Ink, n. A villianous compound of tanno-gallate of iron, gum-arabic, and water, chiefly used to facilitate the infection of idiocy and promote intellectual crime. The properties of ink are peculiar and contradictory: it may be used to make reputations and unmake them; to blacken them and make them white; but it is most generally and acceptably employed as a mortar to bind together the stones in an edifice of fame, and as a whitewash to conceal afterward the rascal quality of the material. There are men called journalists who have established ink baths which some persons pay money to get into, and others to get out of. Not infrequently it occurs that a person who has paid to get in must pay twice as much to get out.

Quill, n. An implement of torture yielded by goose and commonly wielded by an ass. The use of a quill is now obsolete, but its modern equivalent, the steel pen, is wielded by the same everlasting Presence.

Ambrose Bierce, The Devil's Dictionary

This is WONDERFUL! Bierce was such a crusty guy.

I love "The Devil's Dictionary". I recently got an unabridged version of it and it's great fun to open it at random just to see what pops out. As with the quote about ink, it's amazing how much of what Bierce had to say, particularly about the government, is as true now as it was then.

Have fun,
Ron

I don't know about the ink, but the comments about the pen certainly made me laugh!!

I've been meaning to get my hands on a copy of The Devil's Dictionary, just haven't done so as of yet. Thanks for the reminder!

...................NICE

Great!