All Ambrose Bierce Quotes
- PHONOGRAPH, n. An irritating toy that restores life to dead noises. Dead
- PARDON, v. To remit a penalty and restore to the life of crime. To add to the lure of crime the temptation of ingratitude. Add
- OPERA, n. A play representing life in another world, whose inhabitants have no speech but song, no motions but gestures and no postures but attitudes. Another World
- ORPHAN, n. A living person whom death has deprived of the power of filial ingratitude . . . Death
- NOBLEMAN, n. Nature's provision for wealthy American minds ambitious to incur social distinction and suffer high life. Ambitious
- LIFE, n. A spiritual pickle preserving the body from decay. We live in daily apprehension of its loss; yet when lost it is not missed. Apprehension
- INCOMPATIBILITY, n. In matrimony a similarity of tastes, particularly the taste for domination. Incompatibility may, however, consist of a meek-eyed matron living just around the… Been
- FOLLY, n. That "gift and faculty divine" whose creative and controlling energy inspires Man's mind, guides his actions and adorns his life. Action
- DUEL, n. A formal ceremony preliminary to reconciliation of two enemies. Great skill is necessary to its satisfactory observance; if awkwardly performed . . .… Ago
- DIARY, n. A daily record of that part of one's life, which he can relate to himself without blushing. Blushing
- CENTAUR, n. One of a race of persons who lived before the division of labor had been carried to such a pitch of differentiation, and… Been
- CALAMITY, n. A more than commonly plain and unmistakable reminder that the affairs of this life are not of our own ordering. Calamities are of… Affair
- ROSTRUM, n. In Latin, the beak of a bird or the prow of a ship. In America, a place from which a candidate for office… America
- WRATH, n. Anger of a superior quality and degree, appropriate to exalted characters and momentous occasions; as, "the wrath of God," "the day of wrath,"… Anger
- RADICALISM, n. The conservatism of to-morrow injected into the affairs of to-day. Affair
- IMPROVIDENCE, n. Provision for the needs of to-day from the revenues of to-morrow. Day
- DAY, n. A period of twenty-four hours, mostly misspent. This period is divided into two parts, the day proper and the night, or day improper… Business
- ART, n. This word has no definition. Its origin is related by the ingenious Father Gassalasca Jape as "One day a wag - what would… Art
- 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 upon… Bone
- OUTCOME, n. A particular type of disappointment . . . . judged by the outcome, the result. This is immortal nonsense; the wisdom of an… Act
- MULTITUDE, n. A crowd; the source of political wisdom and virtue. In a republic, the object of the statesman's adoration. Adoration
- EPIGRAM, n. A short, sharp saying in prose or verse, frequently characterize by acidity or acerbity and sometimes by wisdom. Acerbity
- APHORISM, n. Predigested wisdom. Aphorism
- ADAGE, n. Boned wisdom for weak teeth. Adage
- REVEILLE, n. A signal to sleeping soldiers to dream of battlefields no more, but get up and have their blue noses counted. Battlefields