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A king's staff of office, the sign and symbol of his authority. It was originally a mace with which the sovereign admonished his jester and vetoed ministerial measures by breaking the bones of their proponents.

Ambrose Bierce

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Ambrose Bierce
Born: 1842
Born: June 24
Aphorist
Journalist
Poet
Science Fiction Writer
Writer
Meigs County
Ohio
Dod Grile
William Herman
Ambrose Gwinnett Bierce
Ambrose Bierce
Authority
Sovereign
Ministerial
Office
Staff
Mace
Breaking
Admonished
Symbols
Proponents
Bones
Jester
Sign
Originally
King
Measures
Kings
Symbol
Vetoed

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ANTIPATHY, n. The sentiment inspired by one's friend's friend.
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Money. A blessing that is of no advantage to us excepting when we part with it.
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When you have made a catalogue of your friend's faults it is only fair to supply him with a duplicate, so that he may know yours.
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K, n. A consonant originally precisely that of our H, but altered to its present shape to commemorate the destruction of [one of two lofty columns in] the great temple of Jarute.
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Cat: a soft indestructible automaton provided by nature to be kicked when things go wrong in the domestic circle.
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To those who view the voyage of life from the port of departure the bark that has accomplished any considerable distance appears already in close approach to the farther shore.
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A single swallow, it is said, devours ten millions of insects every year. The supplying of these insects I take to be a signal instance of the Creator's bounty in providing for the lives of His creatures.
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INTERPRETER, n. One who enables two persons of different languages to understand each other by repeating to each what it would have been to the interpreter's advantage for the other to have said.
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MUGWUMP, n. In politics one afflicted with self-respect and addicted to the vice of independence. A term of contempt.
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REASON, v.i. To weight probabilities in the scales of desire.
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Book - Learning : The dunce's derisive term for all knowledge that transcends his own impertinent ignorance.
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PHRENOLOGY, n. The science of picking the pocket through the scalp. It consists in locating and exploiting the organ that one is a dupe with.
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PITY, n. A failing sense of exemption, inspired by contrast.
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Rome has seven sacraments, but the Protestant churches, being less prosperous, feel that they can afford only two, and these of inferior sanctity.
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The Senate is a body of old men charged with high duties and misdemeanors.
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When publicly censured our first instinct is to make everybody a codefendant.
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ORATORY, n. A conspiracy between speech and action to cheat the understanding. A tyranny tempered by stenography.
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RASCALITY, n. Stupidity militant. The activity of a clouded intellect.
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PREFERENCE, n. A sentiment, or frame of mind, induced by the erroneous belief that one thing is better than another.
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Lottery: A tax on people who are bad at math.
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