REPARTEE, n. Prudent insult in retort. Practiced by gentlemen with a constitutional aversion to violence, but a strong disposition to offend. In… — Ambrose Bierce Copy Share Image
At war with savages and idiots. To be a Frenchman abroad is to be miserable; to be an American abroad is to… — Ambrose Bierce Copy Share Image
Battle, n., A method of untying with the teeth a political knot that would not yield to the tongue. — Ambrose Bierce Copy Share Image
Occident: The part of the world lying west (or east) of the Orient. It is largely inhabited by Christians, a powerful subtribe… — Ambrose Bierce Copy Share Image
LOGOMACHY, n. A war in which the weapons are words and the wounds punctures in the swim-bladder of self-esteem - a kind… — Ambrose Bierce Copy Share Image
Men who expect universal peace through invention of destructive weapons of war are no wiser than one who, noting the improvement of… — Ambrose Bierce Copy Share Image
WAR, n. A by-product of the arts of peace. The most menacing political condition is a period of international amity. — Ambrose Bierce Copy Share Image
“The exhilaration of battle was agreeable to him, but the sight of the dead, with their clay faces, blank eyes, and stiff… — Ambrose Bierce Copy Share Image
MANICHEISM, n. The ancient Persian doctrine of an incessant warfare between Good and Evil. When Good gave up the fight the Persians… — Ambrose Bierce Copy Share Image
Riot – A popular entertainment given to the military by innocent bystanders. — Ambrose Bierce Copy Share Image
What this country needs what every country needs occasionally is a good hard bloody war to revive the vice of patriotism on… — Ambrose Bierce Copy Share Image
No country is so wild and difficult but men will make it a theater of war. — Ambrose Bierce Copy Share Image
Cannon: An instrument used in the rectification of national boundaries. — Ambrose Bierce Copy Share Image
CANNON, n. An instrument employed in the rectification of national boundaries. — Ambrose Bierce Copy Share Image
One of the greatest of poets, Coleridge was one of the wisest of men, and it was not for nothing that he… — Ambrose Bierce Copy Share Image
Every patriot believes his country better than any other country . . . In its active manifestation-it is fond of killing-patriotism would… — Ambrose Bierce Copy Share Image
MISERICORDE, n. A dagger which in mediaeval warfare was used by the foot soldier to remind an unhorsed knight that he was… — Ambrose Bierce Copy Share Image
“A guerra é a forma de Deus ensinar geografia aos americanos.” — Ambrose Bierce Copy Share Image
OBSESSED, p.p. Vexed by an evil spirit, like the Gadarene swine and other critics. Obsession was once more common than it is now. Arasthus… — Ambrose Bierce Copy Share Image
DECIDE, v.i. To succumb to the preponderance of one set of influences over another set. — Ambrose Bierce Copy Share Image
IMMORAL, adj. Inexpedient. Whatever in the long run and with regard to the greater number of instances men find to be generally inexpedient comes… — Ambrose Bierce Copy Share Image
REVIEW, v.t. To set your wisdom (holding not a doubt of it./ Although in truth there's neither bone nor skin to it)/ At work… — Ambrose Bierce Copy Share Image
CLOCK, n. A machine of great moral value to man, allaying his concern for the future by reminding him what a lot of time… — Ambrose Bierce Copy Share Image
RUBBISH, n. Worthless matter, such as the religions, philosophies, literatures, arts and sciences of the tribes infesting the regions lying due south from Boreaplas. — Ambrose Bierce Copy Share Image
There was never a genius who was not thought a fool until he disclosed himself; whereas he is a fool then only. — Ambrose Bierce Copy Share Image
Telephone, n. An invention of the devil which abrogates some of the advantages of making a disagreeable person keep his distance. — Ambrose Bierce Copy Share Image
WHANGDEPOOTENAWAH, n. In the Ojibwa tongue, disaster; an unexpected affliction that strikes hard. — Ambrose Bierce Copy Share Image
Jealous, adj. Unduly concerned about the preservation of that which can be lost only if not worth keeping. — Ambrose Bierce Copy Share Image
RIDICULE, n. Words designed to show that the person of whom they are uttered is devoid of the dignity of character distinguishing him who… — Ambrose Bierce Copy Share Image
