The Unabridged Devil's DictionaryIf we could only put aside our civil pose and say what we really thought, the world would be a lot like the one alluded to in The Unabridged Devil’s Dictionary. There, a bore is "a person who talks when you wish him to listen," and happiness is "an agreeable sensation arising from contemplating the misery of another." This is the most comprehensive, authoritative edition ever of Ambrose Bierce’s satiric masterpiece. It renders obsolete all other versions that have appeared in the book’s ninety-year history. |
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... fools. On a superficial level, both Satan and Bierce are opponents of good, but there is one key difference. Bierce was no Boy Scout, but he upheld goodness; what he opposed was the smug, phony brand of goodness espoused by pious ...
... image is often not what we know we should be seeing. Those content to fool themselves might find Bierce's trenchant definitions unsettling: Adore, v.t. To venerate expectantly. Close-communion, n. The sectarian practice INTRODUCTION : xiii.
... fool. Actor, n. One who peddles ready-made emotion, and who, despising us for the qualities upon which he feeds, is by us despised for the unwholesome character of his diet. See STICK. Actress, n. A woman whose good name is commonly ...
... . The word is now seldom used, except with reference to the sacrifice of their liberty and peace by a male and a female fool. They stood before the altar and supplied The fire themselves 14 : THE UNABRIDGED DEVIL'S DICTIONARY.
... Fool, n. The March fool with another month added to his folly. Apron, n. A piece of cloth worn in front to keep the clothes from soiling the hands. She wore an apron ('tis a thing I loathe), A dress beneath—a corset à la mode. No ...
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Gestalt Therapy and Human Nature: Evolutionary Psychology Applied John Wymore No preview available - 2006 |