ASS, n. A public singer with a good voice but no ear.
Interpretation
This quote humorously critiques the disparity between talent and skill, suggesting that someone may have a pleasant appearance or sound but lack the necessary understanding or appreciation for their craft.
Ambrose Bierce's quote playfully highlights the notion that an individual's outward appearance or vocal ability does not necessarily correlate with their true expertise or understanding of music. It points to the irony that a person can possess a 'good voice' yet be completely oblivious ('no ear') to the nuances and depth required to truly appreciate or perform music effectively.
In practice
This quote can be shared during a discussion about the nature of talent and skill in the arts.
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.
Historical Re-creation, he thought glumly, as they picked their way across, under, over or through the boulders and insect-buzzing heaps of splintered timber, with streamlets running everywhere. Only we do it with people dressing up and running around with blunt weapons, and people selling hot dogs, and the girls all miserable because they can only dress up as wenches, wenching being the only job available to women in the olden days.
Humor and knowledge are the two great hopes of our culture.
HOROSCOPE: Today is a good time for making new friends. A good deed may have unforeseen consequences. Donβt upset any druids. You will soon be going on a very strange journey. Your lucky food is small cucumbers. People pointing knives at you are probably up to no good. PS, we really mean it about the druids.
Sex, drugs, and insanity have always worked for me, but I wouldn't recommend them for everyone.
You have to laugh at things in order to let them be what they truly are. Because nothing is only sad. Nothing is only funny. There's context to all of those things.
I've been doing comedy longer than I haven't been doing comedy, as I was performing for three years before I even got on 'The Tonight Show.' There's truly nothing like it; it's intense and exhilarating, even though it looks so casual.
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