Poems List

Public, n . The negligible factor in problems of legislation.

The New Yale Book of Quotations

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Prophecy, n . The art and practice of selling one’s credibility for future delivery.

The New Yale Book of Quotations

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Prevaricator, n . A liar in the caterpillar state.

The New Yale Book of Quotations

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Projectile, n . The final arbiter in international disputes. Formerly these disputes were settled by physical contact of the disputants, with such simple arguments as the rudimentary logic of the times could supply—the sword, the spear, and so forth. With the growth of prudence in military affairs the projectile came more and more into favor, and is now held in high esteem by the most courageous. Its capital defect is that it requires personal attendance at the point of propulsion.

The New Yale Book of Quotations

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Pretty, adj . Vain, conceited, as “a pretty girl.” Tiresome, as “a pretty picture.”

The New Yale Book of Quotations

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President, n . The leading figure in a small group of men of whom—and of whom only—it is positively known that immense numbers of their countrymen did not want any of them for President.

The New Yale Book of Quotations

Present, n . Something given in expectation of something better. To-day’s payment for tomorrow’s service.

The New Yale Book of Quotations

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Present, n . That part of eternity dividing the domain of disappointment from the realm of hope.

The New Yale Book of Quotations

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Preference, n . A sentiment, or frame of mind, induced by the erroneous belief that one thing is better than another.

The New Yale Book of Quotations

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Predict, v.t . To relate an event that has not occurred, is not occurring, and will not occur.

The New Yale Book of Quotations

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Born on June 24, 1842, in Meigs County, Ohio, Ambrose Bierce enlisted in the Union Army in 1861 and fought in some of the bloodiest battles of the Civil War. After the war, he moved to California, where he became an influential journalist and newspaper editor. Bierce gained fame for his scathing style and his distrust of hypocrisy and pretense. His most famous work is 'The Devil's Dictionary,' a collection of satirical and witty definitions that expose human and social flaws. His short stories, such as 'An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge,' are notable for their dark atmosphere, surprising endings, and psychological exploration. Bierce mysteriously disappeared in Mexico in 1913, while traveling to cover the Mexican Revolution, leaving behind a lasting and enigmatic literary legacy.