In the early 1900s, Ambrose Bierce published a book of sardonic definitions called The Devil's Dictionary . His book has become a classic in American literature and all true wordsmiths are familiar with it. When I came across this definition nearly ten years ago, it became clear to me that chiasmus is a perfect device for creating quotable definitions. First of all, chiastic sayings have a special capacity to capture the essence of things, often in a very succinct way. And, secondly, chiastic creations can be extremely memorable, or unbelievably clever, which is a real bonus when constructing definitions.
Home is where the great are small, and the small are great.
I discovered it, for it captures one of the most special and enduring qualities about that institution we call home . A friend told me a story that illustrates the point. Several years ago, a college friend of his, who'd become a high-level political advisor in the Clinton Administration, had spent an entire Saturday at the White House debating whether or not to send American troops to Bosnia. That evening he arrived home to discover that his wife and two children had barred him from any say in the movies they were going to rent for the weekend. Not surprisingly, comedians have been interested in chiastic definitions.