AUTHOR'S PREFACEThe Devil's Dictionary_ was begun in a weekly paper in 1881, and wascontinued in a desultory way at long intervals until 1906.In thatyear a large part of it was published in covers with the title _TheCynic's Word Book_, a name which the author had not the power toreject or happiness to approve.To quote the publishers of thepresent work:"This more reverent title had previously been forced upon him bythe religious scruples of the last newspaper in which a part of thewo