Ambrose Bierce
2010 Reprint of 1911 Edition. The Devil’s Dictionary, by Ambrose Bierce, is a satirical book published in 1911. It offers reinterpretations of terms in the English language, lampooning cant and political doublespeak. What had started as a newspaper serialization was first reproduced in book form in 1906 under the dubious title Cynic’s Word Book. The 1906 edition contained definitions of 500 words in the first half of the alphabet (A-L). A further 500 words (M-Z) were published in 1911 under the name of The Devil’s Dictionary. This was a name much preferred by Bierce and he claimed the earlier ’more reverent’ title had been forced upon him by the religious scruples of his previous employer.
