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
- On Andrew Turner
- On a Suicide
- Epitaph for Mr. William Michie
- Impromptu on Carron Iron Works
- Epigram Addressed to an Artist
- Epitaph for Mr. W. Cruikshank
- Divine Service in the Kirk of Lamington
- The Keekin'-Glass
- Epitaph for William Nicol, of the High School, Edinburgh