Quotes about spear

A collection of quotes on the topic of spear, herring, sword, likeness.

Quotes about spear

Osama bin Laden photo
Charles Spurgeon photo
Martin Luther photo
Charles de Gaulle photo

“France was built with swords. The fleur-de-lis, symbol of national unity, is only the image of a spear with three pikes.”

Charles de Gaulle (1890–1970) eighteenth President of the French Republic

La France fut faite à coups d'épée. La fleur de lys, symbole d'unité nationale, n'est que l'image d'un javelot à trois lances.
in La France et son armée.
Writings

Thomas Mann photo
Statius photo

“While spear in hand he repels the hounds agape to rend him.”
Tela manu, reicitque canes in vulnus hiantes.

Source: Thebaid, Book IV, Line 574 (tr. J. H. Mozley)

Friedrich Nietzsche photo
Solón photo

“Watch well each separate citizen,
Lest having in his heart of hearts
A secret spear, one still may come
Saluting you with cheerful face,
And utter with a double tongue
The feigned good wishes of his wary mind.”

Solón (-638–-558 BC) Athenian legislator

Diogenes Laërtius (trans. C. D. Yonge) The Lives and Opinions of Eminent Philosophers (1853), "Solon", sect. 13, p. 29.

Barack Obama photo
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Rick Riordan photo
Charles Darwin photo

“… for the shield may be as important for victory, as the sword or spear.”

Charles Darwin (1809–1882) British naturalist, author of "On the origin of species, by means of natural selection"

Source: The Origin of Species

Emily Brontë photo
Emily Dickinson photo
Suzanne Collins photo
Dave Barry photo

“Hanajima, my spear! Bring me my spear!”

Natsuki Takaya (1973) Manga artist

Source: Fruits Basket, Vol. 21

Emily Brontë photo
Madeline Miller photo

“You can use a spear for a walking stick, but it will not change its nature.”

Variant: He is a weapon, a killer. Do not forget it. You can use a spear as a walking stick, but that will not change its nature.
Source: The Song of Achilles

Gabriel García Márquez photo
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Scott Lynch photo
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Homér photo

“The day will come when sacred Troy must die,
Priam must die and all his people with him,
Priam who hurls the strong ash spear!”

IV. 164–165 (tr. Robert Fagles); spoken by Agamemnon.
Iliad (c. 750 BC)

Phil Brooks photo

“Punk: Tonight, the Straight-edge Society becomes the first ever Straight-edge World Unified Tag Team Champions. I came out here for a reason, I came out with a purpose. I'm here to lead my crusade, [Crowd chants you suck] and I've brought my disciples, Luke Gallows and the beautiful Serena with me.
Triple H: Punk, I have been watching Smackdown. And I gotta say, while I'm relieved to know that your straight, this whole I don't drink thing, I don't think anybody really gives a crap, do you know what I mean? [Crowd cheers]
Punk: You're looking at three people who give a crap, and don't try to pretend you know anything about me, or you know anything about Straight-edge, or you know anything about my society at all.
Triple H: No, no, no, no, you're right. I don't know anything about it, I don't get it, Punk, that's the thing. I don't get it, I mean you don't drink, you don't do drugs, you don't smoke. Okay, neither do I. But then again, I don't look like I've been on a week long crack binge with Amy Winehouse! [Serena shakes her head, Punk looks pissed] I'm just saying, have a little pride, man. Pick yourself up, clean yourself off. Maybe take them clippers out of the bag, shave that squirrel off you got on your chin. [Punk grabs his beard and mouths off] Hey, do yourself a favor. Grab a shower, cause I don't know if it's you, Lobotomy Man, or Britney Spears right there, but one of you's got a bad case of swamp butt!
Punk: Alright, are you done? Is amateur comedy hour over? Because I came here to claim those tag titles!”

Phil Brooks (1978) American professional wrestler and mixed martial artist

January 29, 2010
Friday Night SmackDown

Jonathan Stroud photo
David Spade photo

“Myspace is a great way to keep in touch with friends whom you don't care enough about to actually have a conversation with. Why bother calling to say 'How are you?' when you can just surf their page and post an mpeg of a guy farting on his cat?
[Myspace is] this website where young people can post pictures and info about themselves for anyone to see. When I first heard about it, I thought to myself, 'Finally a Yellow Pages for sex offenders. Why didn't I think of that?'
The most popular (American Idol) contestants have been: white people that sound black, young people that sound old, and straight guys that sound gay.
The final five are exactly like The Breakfast Club: There's the rebel(Chris Daughtry), the princess (Katharine McPhee), the nerd (Elliot Yamin), the weirdo (Paris Bennett)… and of course, the principal (Taylor Hicks). What? He's old!
(Ryan Phillippe & Reese Witherspoon) Broke up, (Kid Rock & Pamela Anderson) broke up, (Vince Vaughn & Jennifer Aniston) broke up, (Kate Moss & Pete Doherty) coked up. They said it wouldn't last; not the marriage, the stash. 007,.08, 1.2, 215. Came out, came out, (Tom Brady and Bridget Moynihan) came in, (Brady and Gisele Bündchen) came in. Hates Jews, went to rehab, loves Jews; hates gays, went to rehab, now loves gays; hates blacks, didn't go to rehab, still hates blacks. 'Father Knows Best', (with Britney Spears) 'Mad About You,' (Spears without panties) 'Leave It to Beaver.' New father, new father, new father? R. I. P., D. U. I., P. O. W. 'You're a hypocrite,' 'you're fat,' 'you're rude,' 'you're ugly,' whoa, whoa, whoa, guys. Stop fighting, you're both right. Booze, pot, Vicodin, crack, booze, pot, Vicodin, and crack.”

David Spade (1964) American stand-up comedian

The Showbiz Show with David Spade

Sadao Araki photo

“If we have a thousand bamboo spears, there's nothing to worry about a war with the Soviet Union.”

Sadao Araki (1877–1966) Japanese general

Quoted in "Sugamo Diary" - Page 30 - by Yoshio Kodama - 1960

Corneliu Zelea Codreanu photo
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Russell Brand photo
Tanith Lee photo
Jonah Goldberg photo
Homér photo
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh photo

“Do you still throw spears at each other?”

Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (1921) member of the British Royal Family, consort to Queen Elizabeth II

Said in 2002 to an Indigenous Australian businessman, as quoted in "Prince Philip's spear 'gaffe'" http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/1848813.stm, BBC News (1 March 2002)
2000s

Mahmud of Ghazni photo
Thomas Malory photo
Neal Stephenson photo
H. Rider Haggard photo
Letitia Elizabeth Landon photo

“Then rose those deadlier sounds that tell
When foes meet hand to hand,—
The shout, the yell, the iron clang
Of meeting spear and brand.”

Letitia Elizabeth Landon (1802–1838) English poet and novelist

The Golden Violet - The Falcon
The Golden Violet (1827)

Robert E. Howard photo
Alain de Botton photo
Andrew Sega photo
Miyamoto Musashi photo
Jesse Ventura photo
John Keats photo
Robert T. Bakker photo
Darius I of Persia photo
William Blake photo
Letitia Elizabeth Landon photo
Philip Freneau photo

“Then rushed to meet the insulting foe;
They took the spear, but left the shield.”

Philip Freneau (1752–1832) American poet, nationalist, polemicist, sea captain and newspaper editor

To the Memory of the Americans who fell at Eutaw. Compare: "When Prussia hurried to the field, And snatched the spear, but left the shield", Sir Walter Scott, Marmion, Introduction to canto iii.

“In consequence of the great fear which fell upon Jaipál, who confessed he had seen death before the appointed time, he sent a deputation to the Amír soliciting peace, on the promise of his paying down a sum of money, and offering to obey any order he might receive respecting his elephants and his country. The Amir Subuktigín consented on account of mercy he felt towards those who were his vassals, or for some other reason which seemed expedient to him. But the Sultán Yamínu-d daula Mahmúd addressed the messengers in a harsh voice, and refused to abstain from battle, until he should obtain a complete victory suited to his zeal for the honour of Islám and the Musulmáns, and one which he was confident God would grant to his arms. So they returned, and Jaipál being in great alarm, again sent the most humble supplications that the battle might cease saying, "You have seen the impetuosity of the Hindus and their indifference to death, whenever any calamity befalls them, as at this moment. If therefore, you refuse to grant peace in the hope of obtaining plunder, tribute, elephants and prisoners, then there is no alternative for us but to mount the horse of stern determination, destroy our property, take out the eyes of our elephants, cast our children into fire, and rush out on each other with sword and spear, so that all that will be left to you to conquer and seize is stones and dirt, dead bodies, and scattered bones."”

Sabuktigin (942–997) Founder of the Ghaznavid Empire

Elliot and Dowson, History of India as told by its own Historians, Volume II, pp. 20-21. Translation of Tarikh-i-Yamini of al-Utbi.

Dinesh D'Souza photo
Amy Poehler photo

“Britney Spears is recording a rap song about the recent controversies in her life. "I can't wait to hear that!", said no one.”

Amy Poehler (1971) American actress

http://snltranscripts.jt.org/04/04bupdate.phtml
Weekend Update samples

George S. Patton photo
Jerzy Vetulani photo
William Golding photo
Nick Cave photo
Amy Poehler photo

“In a recent Valentine's Day posting on her fan website, Britney Spears says that…oh, who cares?”

Amy Poehler (1971) American actress

http://snltranscripts.jt.org/04/04mupdate.phtml
Weekend Update samples

John Ogilby photo

“Th' Old Man a feeble Javelin threw,
Which could not pierce his sounding Target through,
But on the Margin hung the harmless Spear.”

John Ogilby (1600–1676) Scottish academic

The Works of Publius Virgilius Maro (2nd ed. 1654), Virgil's Æneis

Khalil Gibran photo
Tina Fey photo
Firuz Shah Tughlaq photo
Johannes Lichtenauer photo
James Macpherson photo
Homér photo

“I'll fling a spear myself and leave the rest to Zeus.”

XVII. 515 (tr. Robert Fagles).
Iliad (c. 750 BC)

Oliver Wendell Holmes photo

“But Memory blushes at the sneer,
And Honor turns with frown defiant,
And Freedom, leaning on her spear,
Laughs louder than the laughing giant.”

Oliver Wendell Holmes (1809–1894) Poet, essayist, physician

A good Time going; reported in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 10th ed. (1919).

Sadao Araki photo

“Give me a Japanese division armed with bamboo spears and I'll wipe out the entire Russian Far Eastern Army.”

Sadao Araki (1877–1966) Japanese general

Quoted in "Until They Eat Stones" - Page 254 - by Russell Brines - 1944

Felix Adler photo
Dave Grohl photo

“Perez [Hilton]: Are you drunk right now?
Grohl: No, I gotta play.
Perez: Britney Spears has been getting wasted all the time, hasn't stopped her.
Grohl: Yeah, but she doesn't have to sing live.”

Dave Grohl (1969) American rock musician, multi-instrumentalist, and singer-songwriter

Quoted in Shirley Halperin, "My Summer With the Foo Fighters," http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20056567_9,00.html Entertainment Weekly (2007-09-21)

Eric Rücker Eddison photo
Periyar E. V. Ramasamy photo

“Wisdom lies in thinking. The spear-head of thinking is rationalism”

Periyar E. V. Ramasamy (1879–1973) Tamil politician and social reformer

Quoted in Collected works of Thanthai Periyar E.V. Ramasami [sic http://books.google.co.in/books?id=edx4AAAAIAAJ, Volumes 1-11], p. 49.
Rationalism

Glen Cook photo

“For once he was as serious as a spear through the gut.”

Source: Bleak Seasons (1996), Chapter 66 (p. 187)

Tsunetomo Yamamoto photo
Anacreon photo

“Nature gave horns to the bull,
Hoofs gave she to the horse.
To the lion cavernous jaws,
And swiftness to the hare.
The fish taught she to swim,
The bird to cleave the air;
To man she reason gave;
Not yet was woman dowered.
What, then, to woman gave she?
The priceless gift of beauty.
Stronger than any buckler,
Than any spear more piercing.
Who hath the gift of beauty.
Nor fire nor steel shall harm her.”

Anacreon (-570–-485 BC) Greek lyric poet, notable for his drinking songs and hymns

Odes, XXIV.
Variant: The bull by nature hath his horns, The horse his hoofs, to daunt their foes; The light-foot hare the hunter scorns; The lion's teeth his strength disclose.The fish, by swimming, 'scapes the weel; The bird, by flight, the fowler's net; With wisdom man is arm'd as steel; Poor women none of these can get. What have they then?—fair Beauty's grace, A two-edged sword, a trusty shield; No force resists a lovely face, Both fire and sword to Beauty yield.

Paul Krugman photo
George Gordon Byron photo
Britney Spears photo

“Carlson: Give me the chronology of the kiss. How did you decide to kiss Madonna?
Spears: Well, actually, in rehearsals, it wasn't something that was like, "Y'know, This is what we're gonna do. Y'know." It was just kinda like we play around a little bit and, um, she said during—before the performance, "Let's just feel it out and see what happens."”

Britney Spears (1981) American singer, dancer and actress

So I didn't know it was gonna be that long and everything, but it was cool.
CNN interview with Tucker Carlson http://www.cnn.com/2003/SHOWBIZ/Music/09/03/cnna.spears/ (3 September 2003)

James Macpherson photo

“I beheld their chief, tall as a glittering rock. His spear is a blasted pine. His shield the rising moon! He sat on the shore, like a cloud of mist on the silent hill!”

James Macpherson (1736–1796) Scottish writer, poet, translator, and politician

Book I
The Poems of Ossian, Fingal, an ancient Epic Poem

Ben Hecht photo
Tina Fey photo
Robert E. Howard photo
James Macpherson photo

“As roll a thousand waves to the rocks, so Swaran's host came on. As meets a rock a thousand waves, so Erin met Swaran of spears.”

James Macpherson (1736–1796) Scottish writer, poet, translator, and politician

Book I
The Poems of Ossian, Fingal, an ancient Epic Poem

Elbert Hubbard photo

“The newspapers print what the people want, and thus does the savage still swing his club and flourish his spear.”

Elbert Hubbard (1856–1915) American writer, publisher, artist, and philosopher fue el escritor del jarron azul

Source: The Note Book of Elbert Hubbard (1927), p. 142.

Bret Harte photo

“If I looked as good as Justin Chamo Spear I would look in the mirror too”

Bret Harte (1836–1902) American author and poet

The Heathen Chinee (1870)

Theodore Kaczynski photo
Bill O'Reilly photo

“On the pinhead front, 16-year-old Jamie Lynn Spears is pregnant. The sister of Britney says she is shocked. I bet. Now most teens are pinheads in some ways. But here the blame falls primarily on the parents of the girl, who obviously have little control over her….”

Bill O'Reilly (1949) American political commentator, television host and writer

2007-12-20
Time vs. 'The Factor'
The O'Reilly Factor
Fox News
Television
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,317577,00.html

Assata Shakur photo
Muhammad bin Tughluq photo

“The Sultan is not slack in jihad. He never lets go of his spear or bridle in pursuing jihad by land and sea routes. This is his main occupation which engages his eyes and ears. He has spent vast sums for the establishment of the faith and the spread of Islam in these lands, as a result of which the light of Islam has reached the inhabitants and the flash of the true faith brightened among them. Fire temples have been destroyed and the images and idols of Budd have been broken, and the lands have been freed from those who were not included in the darul Islam, that is, those who had refused to become zimmis. Islam has been spread by him in the far east and has reached the point of sunrise. In the words of Abu Nasr al-Aini, he has carried the flags of the followers of Islam where they had never reached before and where no chapter or verse (of the Quran) had ever been recited. Thereafter he got mosques and places of worship erected, and music replaced by call to prayers (azan), and the incantations of fire-worshippers stopped by recitations of the Quran. He directed the people of Islam towards the citadels of the infidels and, by the grace of Allah, made them (the believers) inheritors of wealth and land and that country which they (the believers) had never trodden upon.”

Muhammad bin Tughluq (1290–1351) Turkic Sultan of Delhi

Tughlaq Kalina Bharata, Persian texts translated into Hindi by S.A.A. Rizvi, 2 Volumes, Aligarh, 1956-57. p. 325 ff. Vol I. (Shihabuddin Al Umari.) Also quoted (using a different translation) in Jain, Meenakshi (2011). The India they saw: Foreign accounts. 8th to 15th Centuries, p. 274.

Anthony Burgess photo