Ambrose Bierce
American journalist and writer
WORDS ABOUT WORDS
Pleonasm, n. An army of words escorting a corporal of thought.
—Ambrose Bierce, American journalist and writer, The Devil's Dictionary, 1911
Posted on March 16, 2004 at 7:05 AM
WORDS ABOUT WORDS
Battle, n. A method of untying with the teeth a political knot that would not yield to the tongue.
—Ambrose Bierce, American journalist and writer, The Devil's Dictionary, 1911
Posted on September 8, 1999 at 1:45 PM
WORDS ABOUT WORDS
Belladonna, n. In Italian a beautiful lady; in English a deadly poison. A striking example of the essential identity of the two tongues.
—Ambrose Bierce, American journalist and writer, The Devil's Dictionary, 1911
Posted on December 14, 1999 at 10:13 PM
WORDS ABOUT WORDS
Obsolete, adj. No longer used by the timid. Said chiefly of words. A word which some lexicographer has marked obsolete is ever thereafter an object of dread and loathing to the fool writer, but if it is a good word and has no exact modern equivalent equally good, it is good enough for the good writer. Indeed, a writer's attitude toward "obsolete" words is as true a measure of his literary ability as anything except the character of his work. A dictionary of obsolete and obsolescent words would not only be singularly rich in strong and sweet parts of speech; it would add large possessions to the vocabulary of every competent writer who might not happen to be a competent reader.
—Ambrose Bierce, American journalist and writer, The Devil's Dictionary, 1911
Posted on October 13, 2000 at 6:09 AM
WORDS ABOUT WORDS
The bold and discerning writer who, recognizing the truth that language must grow by innovation if it grow at all, makes new words and uses the old in an unfamiliar sense, has no following and is tartly reminded that "it isn't in the dictionary" although down to the time of the first lexicographer (Heaven forgive him!) no author ever had used a word that was in the dictionary.
—Ambrose Bierce, American journalist and writer, The Devil's Dictionary, 1911
Posted on November 24, 2000 at 7:33 AM
WORDS ABOUT WORDS
Bore, n. A person who talks when you wish him to listen.
—Ambrose Bierce, American journalist and writer, The Devil's Dictionary, 1881
Posted on December 20, 2002 at 10:55 AM
WORDS ABOUT WORDS
Erudition, n. Dust shaken out of a book into an empty skull.
—Ambrose Bierce, American journalist and writer, The Devil's Dictionary
Posted on January 28, 2003 at 10:21 PM
WORDS ABOUT WORDS
The covers of this book are too far apart.
—Ambrose Bierce, American journalist and writer, Book review from Bitter Bierce
Posted on April 7, 2003 at 8:42 PM
WORDS ABOUT WORDS
Miss, n. A title with which we brand unmarried women to indicate that they are in the market. Miss, Missis (Mrs.) and Mister (Mr.) are the three most distinctly disagreeable words in the language, in sound and sense....If we must have them, let us be consistent and give one to the unmarried man. I venture to suggest Mush, abbreviated to Mh.
—Ambrose Bierce, American journalist and writer, The Devil's Dictionary, 1911
Posted on March 7, 2002 at 7:39 AM
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