DEPENDENT, adj. Reliant upon another's generosity for the support which you are not in a position to exact from his fears. Ambrose Bierce More Quotes by Ambrose Bierce More Quotes From Ambrose Bierce LEAD, n. A heavy blue-gray metal much used in giving stability to light lovers - particularly to those who love not wisely but other men's wives. Ambrose Bierce light love men APHORISM, n. Predigested wisdom. Ambrose Bierce aphorism wisdom ADAGE, n. Boned wisdom for weak teeth. Ambrose Bierce teeth wisdom weak LOVE, n. A temporary insanity curable by marriage or by removal of the patient from the influences under which he incurred the disorder. Ambrose Bierce temporary-insanity patient love REVEILLE, n. A signal to sleeping soldiers to dream of battlefields no more, but get up and have their blue noses counted. Ambrose Bierce dream sleep blue REALITY, n. The dream of a mad philosopher. That which would remain in the cupel if one should assay a phantom. The nucleus of a vacuum. Ambrose Bierce dream philosophy reality PLATONIC, adj. Pertaining to the philosophy of Socrates. Platonic Love is a fool's name for the affection between a disability and a frost. Ambrose Bierce names love philosophy MANNA, n. A food miraculously given to the Israelites in the wilderness. When it was no longer supplied to them they settled down and tilled the soil, fertilizing it, as a rule, with the bodies of the original occupants. Ambrose Bierce cooking body food OUTCOME, n. A particular type of disappointment . . . . judged by the outcome, the result. This is immortal nonsense; the wisdom of an act is to be juded by the light that the doer had when he performed it. Ambrose Bierce light disappointment wisdom REVIEW, v.t. To set your wisdom (holding not a doubt of it./ Although in truth there's neither bone nor skin to it)/ At work upon a book, and so read out of it/ The qualities that you have first read into it. Ambrose Bierce wisdom truth book WRATH, n. Anger of a superior quality and degree, appropriate to exalted characters and momentous occasions; as, "the wrath of God," "the day of wrath," etc. . . . Ambrose Bierce quality wrath character IMPENITENCE, n. A state of mind intermediate in point of time between sin and punishment. Ambrose Bierce punishment mind time OLD, adj. In that stage of usefulness which is not inconsistent with general inefficiency, as an "old man". Discredited by lapse of time and offensive to the popular taste, as an "old" book. Ambrose Bierce time men book RADICALISM, n. The conservatism of to-morrow injected into the affairs of to-day. Ambrose Bierce radicalism morrow affair A man is known by the company he organizes. Ambrose Bierce business work men FREEBOOTER, n. A conqueror in a small way of business, whose annexations lack of the sanctifying merit of magnitude. Ambrose Bierce merit business way PRIVATE, n. A military gentleman with a field-marshal's baton in his knapsack and an impediment in his hope. Ambrose Bierce gentleman military hope IMPROVIDENCE, n. Provision for the needs of to-day from the revenues of to-morrow. Ambrose Bierce morrow provision needs REAR, n. In American military matters, that exposed part of the army that is nearest to Congress. Ambrose Bierce army military matter RATTLESNAKE, n. Our prostrate brother, "Homo ventrambulans". Ambrose Bierce rattlesnakes brother
![](https://service.weibo.com/share/share.php?url=https://whatsmyquote.com/quote/rattlesnake-n-our-prostrate-brother-homo-ventrambulans&appkey=&title=Ambrose Bierce quote: RATTLESNAKE, n. Our prostrate brother, "Homo ventrambulans".&pic=https://whatsmyquote.com/images/quote-0370e6f7c5ce90ddbf056fe7dd249980.jpg&ralateUid=&language=zh_cn){kind=link}
![](https://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https://whatsmyquote.com/quote/rattlesnake-n-our-prostrate-brother-homo-ventrambulans&description=RATTLESNAKE, n. Our prostrate brother, "Homo ventrambulans".&media=https://whatsmyquote.com/images/quote-0370e6f7c5ce90ddbf056fe7dd249980.jpg){kind=link}