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Ambrose Bierce
TRUST, n. In...
TRUST, n. In American politics, a large corporation composed in greater part of thrifty working men, widows of small...
UBIQUITY, n. The...
UBIQUITY, n. The gift or power of being in all places at one time, but not in all places at all times, which is...
SIREN, n. One...
SIREN, n. One of several musical prodigies famous for a vain attempt to dissuade Odysseus from a life on the ocean...
TRIAL, n. A...
TRIAL, n. A formal inquiry designed to prove and put upon record the blameless characters of judges, advocates and...
SOPHISTRY, n. The...
SOPHISTRY, n. The controversial method of an opponent, distinguished from one's own by superior insincerity and...
UGLINESS, n. A...
UGLINESS, n. A gift of the gods to certain women, entailing virtue without humility.
UNDERSTANDING, n. A...
UNDERSTANDING, n. A cerebral secretion that enables one having it to know a house from a horse by the roof on the...
SORCERY, n. The...
SORCERY, n. The ancient prototype and forerunner of political influence. It was, however, deemed less respectable and...
TWICE, adv. Once...
TWICE, adv. Once too often.
Source: The Devil's Dictionary, 1911.
-- Ambrose...
SUCCESS, n. The...
SUCCESS, n. The one unpardonable sin against one's fellows.
Source: The Devil's...
URBANITY, n. The...
URBANITY, n. The kind of civility that urban observers ascribe to dwellers in all cities but New York. Its commonest...
UNITARIAN, n. One...
UNITARIAN, n. One who denies the divinity of a Trinitarian.
Source: The Devil's...
STORY, n. A...
STORY, n. A narrative, commonly untrue. The truth of the stories here following has, however, not been successfully...
TYPE, n. Pestilent...
TYPE, n. Pestilent bits of metal suspected of destroying civilization and enlightenment, despite their obvious agency...
SYCOPHANT, n. One...
SYCOPHANT, n. One who approaches Greatness on his belly so that he may not be commanded to turn and be kicked. He is...
WASHINGTONIAN, n. A...
WASHINGTONIAN, n. A Potomac tribesman who exchanged the privilege of governing himself for the advantage of good...
UNIVERSALIST, n. One...
UNIVERSALIST, n. One who forgoes the advantage of a Hell for persons of another faith.
SYLLOGISM, n. A...
SYLLOGISM, n. A logical formula consisting of a major and a minor assumption and an inconsequent. (See...
UN-AMERICAN, adj. Wicked,...
UN-AMERICAN, adj. Wicked, intolerable, heathenish.
Source: The Devil's Dictionary,...
TARIFF, n. A...
TARIFF, n. A scale of taxes on imports, designed to protect the domestic producer against the greed of his...