Related:

• ZANY, n. A popular character in old Italian plays, who imitated with ludicrous incompetence the _buffone_, or clown, and was therefore the ape of an ape
  for the clown himself imitated the serious characters of the play....
• OBSESSED, p.p. Vexed by an evil spirit, like the Gadarene swine and other critics.
  Obsession was once more common than it is now. Arasthus tells of a peasant who was occupied by a different devil for every day in the week, and on Sundays by two....
• RELIGION, n. A daughter of Hope and Fear, explaining to Ignorance the nature of the Unknowable.
  "What is your religion my son?" inquired the Archbishop of Rheims....
• MONSIGNOR, n. A high ecclesiastical title, of which the Founder of our religion overlooked the advantages.
  -- Ambrose Bierce, "The Devil's Dictionary...
• PRIMATE, n. The head of a church, especially a State church supported by involuntary contributions.
  The Primate of England is the Archbishop of Canterbury, an amiable old gentleman, who occupies Lambeth Palace when living and Westminster Abbey when dead....
• A rabbi and a priest are sitting together on a train, and the rabbi leans over and asks, "So, how high can you advance in your organization?
  The priest replies, "Well, if I am lucky, I guess I could become a Bishop....
• ARSENIC, n. A kind of cosmetic greatly affected by the ladies, whom it greatly affects in turn.
  "Eat arsenic? Yes, all you get," Consenting, he did speak up...
• UNCTION, n. An oiling, or greasing. The rite of extreme unction consists in touching with oil consecrated by a bishop several parts of the body of one engaged in dying.
  Marbury relates that after the rite had been administered to a certain wicked English nobleman it was discovered that the oil had not been properly consecrated and no other could be obtained....
• MATERIAL, adj. Having an actual existence, as distinguished from an imaginary one.
  Important. Material things I know, or fell, or see...