The Unabridged Devil ’ s Dictionary

Abstract

If we could only put aside our civil pose and say what we really thought, the world would be lot like the one alluded to in Bierce's dictionary. There, bore is a person who talks when you wish him to listen, and happiness is agreeable sensation arising from contemplating the misery of another. This is comprehensive, authoritative edition of satiric masterpiece. This virtual onslaught of acerbic, confrontational wordplay 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 edition is based on David E. Shultz and S.T. Joshi's 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 All of Bierce's known satiric definitions are here, including previously uncollected, unpublished and alternative entries.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 200 wrongly attributed to Bierce have been excised. For dedicated Bierce readers, an introduction and notes are also included.

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