inner workings. The charming aspect works well too, as language can often lull and mislead.

This defenition bluntly states how our society ignorantly believes that being studious is the same as learning.  Learning is open to more venues then that of just studying.

-I love this because it is so sarcastic. It made me laugh and I love how it starts off by saying it is a needless letter yet is used for so many things.

When I read this definition, I immediately thought how true the statement really is. In our society, being a true friend is ignoring the faults of those you "care" about and sharing the resources you have willingly. You also have this need to be biased aganist their foes. Dedicating yourself to the truth and common sense alienates yourself to everyone around you, because everyone has flaws and secrets.

I Find this definition to be great just because it's true. when someone apologizes for a trivial offence, they are never really sorry.

I'm a big critic of politicians myself, even though I'm young. The politician is described as an 'eel in the fundamental mud' which really exemplifies how politicians are slimy and sneaky.

Also, this one:

LIAR, n.A lawyer with a roving commission.

I like this because it's funny and true. The majority of the earth is water, and the dominant species, man, can't live in it; it's ironic.

I chose this definition because it has an important message about the tendency of Christians to not live what they preach, and to force Christian ideals on others, but not themselves.

I find this ironic since this is found in the Devil's Dictionary almost condemning words and dictionaries themselves because they attempt to place meanings to words without having connotations attatched to them (by being in a sentence).

I love this definition because it is completely true. Bad habits are controlling. Smokers are controlled by their bad habit, and thus are not free. Their habit of smoking controls certain decisions, which takes away their  freedom of choice in a way. Habits create the illusion of free choice.

-This is so true, especially for me. When I take baths, I do not want ANY interruption because it it relaxation time.

TALK, v.t. To commit an indiscretion without temptation, from an impulse without purpose.

-Most of the time people are talking, they aren't really talking about anything.

I like this definition because it made me laugh. It's completely insulting, and not at all apologetic about it. It's so blunt and frank and politically incorrect.

I enjoy this definition because i feel that it is a common feeling we have towards old things. While the real definition pertains to age this more pertains to common feelings that are actually felt towards something considered "old"

This is something I think of a lot, and I believe it is an important aspect of our lives. Yes, we need self-confidence, but this definition really makes me think about what it means to be humble. It makes me think and challenge all of my ideals, which I admire.

-This is funny because when you're driving pedestrians are really annoying. But, they usually catch your attention.

It's very ironic. White males back then were probably known for being very formal and well mannered, but here he describes them as a mongolian. Atilla the Hun was a mongol and very barbaric as well as a savage. The stereotype of Russians is that they are alcoholic drunks. Tartar emetic was also a medicine used to induce vomit. Alcohol....vomit, they go hand in hand.

I like this because we especially can relate to this since the climate in Georgia changes regularly and feels like its different every hour .

This is definitely what society veiws a woman today, and mostly before the 1920s. It is sad that woman are "supposed" to have a man.

If you can't see or hear or feel it it must not be real. Just like when a tree falls and no one is around there isn't a noise or a shark doesn't exist until you see it in person

A sick, but sweet occasional truth.

I find this so true. So many people claim to have their own set morals, but when the popular way to go changes, we go with it and call it our own.

I think this is an interesting defenition because I've always considered generosity to be one of the things that I need to focus on achieving. Bierce states that it is over-worked, and I find this ironic because one normally doesn't find virtues as something that can be over-done.

-I like this definition because in a sense, accidents are inevitable, and most of the time when people have "accidents" they rely on the fact that it was "inevitable". However, many accidents actually have some sort of event that caused them to happen.

UN-AMERICAN, adj. Wicked, intolerable, heathenish.

-I like this one because it shows the mindset of people in America, showing that people often believe they are better than those who are not like themselves.

Done to a turn on the iron, behold
Him who to be famous aspired.
Content? Well, his grill
has a plating of gold,
And his twistings are greatly admired.
—Hassan Brubuddy

This is funny because Bierce accuses the famous as being noticably miserable. This is true, many times, considering the tabloids, magazines, and news stories that one can see daily. It is obvious that these sources focus on the worst parts of the lives of the "famous" so that they can sell a few more copies than they might have without an awful story about the celebrity at hand.

I find this very literal and physical. I relate it to being in public situations and seeing some one act or go about in odd ways. it creates suspicion into who the character really is. Some one who is 'abscond' could be numerous things: funny, abnormal, attention - grabbing, deep, or intriguing.

VOTE, n. The instrument and symbol of a freeman's power to make a fool of himself and a wreck of his country.

"Wreck of his country" is exactly how many would word this. Yes, we have the freedom to vote, but does that make us free men? If we take into consideration recent political changes in our country, numerous people would agree that voting does not always determines a man's freedom, but can sometimes take it away.

A short, blunt way of saying that everything is not what it seems, and that's an understatement. It shows that people make things everything it's not.

As someone young, I see zeal as a good thing. Having zeal is like having ambition, but Bierce takes a comptletely different view-point on the word. Instead of ambition, he puts it as a type of annoyance and tick that people have when they are too young and have not been appeased by failure.

I find this ironic, because an apothecary is defined to be an old-time pharmacist, or one who delivers medication and promotes health.

This is funny because it criticizes the way in which people regard the "supiority" of having "brains" by including examples of how the quality of having "brains" is treated by people - very normal to us until the rediculous nature of our actions is pointed out in this matter-of-fact format. Neighbors not being able to keep their hats on - something done out of honor in society - is humorously depicted as having a rather odd effect on people who are respnding to an individual having brains.

This is so true, mainly becuase a lot of people who vote don't even know the exact policies of the political party they claim to associate with. By being ignorant, these people inadvertently ruin their country by choosing the wrong leader (s) to make the important decisions. This is so sarcastic because it is in a way making fun of America as a whole, as we take such pride in giving equal rights to all in terms of voting.

- I chuckled when I saw this definition for a couple of reasons. For one, women are talked of  purely as some new "interesting" species of animal that expert zoologists train and keep. They also can be taught tasks like to "not talk".

I liked this defentition because nobody really does know that hash is, it could be anything. And i thought it was funny.

This definition addresses many definitions of LIFE. In one respect, it is something that keeps bodies from decaying. Everyone lives in fear of death, but we cannot miss  life after we are gone. The meaning of life and if it is worth living is the most controversial topic in the world.

I liked this one because we always here "It gets better in the future." While I do consider myself to be an optimist, sometimes we rely too much on the comfort that things will be better in the future, and I think that this definition says that in a way people won't be offended

I think this is funny because it shows the usefullness of truth. Only people who are uneducated and base their lifestyle purely on morals are "dumb"

HABIT, n. A shackle for the free.

This really sticks with me habits can tend to hold you back, the only way to really live is by breaking habbits.

The ongoing monotony of repeating the same action over and over takes away our ability to act on our own. We are all supposed to be free yet at the same time we all fall into habits. Even if they are good, do they still not take away our freedom? Freedom of thought and change and action.

I enjoyed this definition of a very interesting word because it managed to reference several different ideas. The first use was a call out to the social ass that talks too much and listens too little. This is then followed up by a clever reference to the ass in literature before it finally comes to the conclusion of literature being foolish or "asinine". The author makes a convoluted analogy to make a brief joke, which I can respect.

I enjoyed this definition particularly due to its strong use of personification of the envelope itslelf. When I now enter a letter into an envelope, the words "scabbard" and "coffin" will now pop into my head.

Murphy's law- anything bad that could occur, does. Sometimes it does feel like the universe plays tricks on us, and when we reached our limit, it rewards us for our endurance.

This is very true. I find myself trying making fun of my friends all the time

and I expect others do the same. This also goes for using their stuff,  eating

their food, taking money, etc. It's part of the right of passage. In the end, we

end up taking our friends for granted.

Even though this was probably made to be super sexist and harsh, I find it super funny. In 1906, this couldn't be more true. This captures the ridiciculously low position of women in history.