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Ambrose Bierce
OLYMPIAN, adj. Relating...
OLYMPIAN, adj. Relating to a mountain in Thessaly, once inhabited by gods, now a repository of yellowing newspapers,...
PESSIMISM, n. A...
PESSIMISM, n. A philosophy forced upon the convictions of the observer by the disheartening prevalence of the optimist...
PALMISTRY, n. The...
PALMISTRY, n. The 947th method . . . of obtaining money by false pretences [by] reading character in the wrinkles [of]...
PARDON, v. To...
PARDON, v. To remit a penalty and restore to the life of crime. To add to the lure of crime the temptation of...
OVATION, n. n...
OVATION, n. n ancient Rome, a definite, formal pageant in honor of one who had been disserviceable to the enemies of...
OPERA, n. A...
OPERA, n. A play representing life in another world, whose inhabitants have no speech but song, no motions but...
PHILISTINE, n. One...
PHILISTINE, n. One whose mind is the creature of its environment, following the fashion in thought, feeling and...
PANTALOONS, n. A...
PANTALOONS, n. A nether habiliment of the adult civilized male. The garment is tubular and unprovided with hinges at...
PEACE, n. In...
PEACE, n. In international affairs, a period of cheating between two periods of fighting.
PATIENCE, n. A...
PATIENCE, n. A minor form of despair, disguised as a virtue.
Source: The Devil's...
ORPHAN, n. A...
ORPHAN, n. A living person whom death has deprived of the power of filial ingratitude . ....
PHILOSOPHY, n. A...
PHILOSOPHY, n. A route of many roads leading from nowhere to nothing.
Source: The...
PANTOMIME, n. A...
PANTOMIME, n. A play in which the story is told without violence to the language. The least disagreeable form of...
PENITENT, adj. Undergoing...
PENITENT, adj. Undergoing or awaiting punishment.
Source: The Devil's Dictionary,...
PATRIOTISM, n. Combustible...
PATRIOTISM, n. Combustible rubbish read to the torch of anyone ambitious to illuminate his...
ORTHOGRAPHY, n. The...
ORTHOGRAPHY, n. The science of spelling by the eye instead of the ear.
Source: The...
PHRENOLOGY, n. The...
PHRENOLOGY, n. The science of picking the pocket through the scalp. It consists in locating and exploiting the organ...
PATRIOT, n. One...
PATRIOT, n. One to whom the interests of a part seem superior to those of the whole. The dupe of statesmen and the...
PERFECTION, n. An...
PERFECTION, n. An imaginary state of quality distinguished from the actual by an element known as excellence; an...
PERSEVERANCE, n. A...
PERSEVERANCE, n. A lowly virtue whereby mediocrity achieves an inglorious success.