ARMOR, n. The kind of clothing worn by a man whose tailor is a blacksmith.
Interpretation
The quote humorously defines armor as clothing created by a blacksmith, suggesting that it lacks the finesse of a tailor's work.
Ambrose Bierce's quote playfully highlights the contrast between the craftsmanship of a tailor and that of a blacksmith, using armor as a metaphor for something that is functional but lacks elegance. The humor stems from the implication that armor, while protective, is not the refined garment one would expect from a skilled tailor, thus invoking a humorous visual and commentary on societal perceptions of strength versus style.
In practice
In a light-hearted conversation about fashion choices during a historical reenactment.
PALM, n. A species of tree . . . of which the familiar "itching palm" ("Palma hominis") is most widely distributed . . . . This noble vegetable exudes a kind of invisible gum, which may be detected by applying to the bark a piece of gold or silver.
Human nature is pretty well balanced; for every lacking virtue there is a rough substitute that will serve at a pinch--as cunning is the wisdom of the unwise, and ferocity the courage of the coward.
Indigestion: A disease which the patient and his friends frequently mistake for deep religious conviction and concern for the salvation of mankind. As the simple Red Man of the Western Wild put it, with, it must be confessed, a certain force: 'Plenty well, no pray; big belly ache, heap God.'
Disobey n:To celebrate with an appropriate ceremony the maturity of a command
NOUMENON, n. That which exists, as distinguished from that which merely seems to exist, the latter being a phenomenon. The noumenon is a bit difficult to locate; it can be apprehended only by a process of reasoning - which is a phenomenon.
PARDON, v. To remit a penalty and restore to the life of crime. To add to the lure of crime the temptation of ingratitude.
It is a strange enterprise to make respectable people laugh.
Calvin: I'm a genius. I can't believe how smart I am. ...I've got more brains than I know what to do with. Hobbes: So I've noticed.
Of course, it is very important to be sober when you take an exam. Many worthwhile careers in the street-cleansing, fruit-picking and subway-guitar-playing industries have been founded on a lack of understanding of this simple fact.
The only exercise I take is walking behind the coffins of friends who took exercise.
There are more pleasant things to do than beat up people.
Basketball, a game which won't be fit for people until they set the basket umbilicus-high and return the giraffes to the zoo.
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