{"product_id":"2940014602204","title":"THE DEVIL'S DICTIONARY","description":"AUTHOR'S PREFACE\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e_The Devil's Dictionary_ was begun in a weekly paper in 1881, and was\u003cbr\u003econtinued in a desultory way at long intervals until 1906.  In that\u003cbr\u003eyear a large part of it was published in covers with the title _The\u003cbr\u003eCynic's Word Book_, a name which the author had not the power to\u003cbr\u003ereject or happiness to approve.  To quote the publishers of the\u003cbr\u003epresent work:\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"This more reverent title had previously been forced upon him by\u003cbr\u003ethe religious scruples of the last newspaper in which a part of the\u003cbr\u003ework had appeared, with the natural consequence that when it came out\u003cbr\u003ein covers the country already had been flooded by its imitators with a\u003cbr\u003escore of 'cynic' books--_The Cynic's This_, _The Cynic's That_, and\u003cbr\u003e_The Cynic's t'Other_.  Most of these books were merely stupid, though\u003cbr\u003esome of them added the distinction of silliness.  Among them, they\u003cbr\u003ebrought the word 'cynic' into disfavor so deep that any book bearing\u003cbr\u003eit was discredited in advance of publication.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMeantime, too, some of the enterprising humorists of the country\u003cbr\u003ehad helped themselves to such parts of the work as served their needs,\u003cbr\u003eand many of its definitions, anecdotes, phrases and so forth, had\u003cbr\u003ebecome more or less current in popular speech.  This explanation is\u003cbr\u003emade, not with any pride of priority in trifles, but in simple denial\u003cbr\u003eof possible charges of plagiarism, which is no trifle.  In merely\u003cbr\u003eresuming his own the author hopes to be held guiltless by those to\u003cbr\u003ewhom the work is addressed--enlightened souls who prefer dry wines\u003cbr\u003eto sweet, sense to sentiment, wit to humor and clean English to slang.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA conspicuous, and it is hoped not unpleasant, feature of the book\u003cbr\u003eis its abundant illustrative quotations from eminent poets, chief of\u003cbr\u003ewhom is that learned and ingenious cleric, Father Gassalasca Jape,\u003cbr\u003eS.J., whose lines bear his initials.  To Father Jape's kindly\u003cbr\u003eencouragement and assistance the author of the prose text is greatly\u003cbr\u003eindebted.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA.B.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eABASEMENT, n.  A decent and customary mental attitude in the presence\u003cbr\u003eof wealth or power.  Peculiarly appropriate in an employee when\u003cbr\u003eaddressing an employer.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eABATIS, n.  Rubbish in front of a fort, to prevent the rubbish outside\u003cbr\u003efrom molesting the rubbish inside.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eABDICATION, n.  An act whereby a sovereign attests his sense of the\u003cbr\u003ehigh temperature of the throne.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  Poor Isabella's Dead, whose abdication\u003cbr\u003e  Set all tongues wagging in the Spanish nation.\u003cbr\u003e  For that performance 'twere unfair to scold her:\u003cbr\u003e  She wisely left a throne too hot to hold her.\u003cbr\u003e  To History she'll be no royal riddle--\u003cbr\u003e  Merely a plain parched pea that jumped the griddle.","brand":"SAP","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47074060992752,"sku":"2940014602204","price":0.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/2940014602204","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}