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.)

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Example Sentences

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Speak softly and carry a big stick

Teddy Roosevelt, the famous trust-buster of the early 20th century, once advised: "Speak softly and carry a big stick."

From US News ● Jul. 12, 2016

"Speak softly and carry a big stick" brings, back the vanished world of Theodore Roosevelt's America.

From Time Magazine Archive

Sixty years ago it was "Speak softly and carry a big stick."

From Time Magazine Archive

In other words, Dwight Eisenhower had adopted T.R.'s maxim: "Speak softly and carry a big stick."

From Time Magazine Archive

Under any governmental auspices, as the modern world knows governments, the keeping of the peace comes at its best under the precept, "Speak softly and carry a big stick."

From An Inquiry Into The Nature Of Peace And The Terms Of Its Perpetuation by Thorstein Veblen