Tag Archives: humor

Andrew Lang on Statistics

Posted on August 12, 2021 | Leave a comment

“He uses statistics as a drunken man uses lamp-posts…for support rather than illumination.”

Andrew Lang

Excerpted from: Winokur, Jon, ed. The Big Curmudgeon. New York: Black Dog & Leventhal, 2007.

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The Devil’s Dictionary: Accountable

Posted on August 11, 2021 | Leave a comment

“Accountable, adj. Liable to an abatement of pleasure, profit, or advantage; exposed to the peril of a penalty.” 

Excerpted from: Bierce, Ambrose. David E. Schultz and S.J. Joshi, eds. The Unabridged Devil’s Dictionary. Athens: The University of Georgia Press, 2000. 

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Write It Right: Casualties for Losses in Battle

Posted on August 10, 2021 | Leave a comment

“Casualties for Losses in Battle. The essence of casualty is accident, absence of design. Death and wounds in battle are produced otherwise, are expectable and expected, and, by the enemy, intentional.”

Excerpted from: Bierce, Ambrose. Write it Right: A Little Blacklist of Literary Faults. Mineola, NY: Dover, 2010.

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The Algonquin Wits: Heywood Brown on the Marx Brothers

Posted on August 6, 2021 | Leave a comment

“Broun, who was totally captivated by the Marx Brothers, went to see their shows—each one—as many times as possible (he saw Cocoanuts twenty-one times). Concerning this particular passion, he remarked: ‘Very likely my epitaph will read, “Here lies Heywood Broun (who?), killed by getting in the way of some scene shifters at a Marx Brothers show.”’”

Excerpted from: Drennan, Robert E., ed. The Algonquin Wits. New York: Kensington, 1985.

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Write It Right: Capacity for Ability

Posted on August 6, 2021 | Leave a comment

“Capacity for Ability. ‘A great capacity for work.’ Capacity is receptive; ability, potential. A sponge has capacity for water; the hand, the ability to squeeze it out.”

Excerpted from: Bierce, Ambrose. Write it Right: A Little Blacklist of Literary Faults. Mineola, NY: Dover, 2010.

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Write It Right: Cannot for Can

Posted on August 4, 2021 | Leave a comment

“Cannot for Can. ‘I cannot but go.’ Say, I can but go.”

Excerpted from: Bierce, Ambrose. Write it Right: A Little Blacklist of Literary Faults. Mineola, NY: Dover, 2010.

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Ambrose Bierce on Philosophers

Posted on August 3, 2021 | Leave a comment

“All are lunatics, but he who can analyze his delusions is called a philosopher.”

Ambrose Bierce

Excerpted from: Winokur, Jon, ed. The Big Curmudgeon. New York: Black Dog & Leventhal, 2007.

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Write It Right: Can for May

Posted on August 3, 2021 | Leave a comment

Can for May. “’Can I go fishing?’ He can call on me if he wishes to.”

Excerpted from: Bierce, Ambrose. Write it Right: A Little Blacklist of Literary Faults. Mineola, NY: Dover, 2010.

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The Devil’s Dictionary: Abundance

Posted on August 2, 2021 | Leave a comment

“Abundance, n. A means, under providence, of withholding alms from the destitute.”

Excerpted from: Bierce, Ambrose. David E. Schultz and S.J. Joshi, eds. The Unabridged Devil’s Dictionary. Athens: The University of Georgia Press, 2000. 

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Rotten Reviews: Three by Robert Coover

Posted on July 28, 2021 | Leave a comment

The Origin of the Brunists

‘…an explosion in a cesspool.’

Bruno McAndrew, Best Sellers

The Public Burning

‘…an overwritten bore…a protracted sneer.’

Paul Gray, Time

Gerald’s Party

‘The novel should develop a reader’s sensitivities, not deaden them with risible comic strip.’

New Statesman”

Excerpted from: Barnard, Andre, and Bill Henderson, eds. Pushcart’s Complete Rotten Reviews and Rejections. Wainscott, NY: Pushcart Press, 1998.    

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