Ambrose Bierce

Ambrose Bierce (1842 - 1914) was an American journalist and satirist. He was most famous for The Devil's Dictionary, originally a newspaper serialization, that offered an interesting reinterpretation of the English language in which cant and political double-talk was neatly lampooned.

The following is a revealing example of his perceptive wit:

Non-combatant, n. A dead Quaker.