AUTHOR'S PREFACE
The 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 thework had
appeared, with the natural consequence that when it came outin covers the country already had been flooded by its imitators with ascore of 'cynic' books -- _The Cynic's This_, _The Cynic's That_, and_The Cynic's t'Other_.Most of these books were merely stupid, thoughsome of them added the distinction of silliness.Among them, theybrought the word 'cynic' into disfavor so deep that any book bearingit was discredited in advance of publication."