Wit & Epigram

The art of the perfect one-liner — Wilde’s paradoxes, Bierce’s definitions, Shaw’s ripostes — wisdom sharpened to a point.

The whole joke in a single line

In this collection

• Magnanimity
• O'Flaherty V. C
• Work and Water
• Revive the Court Jester
• A Nightmare
• The Other Lodgers
• The New Helen
• Tinker Dick
• The Bag
• Ben Jonson
• A Celebrated Case
• De Profundis
• The Australian Grasshopper
• Sen Artysty or, the Artist's Dream
• The Blackmailing of the Emperor
• Annajanska, the Bolshevik Empress
• Mark
• Life's a. B. C
• The Dutiful Son
• Greatness
• The City of Political Distinction
• To the Countess of Bedford, on New Year's Day
• Corrected News
• A Son of the Gods
• Epitaph on James Grieve, Laird of Boghead, Tarbolton
• Epitaph on a Henpecked Country Squire
• Epigram on the Said Occasion
• Epigram on Rough Roads
• The Book-Worms
• On Elphinstone's Translation of Martial's Epigrams
• Lines Written under the Picture of the Celebrated Miss Burns
• Epigram to Miss Ainslie in Church
• The Bard at Inverary
• Epigram to Miss Jean Scott
• The Poet's Reply to the Threat of a Censorious Critic
• The Libeller's Self-Reproof
• Versicles on Sign-Posts
• Epigram on Francis Grose the Antiquary
• Epigram on Miss Davies
• Epigram at Brownhill Inn
• The Toadeater
• Epigram on Seeing Miss Fontenelle in a Favourite Character
• On Politics
• On Commissary Goldie's Brains
• Kirk and State Excisemen
• Epigrams against the Earl of Galloway
• Epigram on the Laird of Laggan
• Complimentary Epigram on Maria Riddell
• Pinned to Mrs. Walter Riddell's Carriage
• Epitaph for Mr. Walter Riddell
• Epitaph on a Noted Coxcomb
• On Capt. Lascelles
• On Wm. Graham, Esq., of Mossknowe
• On John Bushby, Esq., Tinwald Downs
• To Dr. Maxwell
• Epigram on a Country Laird
• On being Shewn a Beautiful Country Seat
• On Hearing it Asserted Falsehood
• On a Swearing Coxcomb
• On an Innkeeper Nicknamed "the Marquis"
• The Solemn League and Covenant
• Inscription on a Goblet
• Apology for Declining an Invitation to Dine
• Epitaph for Mr. Gabriel Richardson
• Epigram on Mr. James Gracie
• Ben Karshook's Wisdom

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