zoology

the devils dictionary
The science and history of the animal kingdom, including its king, the House Fly (Musca maledicta). The father of Zoölogy was Aristotle, as is universally conceded, but the name of its mother has not come down to us. Two of the science's most illustrious expounders were Buffon and Oliver Goldsmith, from both of whom we learn (L'Histoire générale des animaux and A History of Animated Nature) that the domestic cow sheds its horns every two years.
(also: The Devil's Dictionary)

rome wasn't built in a day

lister
"Rome wasn't built in a day" is a phrase that has been around for centuries but when it comes to the construction of the ancient city of Rome it may as well have been built in the blink of an eye compared to the amount of time it takes to build a decent cup of tea.

Yes, that's right, I'm talking about the art of tea-making. The perfect cup of tea takes time, effort and patience - much like the building of an ancient city. You have to get the water temperature just right, let the tea steep for the optimal amount of time and add just the right amount of milk and sugar.

Now, I know what you're thinking. "Lister, how can you compare the construction of an ancient city to making a cup of tea?" Well, let me tell you, both require a delicate balance of ingredients and timing. One misstep and you could end up with a bitter cup of tea or a collapsing city.

So, let us not forget the true meaning behind the phrase "Rome wasn't built in a day". It's not just about the construction of ancient cities, it's about the finer things in life like a good cup of tea. So, next time you're in the middle of a long, drawn-out tea-making process, remember, great things take time. And if it takes you a little longer to make a decent cup of tea, just think of all the time and effort that went into building the mighty city of Rome.

In conclusion, let us raise a cup of tea to perseverance, patience and the ancient Romans for inspiring us to take our tea-making just as seriously as they took city-building.

success

the devils dictionary
The one unpardonable sin against one's fellows. In literature, and particularly in poetry, the elements of success are exceedingly simple, and are admirably set forth in the following lines by the reverend Father Gassalasca Jape, entitled, for some mysterious reason, "John A. Joyce."

The bard who would prosper must carry a book,
Do his thinking in prose and wear
A crimson cravat, a far-away look
And a head of hexameter hair.
Be thin in your thought and your body'll be fat;
If you wear your hair long you needn't your hat.
(also: The Devil's Dictionary)

laureate

the devils dictionary
adj. Crowned with leaves of the laurel. In England the Poet Laureate is an officer of the sovereign's court, acting as dancing skeleton at every royal feast and singing-mute at every royal funeral. Of all incumbents of that high office, Robert Southey had the most notable knack at drugging the Samson of public joy and cutting his hair to the quick; and he had an artistic color-sense which enabled him so to blacken a public grief as to give it the aspect of a national crime.


(also: The Devil's Dictionary)

apathy

jason
a state of emotional distress experienced while ashamed of emotion, preferring the aesthetic of stone-hearted rationality and objectivity.

soviet union

trustycoffeemug
a partnership between russia and a number of other eastern european states that existed between 1922 and 1991. this union formed one of the major blocs in world politics at that time, along with the nato bloc consisting of the united states and its buddies, and the third bloc that didn't give a damn.

the soviet union and the nato bloc were in a state of cold war for decades following world war ii, which was such a bonding experience that everyone felt a little let down when it finally ended. as a memory of those happier times, america and russia continue to occasionally dick with each other.

my little pony

polaris
My Little Pony, or MLP, is a TV show born in the 1980s, though in the modern day it's much better known for its fourth generation and the interesting fandom born around it.

rope

the devils dictionary
An obsolescent appliance for reminding assassins that they too are mortal. It is put about the neck and remains in place one's whole life long. It has been largely superseded by a more complex electrical device worn upon another part of the person; and this is rapidly giving place to an apparatus known as the preachment.
(also: The Devil's Dictionary)

sign-up or face the consequences!


“"observers" must obey the call.”
join

sign up