities of the human misunderstanding. The basic of logic is the syllogism, consisting of a major and a minor premise and a conclusion - thus: Major Premise: Sixty men can do a piece of work sixty times as quickly as one man. Minor Premise: One man can dig a post-hole in sixty seconds; Therefore- Conclusion: Sixty men can dig a post-hole in one second. This may be called syllogism arithmetical, in which, by combining logic and mathematics, we obtain a double certainty and are twice blessed.

  Ambrose Bierce

  Art, Blessed, Science

  "The Devil's Dictionary:". Book by Ambrose Bierce (p. 204), 2008.

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