Speak softly and carry a big stick

Cultural  

1. A proverb quoted by Theodore Roosevelt as a brief statement of his approach to foreign policy. (See big stick diplomacy.)

---

Example Sentences

President Theodore Roosevelt famously said “speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far.”

From Salon

“Speak softly, and carry a big stick,” Theodore Roosevelt advised, though he never envisioned a successor would prove capable of obliterating cities half a world away in under half an hour.

From Los Angeles Times

It is quite common these days to hear those who specialise in Taiwan studies quoting the old maxim from President Theodore Roosevelt to "speak softly and carry a big stick".

From BBC

“To use Theodore Roosevelt’s phrase, Biden’s approach to China can be described as ‘speak softly and carry a big stick,’” said Yuen Yuen Ang, a political scientist at the University of Michigan.

From New York Times

In 1901, President Theodore Roosevelt described his foreign policy as “Speak softly and carry a big stick.”

From Los Angeles Times