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Vows made in storms are forgotten in calm. Proverb
There is a screw loose somewhere. Proverb
Nature is often hidden, sometimes overcome, seldom extinguished. F. Bacon, 1st Baron Verulam, Essays. 38. Of Nature in Men
Admirability, n. My kind of ability, as distinguished from your kind of ability. Ambrose Gwinnett Bierce, The Enlarged Devil's Dictionary, s. v. Admirability
All, n. Every single cent - except what you have kept out for yourself. Ambrose Gwinnett Bierce, The Enlarged Devil's Dictionary, s. v. All
Bribe, n. That which enables a member of the Californian Legislature to live on his pay without any dishonest economies. Ambrose Gwinnett Bierce, The Enlarged Devil's Dictionary, s. v. Bribe
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 two kinds: misfortune to ourselves, and good fortune to others. Ambrose Gwinnett Bierce, The Enlarged Devil's Dictionary, s. v. Calamity
Chop, n. A piece of leather skillfully attached to a bone and administered to the patients at restaurants. Ambrose Gwinnett Bierce, The Enlarged Devil's Dictionary, s. v. Chop
Consolation, n. The knowledge that a better man is more unfortunate than yourself. Ambrose Gwinnett Bierce, The Enlarged Devil's Dictionary, s. v. Consolation
Diaphragm, n. A muscular partition separating disorders of the chest from disorders of the bowels. Ambrose Gwinnett Bierce, The Enlarged Devil's Dictionary, s. v. Diaphragm
Diary, n. A daily record of that part of one's life, which he can relate to himself without blushing. [...] Ambrose Gwinnett Bierce, The Enlarged Devil's Dictionary, s. v. Diary
Emetic, n. A substance that causes the stomach to take a sudden and enthusiastic interest in outside affairs. Ambrose Gwinnett Bierce, The Enlarged Devil's Dictionary, s. v. Emetic
Expectation, n. The state or condition of mind which in the procession of human emotions is preceded by hope and followed by despair. Ambrose Gwinnett Bierce, The Enlarged Devil's Dictionary, s. v. Expectation
Men are not liars all, for some are dead.Ambrose Gwinnett Bierce, The Enlarged Devil's Dictionary, s. v. Fib
Frontispiece, n. A protuberance of the human face, beginning between the eyes and terminating, as a rule, in somebody's business. Ambrose Gwinnett Bierce, The Enlarged Devil's Dictionary, s. v. Frontispiece
Gratitude, n. A sentiment lying midway between a benefit received and a benefit expected. Ambrose Gwinnett Bierce, The Enlarged Devil's Dictionary, s. v. Gratitude
Hand, n. A singular instrument worn at the end of the human arm and commonly thrust into somebody's pocket. Ambrose Gwinnett Bierce, The Enlarged Devil's Dictionary, s. v. Hand
Happiness, n. An agreeable sensation arising from contemplating the misery of another. Ambrose Gwinnett Bierce, The Enlarged Devil's Dictionary, s. v. Happiness
Inhumanity, n. One of the signal and characteristic qualities of humanity. Ambrose Gwinnett Bierce, The Enlarged Devil's Dictionary, s. v. Inhumanity
Joy, n. An emotion variously excited, but in its highest degree arising from the contemplation of grief in another. Ambrose Gwinnett Bierce, The Enlarged Devil's Dictionary, s. v. Joy
Literally, adv. Figuratively, as: "The pond was literally full of fish"; "The ground was literally alive with snakes," etc. Ambrose Gwinnett Bierce, The Enlarged Devil's Dictionary, s. v. Literally
Liver, n. A large red organ thoughtfully provided by nature to be bilious with. [...] Ambrose Gwinnett Bierce, The Enlarged Devil's Dictionary, s. v. Liver
Magpie, n. A bird whose thievish disposition suggested to some one that it might be taught to talk. Ambrose Gwinnett Bierce, The Enlarged Devil's Dictionary, s. v. Magpie
Misfortune, n. The kind of fortune that never misses. Ambrose Gwinnett Bierce, The Enlarged Devil's Dictionary, s. v. Misfortune
Morrow, n. The day of good deeds and a reformed life. The beginning of happiness. (See To-morrow when we get to it.) Ambrose Gwinnett Bierce, The Enlarged Devil's Dictionary, s. v. Morrow
Plagiarism, n. A literary coincidence compounded of a discreditable priority and an honourable subsequence. Ambrose Gwinnett Bierce, The Enlarged Devil's Dictionary, s. v. Plagiarism
Potable, n. Suitable for drinking. Water is said to be potable; indeed, some declare it our natural beverage, although even they find it palatable only when suffering from the recurrent disorder known as thirst, for which it is a medicine. Upon nothing has so great and diligent ingenuity been brought to bear in all ages and in all countries, except the most uncivilized, as upon the invention of substitutes for water. To hold that this general aversion to that liquid has no basis in the preservative instinct of the race is to be unscientific - and without science we are as the snakes and toads. Ambrose Gwinnett Bierce, The Enlarged Devil's Dictionary, s. v. Potable
Prudent, adj. A man who believes ten per cent of what he hears, a quarter of what he reads, and half of what he sees. Ambrose Gwinnett Bierce, The Enlarged Devil's Dictionary, s. v. Prudent
Quantity, n. A good substitute for quality, when you are hungry. Ambrose Gwinnett Bierce, The Enlarged Devil's Dictionary, s. v. Quantity
Regret, n. The sediment in the cup of life. Ambrose Gwinnett Bierce, The Enlarged Devil's Dictionary, s. v. Regret
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Satiety, n. The feeling that one has for the plate after he has eaten its contents, madam. Ambrose Gwinnett Bierce, The Enlarged Devil's Dictionary, s. v. Satiety
Trichinosis, n. The pig's reply to proponents of porcophagy. [...] Ambrose Gwinnett Bierce, The Enlarged Devil's Dictionary, s. v. Trichinosis
Twice, adv. Once too often. Ambrose Gwinnett Bierce, The Enlarged Devil's Dictionary, s. v. Twice
Weather, n. The climate of an hour. A permanent topic of conversation among persons whom it does not interest, but who have inherited the tendency to chatter about it from naked arboreal ancestors whom it keenly concerned. [...] Ambrose Gwinnett Bierce, The Enlarged Devil's Dictionary, s. v. Weather
Year, n. A period of three hundred and sixty-five disappointments. Ambrose Gwinnett Bierce, The Enlarged Devil's Dictionary, s. v. Year
The human race, to which so many of my readers belong. G. K. Chesterton, The Napoleon of Notting Hill, Book 1, Ch. 1, Opening Words
Here's the rule for bargains: "Do other men, for they would do you." C. Dickens, Martin Chuzzlewit, Ch. 11
The question is this: Is a man an ape or an angel? I, my lord, am on the side of angels. B. Disraeli, 1st Earl of Beaconsfield, Speech, 25. Nov. 1864
A man so various, that he seem'd to be Not one, but all Mankind's Epitome. Stiff in Opinions, always in the wrong; Was Everything by starts, and Nothing long: But, in the course of one revolving Moon, Was Chymist, Fidler, States-man, and Buffoon.J. Dryden, Absalom and Achitophel, Part 1, 545
[...] man is an analogist, and studies relations in all objects. Ralph Waldo Emerson, Nature, Language, IV
Parts of speech are metaphors, because the whole of nature is a metaphor of the human mind. Ralph Waldo Emerson, Nature, Language, IV
We boil at different degrees. Ralph Waldo Emerson, Society and Solitude, Eloquence
The human species, according to the best theory I can form of it, is composed of two distinct races, the men who borrow, and the men who lend. C. Lamb, Essays of Elia, The Two Races of Men
Two men look out through the same bars: One sees the mud, and one the stars.F. Langbridge, A Cluster of Quiet Thoughts
L'hypocrisie est un hommage que le vice rend à la vertu. [Hypocrisy is the homage paid by vice to virtue.] F. La Rochefoucauld, Duc de, Les Maximes, 218
Genius does what it must, and Talent does what it can. O. Meredith, Earl of Lytton, Last Words of a Sensitive Second-rate Poet
Our torments also may, in length of time, Become our elements.J. Milton, Paradise Lost, Book 2, 274
There are two reasons for drinking: one is, when you are thirsty, to cure it; the other, when you are not thirsty, to prevent it... Prevention is better than cure. T. L. Peacock, Melincourt, Ch. 16
Even with the utterly lost, to whom life and death are equally jests, there are matters of which no jest can be made. E. A. Poe, The Masque of the Red Death
Yet I am not more sure that my soul lives, than I am that perverseness is one of the primitive impulses of the human heart - one of the indivisible primary faculties, or sentiments, which give direction to the character of Man. E. A. Poe, The Black Cat
"When I wish to find out how wise, or how stupid, or how good, or how wicked is any one, or what are his thoughts at the moment, I fashion the expression of my face, as accurately as possible, in accordance with the expression of his, and then wait to see what thoughts or sentiments arise in my mind or heart, as if to match or correspond with the expression." E. A. Poe, The Purloined Letter
[On Coleridge] He has imprisoned his own conceptions by the barrier he has erected against those of others. E. A. Poe, Letter to B-
Now, when one dreams, and, in the dream, suspects that he dreams, the suspicion never fails to confirm itself, and the sleeper is almost immediately aroused. E. A. Poe, A Tale of the Ragged Mountains
A sufficient analysis will show that pleasure, in all cases, is but the contrast of pain. Positive pleasure is a mere idea. E. A. Poe, Mesmeric Revelation
'Tis with our judgments as our watches, none Go just alike, yet each believes his own.A. Pope, An Essay on Criticism, 1
Vice is a master of so frightful mien, As to be hated needs but to be seen; Yet seen too oft, familiar with her face, We first endure, then pity, then embrace.A. Pope, An Essay on Man, Epistle 2, 217
Wisdom and goodness to the vile seem vile; Filths savour but themselves.W. Shakespeare, King Lear, 4, 2, 38
There are a sort of men whose visages Do cream and mantle like a standing pond.W. Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice, 1, 1, 88
Silence is the perfectest herald of joy: I were but little happy if I could say how much. W. Shakespeare, Much Ado About Nothing, 2, 1, 275
I thank God I am as honest as any man living that is an old man and no honester than I. W. Shakespeare, Much Ado About Nothing, 3, 5, 13
For there was never yet philosopher That could endure the tootache patiently.W. Shakespeare, Much Ado About Nothing, 5, 1, 35
A lifetime of happiness! No man alive could bear it: it would be hell on earth. G. B. Shaw, Man and Superman, Act 1
I remember your name perfectly, but I just can't think of your face. Rev. W. A. Spooner (Attributed)
But I'm not so think as you drunk I am.Sir J. C. Squire, Ballade of Soporific Absorption
La parole a été donnée à l'homme pour déguiser sa pensée. [Speech was given to man to disguise his thoughts.] C. M. de Talleyrand (Attributed)
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