BEGGAR, n. One who has relied on the assistance of his friends.
Interpretation
This quote humorously defines a beggar not just as someone who is poor, but as someone dependent on friends for help.
Ambrose Bierce's definition of a beggar cleverly plays with the traditional understanding of the term. He implies that the act of begging is not merely about financial necessity, but rather about the reliance on friends and social connections, suggesting a humorous critique of social dependence and the nature of friendship.
In practice
This quote could be used in a speech about the value of friendship and mutual support.
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.
Oh, 'tis jesting, dancing, drinking_x000D_ _x000D_ Spins the heavy world around.
My failed corporate career became the fodder for the 'Dilbert' comic. Once it became clear I would not be climbing any higher on the corporate ladder, it freed me to mock managers without worrying that it would stall my career. Most failures create some sort of unplanned freedom. I took full advantage of mine.
As a black man, I actually had naturally sort of comedic curiosity about the Klan.
My favourite kind of comedy comes from the awkwardness of living, the stuff that makes you cringe but borders on tragic - that is more interesting to me. It resonates; it comes from emotional truth.
A German is someone who cannot tell a lie without believing it himself.
You can't study comedy; it's within you. It's a personality. My humor is an attitude.
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