DUTY, n. That which sternly impels us in the direction of profit, along the line of desire.
Quotes from The Cynic's Dictionary — Ambrose Bierce
1842–1910 United States
← All quotes by Ambrose Bierce
104 quotes
GRAVE, n. A place in which the dead are laid to await the coming of the medical student.
The Cynic's Dictionary (1906)
The Cynic's Dictionary (1906)
The Cynic's Dictionary (1906)
The Cynic's Dictionary (1906)
ARCHITECT, n. One who drafts a plan of your house, and plans a draft of your money.
The Cynic's Dictionary (1906)
The Cynic's Dictionary (1906)
ACCIDENT, n. An inevitable occurrence due to the action of immutable natural laws.
The Cynic's Dictionary (1906)
EXILE, n. One who serves his country by residing abroad, yet is not an ambassador.
The Cynic's Dictionary (1906)
GLUTTON, n. A person who escapes the evils of moderation by committing dyspepsia.
The Cynic's Dictionary (1906)
The Cynic's Dictionary (1906)
The Cynic's Dictionary (1906)
LOCK-AND-KEY, n. The distinguishing device of civilization and enlightenment.
The Cynic's Dictionary (1906)
HATRED, n. A sentiment appropriate to the occasion of another's superiority.
The Cynic's Dictionary (1906)
IMAGINATION, n. A warehouse of facts, with poet and liar in joint ownership.
The Cynic's Dictionary (1906)
END, n. The position farthest removed on either hand from the Interlocutor.
The Cynic's Dictionary (1906)
ARCHBISHOP, n. An ecclesiastical dignitary one point holier than a bishop.
The Cynic's Dictionary (1906)
The Cynic's Dictionary (1906)
DESTINY, n. A tyrant's authority for crime and fool's excuse for failure.
The Cynic's Dictionary (1906)
BEHAVIOR, n. Conduct, as determined, not by principle, but by breeding.
The Cynic's Dictionary (1906)
Attribution
Quotes and notes from Wikiquote: Ambrose Bierce (page history), available under CC BY-SA 4.0.