Ambrose Bierce
American author and journalist; b. 1842; d. 1913
Aphorisms Attributed to This Aphorist
21–29 (29)
tiny.ag/osjwdfeg · submitted 1997
Beauty: That power by which a woman charms a lover and terrifies a husband.
Ambrose Bierce, The Devil's Dictionary, in Life and Death and Men and Women
tiny.ag/dzggn7ah · submitted 1997
Politeness: The most acceptable hypocrisy.
Ambrose Bierce, The Devil's Dictionary, in Altruism and Cynicism
tiny.ag/fiog0z7u · submitted 1997
Alliance: In international politics, the union of two thieves who have their hands so deeply inserted into each others' pockets that they cannot separately plunder a third.
Ambrose Bierce, The Devil's Dictionary, in Law and Politics and War and Peace
tiny.ag/lvxaopme · submitted 1997
Accuse: To affirm another's guilt or unworth; most commonly as a justification of ourselves for having wronged them.
Ambrose Bierce, The Devil's Dictionary, in Law and Politics
tiny.ag/ex5pqdpc · submitted 1997
Pray: To ask that the laws of the universe be nullified on behalf of a single petitioner, admittedly unworthy.
Ambrose Bierce, The Devil's Dictionary, in Science and Religion
tiny.ag/l3yahg9k · submitted 1997
Prescription: A physician's guess at what will best prolong the situation with least harm to the patient.
Ambrose Bierce, The Devil's Dictionary, in Health and Disease and Life and Death
tiny.ag/tldrjftc · submitted 1997
Riot: A popular entertainment given to the military by innocent bystanders.
Ambrose Bierce, The Devil's Dictionary, in War and Peace
tiny.ag/ixcdrxvs · submitted 1997
The covers of this book are too far apart.
tiny.ag/sp9ytcxh · submitted 1997
Vote: The instrument and symbol of a free man's power to make a fool of himself and a wreck of his country.
Ambrose Bierce, The Devil's Dictionary, in Law and Politics
21–29 (29)