The Unabridged Devil's Dictionary: The Cynic's Word Book - Satirical, Ironic and Humorous Definitions

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Publisher : Lulu.com
ISBN 13 : 9781387977499
Total Pages : 150 pages
Book Rating : 4.9/5 (774 download)

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Book Synopsis The Unabridged Devil's Dictionary: The Cynic's Word Book - Satirical, Ironic and Humorous Definitions by : Ambrose Bierce

Download or read book The Unabridged Devil's Dictionary: The Cynic's Word Book - Satirical, Ironic and Humorous Definitions written by Ambrose Bierce and published by Lulu.com. This book was released on 2018-07-26 with total page 150 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Ambrose Bierce's classic collection of witty and satirical definitions, arranged alphabetically as a dictionary, is presented here in full. Known as a hero for his actions in the American Civil War, Bierce distinguished himself later in life as a barbed commentator who would turn his ire to all sorts of topics. Today, most of his journalism and opinion pieces are consigned to obscurity. Lasting fame however was gained from the Devil's Dictionary; wherein Bierce redefines popular terms in a deeply sardonic, even bitter, manner. The Devil's Dictionary is, as the title suggests, full of dark and devilish humor. For instance, it describes the Adam's Apple as a ""protuberance on the throat of a man, thoughtfully provided by Nature to keep the rope in place."" and marriage as a ""state of temporary insanity only cured by the passage of time.""

The Devil's Dictionary

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Author :
Publisher : Courier Corporation
ISBN 13 : 0486146898
Total Pages : 354 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (861 download)

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Book Synopsis The Devil's Dictionary by : Ambrose Bierce

Download or read book The Devil's Dictionary written by Ambrose Bierce and published by Courier Corporation. This book was released on 2013-01-18 with total page 354 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Complete and unabridged, this paperback gift edition of an American humor classic presents more than 1,000 comic definitions praised by H. L. Mencken as "some of the most gorgeous witticisms in the English language."

The Unabridged Devil's Dictionary

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Author :
Publisher : University of Georgia Press
ISBN 13 : 0820326348
Total Pages : 438 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (23 download)

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Book Synopsis The Unabridged Devil's Dictionary by : Ambrose Bierce

Download or read book The Unabridged Devil's Dictionary written by Ambrose Bierce and published by University of Georgia Press. This book was released on 2010-09-15 with total page 438 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: If 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. A virtual onslaught of acerbic, confrontational wordplay, The Unabridged Devil’s Dictionary offers some 1,600 wickedly clever definitions to the vocabulary of everyday life. Little is sacred and few are safe, for Bierce targets just about any pursuit, from matrimony to immortality, that allows our willful failings and excesses to shine forth. This new edition is based on David E. Schultz and S. T. Joshi’s exhaustive investigation into the book’s writing and publishing history. All of Bierce’s known satiric definitions are here, including previously uncollected, unpublished, and alternative entries. Definitions dropped from previous editions have been restored while nearly two hundred wrongly attributed to Bierce have been excised. For dedicated Bierce readers, an introduction and notes are also included. Ambrose Bierce’s Devil’s Dictionary is a classic that stands alongside the best work of satirists such as Twain, Mencken, and Thurber. This unabridged edition will be celebrated by humor fans and word lovers everywhere.

The Devil's Dictionary

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Author :
Publisher : CreateSpace
ISBN 13 : 9781515244929
Total Pages : 138 pages
Book Rating : 4.2/5 (449 download)

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Book Synopsis The Devil's Dictionary by : Ambrose Bierce

Download or read book The Devil's Dictionary written by Ambrose Bierce and published by CreateSpace. This book was released on 2015-07-27 with total page 138 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Devil's Dictionary by Ambrose Bierce - The Devil's Dictionary is a satirical dictionary written by American journalist and author Ambrose Bierce. Originally published in 1906 as The Cynic's Word Book, it features Bierce's witty and often ironic spin on many common English words. Retitled in 1911, it has been followed by numerous "unabridged" versions compiled after Bierce's death, which include definitions absent from earlier editions. The Devil's Dictionary was begun in a weekly paper in 1881, and was continued in a desultory way at long intervals until 1906. In that year a large part of it was published in covers with the title The Cynic's Word Book, a name which the author had not the power to reject or happiness to approve. To quote the publishers of the present work: "This more reverent title had previously been forced upon him by the religious scruples of the last newspaper in which a part of the work had appeared, with the natural consequence that when it came out in covers the country already had been flooded by its imitators with a score of 'cynic' books-The Cynic's This, The Cynic's That, and The Cynic's t'Other. Most of these books were merely stupid, though some of them added the distinction of silliness. Among them, they brought the word 'cynic' into disfavor so deep that any book bearing it was discredited in advance of publication." Meantime, too, some of the enterprising humorists of the country had helped themselves to such parts of the work as served their needs, and many of its definitions, anecdotes, phrases and so forth, had become more or less current in popular speech. This explanation is made, not with any pride of priority in trifles, but in simple denial of possible charges of plagiarism, which is no trifle. In merely resuming his own the author hopes to be held guiltless by those to whom the work is addressed-enlightened souls who prefer dry wines to sweet, sense to sentiment, wit to humor and clean English to slang. A conspicuous, and it is hoped not unpleasant, feature of the book is its abundant illustrative quotations from eminent poets, chief of whom is that learned and ingenius cleric, Father Gassalasca Jape, S.J., whose lines bear his initials. To Father Jape's kindly encouragement and assistance the author of the prose text is greatly indebted.

The Devil's Dictionary (or The Cynic's Wordbook: Unabridged with all the Definitions)

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Author :
Publisher : e-artnow
ISBN 13 : 8074843955
Total Pages : 139 pages
Book Rating : 4.0/5 (748 download)

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Book Synopsis The Devil's Dictionary (or The Cynic's Wordbook: Unabridged with all the Definitions) by : Ambrose Bierce

Download or read book The Devil's Dictionary (or The Cynic's Wordbook: Unabridged with all the Definitions) written by Ambrose Bierce and published by e-artnow. This book was released on 2013-08-20 with total page 139 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This carefully crafted ebook: "The Devil's Dictionary (or The Cynic's Wordbook: Unabridged with all the Definitions)" is formatted for your eReader with a functional and detailed table of contents. The book is a classic satire in the form of a dictionary on which Bierce worked for decades. It was originally published in 1906 as The Cynic's Word Book before being retitled in 1911. A number of the definitions are accompanied by satiric verses, many of which are signed with comic pseudonyms. It offers reinterpretations of terms in the English language which lampoon cant and political double-talk as well as other aspects of human foolishness and frailty. The definitions provide satirical, witty and often politically pointed representations of the words that is seeks to "define". The Devil's Dictionary has inspired many imitations both in its day and more recently. Ambrose Gwinnett Bierce (1842 – 1914?) was an American satirist, critic, poet, editor and journalist. Bierce became a prolific author of short stories often humorous and sometimes bitter or macabre. His dark, sardonic views and vehemence as a critic earned him the nickname, "Bitter Bierce".

The Devil's Dictionary

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Author :
Publisher :
ISBN 13 : 9781701177581
Total Pages : 254 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (775 download)

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Book Synopsis The Devil's Dictionary by : Ambrose Bierce

Download or read book The Devil's Dictionary written by Ambrose Bierce and published by . This book was released on 2019-10-20 with total page 254 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Devil's Dictionary is a satirical dictionary written by American Civil War soldier, journalist, and writer Ambrose Bierce consisting of common words followed by humorous and satirical definitions. The lexicon was written over three decades as a series of installments for magazines and newspapers. Bierce's witty definitions were imitated and plagiarized for years before he gathered them into books, first as The Cynic's Word Book in 1906 and then in a more complete version as The Devil's Dictionary in 1911.Initial reception of the book versions was mixed. In the decades following, however, the stature of The Devil's Dictionary grew. It has been widely quoted, frequently translated, and often imitated, earning a global reputation. In the 1970s, The Devil's Dictionary was named as one of "The 100 Greatest Masterpieces of American Literature" by the American Revolution Bicentennial Administration. It has been called "howlingly funny", and Wall Street Journal columnist Jason Zweig wrote that The Devil's Dictionary is "probably the most brilliant work of satire written in America. And maybe one of the greatest in all of world literature.

The Devil's Dictionary. ( Is a Satirical Dictionary) by

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Author :
Publisher : Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
ISBN 13 : 9781534726642
Total Pages : 182 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (266 download)

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Book Synopsis The Devil's Dictionary. ( Is a Satirical Dictionary) by by : Ambrose Bierce

Download or read book The Devil's Dictionary. ( Is a Satirical Dictionary) by written by Ambrose Bierce and published by Createspace Independent Publishing Platform. This book was released on 2016-06-17 with total page 182 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Devil's Dictionary is a satirical dictionary written by American journalist and author Ambrose Bierce. Originally published in 1906 as The Cynic's Word Book, it features Bierce's witty and often ironic spin on many common English words. Retitled in 1911, it has been followed by numerous "unabridged" versions compiled after Bierce's death, which include definitions absent from earlier editions. The Devil's Dictionary began as a serialized column during Bierce's time as a columnist for the San Francisco News Letter, a small weekly financial magazine founded by Frederick Marriott in the late 1850s. Although a serious magazine aimed at businessmen, the News Letter contained a page of informal satirical content titled "The Town Crier." Bierce, hired as the "Crier"'s editor in December 1868, wrote satire with such irreverence and lack of inhibition he was nicknamed "the laughing devil of San Francisco." Bierce resigned from "The Town Crier"[when?] and spent three years in London. Returning to San Francisco in 1875, he made two submissions to the News Letter in hopes of regaining his old position. Both were written under aliases. One, entitled "The Demon's Dictionary," contained Bierce's definitions for 48 words. Later forgotten in his compiling of The Devil's Dictionary, they were added almost a century later to an Enlarged Devil's Dictionary published in 1967. Though Bierce's preface to The Devil's Dictionary dates the earliest work to 1881, its origins can be traced to August 1869. Short of material and recently possessed of a Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, he suggested writing a "comic dictionary" for the "Town Crier." To a quote from Webster's entry for "Vicegerents," "Kings are sometimes called God's vicegerents," he added the italicized rejoinder, "It is to be wished they would always deserve the appellation," then suggested Webster might have used his talent to comic effect. Comic definitions were not a regular feature of Bierce's next column ("Prattle," in the magazine The Argonaut, of which he became an editor in March 1877). Nevertheless, he included comic definitions in his columns dated November 17, 1877 and September 14, 1878. It was in early 1881 that Bierce first used the title, The Devil's Dictionary, while editor-in-chief of another weekly San Francisco magazine, The Wasp. The "dictionary" proved popular, and during his time in this post (1881-86) Bierce included 88 installments, each comprising 15-20 new definitions.n 1887, Bierce became an editor of The San Francisco Examiner and introduced "The Cynic's Dictionary." This was to be the last of his "dictionary" columns until 1904, and it continued irregularly until July 1906. A number of the definitions are accompanied by satiric verses, many of which are signed with comic pseudonyms such as "Salder Bupp," "Orm Pludge," and "Father Gassalasca Jape, S.J.

The Devil's Dictionary (Annotated)

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Publisher :
ISBN 13 : 9781673193909
Total Pages : 234 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (939 download)

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Book Synopsis The Devil's Dictionary (Annotated) by : Ambrose Bierce

Download or read book The Devil's Dictionary (Annotated) written by Ambrose Bierce and published by . This book was released on 2019-12-08 with total page 234 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Differentiated book- It has a historical context with research of the timeThe Devil's Dictionary is satirical dictionary written by the American soldier, journalist and writer of the Civil War, Ambrose Bierce, consisting of common words followed by humorous and satirical definitions. The lexicon was written for three decades as a series of deliveries for magazines and newspapers. Bierce's ingenious definitions were imitated and plagiarized for years before gathering them in books, first as The Cynic's Word Book in 1906 and then in a more complete version like The Devil's Dictionary in 1911.The initial reception of the versions of the book was mixed. In the following decades, however, the stature of the Devil's Dictionary grew. It has been widely cited, translated frequently, and often imitated, earning a worldwide reputation. In the 1970s, the Bicentennial Administration of the American Revolution named The Devil's Dictionary as one of the "100 greatest masterpieces of American literature." It has been called "funny howl," and Wall Street Journal columnist Jason Zweig wrote that The Devil's Dictionary is "probably the brightest work of satire written in America and perhaps one of the greatest in all world literature."

The Dictionary of the Devil

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Author :
Publisher : CreateSpace
ISBN 13 : 9781508727170
Total Pages : 278 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (271 download)

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Book Synopsis The Dictionary of the Devil by : Ambrose Ambrose Bierce

Download or read book The Dictionary of the Devil written by Ambrose Ambrose Bierce and published by CreateSpace. This book was released on 2015-03-05 with total page 278 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In merely resuming his own the author hopes to be held guiltless by those to whom the work is addressed-enlightened souls who prefer dry wines to sweet, sense to sentiment, wit to humor and clean English to slang.

The Devil's Dictionary

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Publisher : Sirius Entertainment
ISBN 13 : 9781398820937
Total Pages : 0 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (29 download)

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Book Synopsis The Devil's Dictionary by : Ambrose Bierce

Download or read book The Devil's Dictionary written by Ambrose Bierce and published by Sirius Entertainment. This book was released on 2023-04-04 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Politeness, n. The most acceptable hypocrisy. In this extraordinary work of scathing satire, Ambrose Bierce provided new humorous definitions of the words that formed the lexicon of contemporary American life. Accumulated over three decades for a series of magazines and newspapers, the entries in The Devil's Dictionary painted a revealing portrait of late 19th-century American life, with all its contradictions and hypocrisies laid bare. Bierce's fantastic wit and incredible gift for irony shine through this true masterpiece of American literature.

The Devil's Dictionary Illustrated

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Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 268 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (858 download)

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Book Synopsis The Devil's Dictionary Illustrated by : Ambrose Bierce

Download or read book The Devil's Dictionary Illustrated written by Ambrose Bierce and published by . This book was released on 2020-09-13 with total page 268 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Devil's Dictionary is a satirical dictionary written by American Civil War soldier, journalist, and writer Ambrose Bierce consisting of common words followed by humorous and satirical definitions. The lexicon was written over three decades as a series of installments for magazines and newspapers. Bierce's witty definitions were imitated and plagiarized for years before he gathered them into books, first as The Cynic's Word Book in 1906 and then in a more complete version as The Devil's Dictionary in 1911.Initial reception of the book versions was mixed. In the decades following, however, the stature of The Devil's Dictionary grew. It has been widely quoted, frequently translated, and often imitated, earning a global reputation. In the 1970s, The Devil's Dictionary was named as one of "The 100 Greatest Masterpieces of American Literature" by the American Revolution Bicentennial Administration.[1] It has been called "howlingly funny"[2], and Wall Street Journal columnist Jason Zweig wrote that The Devil's Dictionary is "probably the most brilliant work of satire written in America. And maybe one of the greatest in all of world literature."

The Devil's Dictionary.: Satirical Dictionary

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Author :
Publisher : Independently Published
ISBN 13 : 9781795140799
Total Pages : 148 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (47 download)

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Book Synopsis The Devil's Dictionary.: Satirical Dictionary by : Ambrose Bierce

Download or read book The Devil's Dictionary.: Satirical Dictionary written by Ambrose Bierce and published by Independently Published. This book was released on 2019-01-25 with total page 148 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Devil's Dictionary is a satirical dictionary written by American Civil War soldier, wit, and writer Ambrose Bierce consisting of common words followed by humorous and satirical definitions. The lexicon was written over three decades as a series of installments for magazines and newspapers. Bierce's witty definitions were imitated and plagiarized for years before he gathered them into books, first as The Cynic's Word Book in 1906 and then in a more complete version as The Devil's Dictionary in 1911.

The Devil's Dictionary

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Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 272 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (921 download)

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Book Synopsis The Devil's Dictionary by : Ambrose Bierce

Download or read book The Devil's Dictionary written by Ambrose Bierce and published by . This book was released on 2021-01-08 with total page 272 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Devil's Dictionary is a satirical dictionary written by American Civil War soldier, journalist, and writer Ambrose Bierce consisting of common words followed by humorous and satirical definitions.

The Devil's Dictionary. By: Ambrose Bierce

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Publisher : Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
ISBN 13 : 9781539478003
Total Pages : 122 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (78 download)

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Book Synopsis The Devil's Dictionary. By: Ambrose Bierce by : Ambrose Bierce

Download or read book The Devil's Dictionary. By: Ambrose Bierce written by Ambrose Bierce and published by Createspace Independent Publishing Platform. This book was released on 2016-10-12 with total page 122 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Devil's Dictionary is a satirical dictionary written by American journalist and author Ambrose Bierce. Originally published in 1906 as The Cynic's Word Book, it features Bierce's witty and often ironic spin on many common English words. Retitled in 1911, it has been followed by numerous "unabridged" versions compiled after Bierce's death, which include definitions absent from earlier editions. The Devil's Dictionary began as a serialized column during Bierce's time as a columnist for the San Francisco News Letter, a small weekly financial magazine founded by Frederick Marriott in the late 1850s. Although a serious magazine aimed at businessmen, the News Letter contained a page of informal satirical content titled "The Town Crier". Bierce, hired as the "Crier"'s editor in December 1868, wrote satire with such irreverence and lack of inhibition he was nicknamed "the laughing devil of San Francisco". Bierce resigned from "The Town Crier"[when?] and spent three years in London. Returning to San Francisco in 1875, he made two submissions to the News Letter in hopes of regaining his old position. Both were written under aliases. One, entitled "The Demon's Dictionary", contained Bierce's definitions for 48 words. Later forgotten in his compiling of The Devil's Dictionary, they were added almost a century later to an Enlarged Devil's Dictionary published in 1967. Though Bierce's preface to The Devil's Dictionary dates the earliest work to 1881, its origins can be traced to August 1869. Short of material and recently possessed of a Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, he suggested writing a "comic dictionary" for the "Town Crier". To a quote from Webster's entry for "Vicegerents", "Kings are sometimes called God's vicegerents", he added the italicized rejoinder, "It is to be wished they would always deserve the appellation," then suggested Webster might have used his talent to comic effect. Comic definitions were not a regular feature of Bierce's next column ("Prattle", in the magazine The Argonaut, of which he became an editor in March 1877). Nevertheless, he included comic definitions in his columns dated November 17, 1877 and September 14, 1878. It was in early 1881 that Bierce first used the title, The Devil's Dictionary, while editor-in-chief of another weekly San Francisco magazine, The Wasp. The "dictionary" proved popular, and during his time in this post (1881-86) Bierce included 88 installments, each comprising 15-20 new definitions.n 1887, Bierce became an editor of The San Francisco Examiner and introduced "The Cynic's Dictionary". This was to be the last of his "dictionary" columns until 1904, and it continued irregularly until July 1906. A number of the definitions are accompanied by satiric verses, many of which are signed with comic pseudonyms such as "Salder Bupp", "Orm Pludge", and "Father Gassalasca Jape, S.J.

The Devil's Dictionary by Ambrose Bierce

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Publisher :
ISBN 13 : 9781982036911
Total Pages : 406 pages
Book Rating : 4.0/5 (369 download)

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Book Synopsis The Devil's Dictionary by Ambrose Bierce by : Ambrose Bierce

Download or read book The Devil's Dictionary by Ambrose Bierce written by Ambrose Bierce and published by . This book was released on 2017-12-31 with total page 406 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Devil's Dictionary is a satirical dictionary written by American Civil War soldier, wit, and writer Ambrose Bierce consisting of common words followed by humorous and satirical definitions. The lexicon was written over three decades as a series of installments for magazines and newspapers. Bierce's witty definitions were imitated and plagiarized for years before he gathered them into books, first as The Cynic's Word Book in 1906 and then in a more complete version as The Devil's Dictionary in 1911.Initial reception of the book versions was mixed. In the decades following, however, the stature of The Devil's Dictionary grew. It has been widely quoted, frequently translated, and often imitated, earning a global reputation. In the 1970s, The Devil's Dictionary was named as one of "The 100 Greatest Masterpieces of American Literature" by the American Revolution Bicentennial Administration.[1] It has been called "howlingly funny"[2], and Wall Street Journal columnist Jason Zweig wrote that The Devil's Dictionary is "probably the most brilliant work of satire written in America. And maybe one of the greatest in all of world literature.

The Devil's Dictionary

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Author :
Publisher : Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
ISBN 13 : 9781537167947
Total Pages : 386 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (679 download)

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Book Synopsis The Devil's Dictionary by : Ambrose Bierce

Download or read book The Devil's Dictionary written by Ambrose Bierce and published by Createspace Independent Publishing Platform. This book was released on 2016-08-18 with total page 386 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: It is an excellent humor book for individuals who are looking for the best one to read.

The Devil's Dictionary

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Publisher :
ISBN 13 : 9781520855714
Total Pages : 173 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (557 download)

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Book Synopsis The Devil's Dictionary by : Ambrose Ambrose Bierce

Download or read book The Devil's Dictionary written by Ambrose Ambrose Bierce and published by . This book was released on 2017-03-26 with total page 173 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: How is this book unique? Font adjustments & biography included Unabridged (100% Original content) Illustrated About The Devil's Dictionary by Ambrose Bierce The Devil's Dictionary is a satirical dictionary written by American journalist and author Ambrose Bierce. Originally published in 1906 as The Cynic's Word Book, it features Bierce's witty and often ironic spin on many common English words. Retitled in 1911, it has been followed by numerous "unabridged" versions compiled after Bierce's death, which include definitions absent from earlier editions.The Devil's Dictionary began during Bierce's time as a columnist for the San Francisco News Letter, a small weekly financial magazine founded by Frederick Marriott in the late 1850s. Although it was a serious magazine aimed at businessmen, it contained a page of informal satirical content titled "The Town Crier". Hired as the "Crier"‍ '​s editor in December 1868, Bierce wrote satire with such irreverence and lack of inhibition he was nicknamed "the laughing devil of San Francisco".