The Devil's Dictionary
(Author) Ambrose BierceHistory, n. an account mostly false, of events mostly unimportant, which are brought about by rulers mostly knaves, and soldiers mostly fools. Marriage, n. The state or condition of a community consisting of a master, a mistress, and two slaves, making in all two. Self-Esteem, n. An erroneous appraisement. These caustic aphorisms, collected in The Devil's Dictionary, helped earn Ambrose Bierce the epithets Bitter Bierce, the Devil's Lexicographer, and the Wickedest Man in San Francisco. First published as The Cynic's Word Book (1906) and later reissued under its preferred name in 1911, Bierce's notorious collection of barbed definitions forcibly contradicts Samuel Johnson's earlier definition of a lexicographer as a harmless drudge. There was nothing harmless about Ambrose Bierce, and the words he shaped into verbal pitchforks a century ago--with or without the devil's help--can still draw blood today.
Ambrose Bierce
Ambrose Bierce was an American writer known for his satirical wit and macabre tales. His most famous work, "The Devil's Dictionary," is a collection of cynical definitions that skewer human follies. Bierce's sharp prose and dark humor have left a lasting impact on American literature.
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The Devil's Dictionary
Satirical Definitions of Everyday Words
