Speak softly and carry a big stick meaning
What does the saying 'Speak softly and carry a big stick' mean?
Idiom: Speak softly and carry a big stick
Meaning:
If you speak softly and carry a big stick, you make your case quietly but can back it up forcefully if necessary.
All idioms have been editorially reviewed, and submitted idioms may have been edited for correctness and completeness.
« Previous: Speak of the devil!
Similar Idioms
- Carry the can
- Wrong end of the stick
- Stick to your guns
- In a cleft stick
- Up the stick
- Give someone stick
- Give it some stick
- Stick-in-the-mud
- Carrot and stick
- Stick your neck out
- Better than a stick in the eye
- Short end of the stick
- Ugly as a stick
- Rough end of the stick
- Stick in your craw
- More than you can shake a stick at
- Speak your mind
- Thief don’t like to see thief carry long bag
- Stick out like a sore thumb
- Speak of the devil!
- Actions speak louder than words
- Speak volumes
- Speak with a forked tongue
- Speak to the organ grinder not the monkey
- Carry the day
- You can't beat that with a stick
Idiom eBooks from UsingEnglish.com
Download our curated lists of idioms in PDF format - perfect to use offline for reference or for use in class!
If you have a question about idioms, ask us about it in our Idioms Discussion Forum.
If you know of an idiom that you would like to be listed here, please use our online form to suggest an idiom.
See also:
- View examples in Google: Speak softly and carry a big stick
- Idiom Quizzes