NationStates Jolt Archive

I doubt that many have heard of it, but the Devil's Dictionary was a 19th century work which, aside from its truth value, was quite amusing. In the interests of fun, I think that NationStates should compile its own version.
After all, this place is pretty much the definition of politically incorrect. Im willing to bet we even have some members who routinly use the word 'Muhammaden' in refrence to Muslims.
Ah the 19th century...fun times.

Take directly from the pages of the first Devil's Dictionary, I present to you the christening definition for our NS Devil's Dictionary:

IDIOT, n. A member of a large and powerful tribe whose influence in
human affairs has always been dominant and controlling. The Idiot's
activity is not confined to any special field of thought or action,
but "pervades and regulates the whole." He has the last word in
everything; his decision is unappealable. He sets the fashions and
opinion of taste, dictates the limitations of speech and circumscribes
conduct with a dead-line.

I have a friend with a copy of that. Have only glanced at it, but it was pretty funny, didn't realise it was that old though.

Ambrose Bierce, one of my favorite writers of all time. As vicious and cynical a bastard as ever walked. Here's a link:

http://www.online-literature.com/bierce/

He wrote horror stories. Some of them were even sort of almost true-ish -- the ones that were inspired by his time as a war correspondent during the Civil War. Some of the Civil War stories are almost unreadable because they are so tragic and horrific. He vanished in Mexico sometime around 1914. No one knows what happened to him, but my guess would be he pissed someone off.

One of my personal favorite entries in The Devil's Dictionary:

Cynic: A blackguard whose faulty vision sees things as they are rather than as they should be.

BTW, The Devil's Dictionary was written in 1911, so it is a 20th century work.

I must have misread the article on it then, maybe what I saw was his birthdate.

You can easily download this book from the "Project Gutemberg" web site.
It's legal and it's free.

I must have misread the article on it then, maybe what I saw was his birthdate.

Well, it was late in his career, close to when he vanished. Most of his writing was in the 19th century, just not that book. I was just picking the nit.

I'll make up for it by picking one of my own. I was mistaken -- Bierce served in the army during the Civil War. I think it was Mark Twain who was a news correspondent.

You can easily download this book from the "Project Gutemberg" web site.
It's legal and it's free.

All NSers need to download a copy immediately. It will improve the discourse.

I like Ambrose Bierce almost as much as Twain.

All NSers need to download a copy immediately. It will improve the discourse.

I dislike the idea of NSers learning more complicated words. I think the forum might explode or something from the sheer volume of syllables passing through it.

Oddly enough, you can buy it at most American Civil War Battlefield's.

Ah, yes, The Devil's Dictionary, one of the few books I like so much that I keep my copy at school rather than at home. It's good to know that I'm not alone in appreciating it.

I particularly like the entry for saint:

"Saint, n. A dead sinner, revised and edited"

Oh, and let's not forget...

"Religion, n. A daughter of Hope and Fear, explaining to Ignorance the nature of the Unknowable"

Yes, I am an evil, cynical, backstabbing bastard with a penchant for bitter satire. How could you tell?

Back when I was a lowerclassmen in college I found that the occasional quote from him would endeer the odd college professor. Doesn't work as well in upper division or graduate level, but meh.

I dislike the idea of NSers learning more complicated words. I think the forum might explode or something from the sheer volume of syllables passing through it.

I hadn't thought of that. And imagine the illegible abbreviations they'd come up with. And the misspellings. :eek: Forget I said anything.