Ambrose Gwinett Bierce
Ambrose Gwinett Bierce
Ambrose Gwinnett Biercewas an American editorialist, journalist, short story writer, fabulist, and satirist. He wrote the short story "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" and compiled a satirical lexicon, The Devil's Dictionary. His vehemence as a critic, his motto "Nothing matters", and the sardonic view of human nature that informed his work, all earned him the nickname "Bitter Bierce"...
desire scales weight
REASON, v.i. To weight probabilities in the scales of desire.
decision seek
RECONSIDER, v. To seek a justification for a decision already made.
accessible infection opinions
REASONABLE, adj. Accessible to the infection of our own opinions. Hospitable to persuasion, dissuasion and evasion.
ambitious anyone illuminate patriotism rubbish torch
PATRIOTISM, n. Combustible rubbish read to the torch of anyone ambitious to illuminate his name.
ambitious beg defined dictionary due famous illuminate inferior last patriotism resort respect rubbish submit torch
PATRIOTISM, n. Combustible rubbish read to the torch of any one ambitious to illuminate his name. In Dr. Johnson's famous dictionary patriotism is defined as the last resort of a scoundrel. With all due respect to an enlightened but inferior lexicographer I beg to submit that it is the first.
american-journalist despair disguised form minor patience
Patience - a minor form of despair disguised as a virtue.
alien citizen document exposing inflicted pointing special
PASSPORT, n. A document treacherously inflicted upon a citizen going abroad, exposing him as an alien and pointing him out for special reprobation and outrage.
cheating ears easy horrors knew loud marry mine night peace period periods uproar voice woo
PEACE, n. In international affairs, a period of cheating between two periods of fighting.O, what's the loud uproar assailing Mine ears without cease?'Tis the voice of the hopeful, all-hailing The horrors of peace.Ah, Peace Universal; they woo it -- Would marry it, too. If only they knew how to do it'Twere easy to do.They're working by night and by day On their problem, like moles. Have mercy, O Heaven, I pray, On their meddlesome souls! --Ro Amil
cheating period periods
Peace, n.: In international affairs, a period of cheating between two periods of fighting.
cheating peace period periods
Peace, in international affairs, is a period of cheating between two periods of fighting.
black common custody data died drove early earth evening extinct frequently hills inhabiting interior miners parts party recently saw says southern special sweden three
GNOME, n. In North-European mythology, a dwarfish imp inhabiting the interior parts of the earth and having special custody of mineral treasures. Bjorsen, who died in 1765, says gnomes were common enough in the southern parts of Sweden in his boyhood, and he frequently saw them scampering on the hills in the evening twilight. Ludwig Binkerhoof saw three as recently as 1792, in the Black Forest, and Sneddeker avers that in 1803 they drove a party of miners out of a Silesian mine. Basing our computations upon data supplied by these statements, we find that the gnomes were probably extinct as early as 1764.
committing escapes evils moderation
GLUTTON, n. A person who escapes the evils of moderation by committing dyspepsia.
advantage profession respect virtues
HYPOCRITE, n. One who, profession virtues that he does not respect secures the advantage of seeming to be what he depises.
among depression heaps meant rubbish shot sign stuff trash vacant village
HYPOCHONDRIASIS, n. Depression of one's own spirits.Some heaps of trash upon a vacant lot Where long the village rubbish had been shot Displayed a sign among the stuff and stumps --""Hypochondriasis."" It meant The Dumps. --Bogul S. Purvy