speak softly and carry a big stick

• talk softly and carry a big stick
• walk softly and carry a big stick

Popularized by and often attributed to U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt (1858–1919) as an expression of his view of foreign policy, possibly of earlier, West African origin according to his account, but with a probability of he himself having coined it. The full version is “speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far.”

speak softly and carry a big stick

1. Do not boast or utter verbal threats, but do make others aware that you are prepared to use physical or military force if necessary.
   • 1903 April 3, Theodore Roosevelt, President Roosevelt's Speech on the Monroe Doctrine," Arizona Journal-Miner, p. 4 (retrieved 19 Dec 2011):

     There is a homely old adage which runs: "Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far."

   • 1917, Thorstein Veblen, The Nature of Peace, Introductory:

     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."

   • 1999 January 17, Tom Kuntz, “Word for Word/Representative James A. Traficant Jr.”, in New York Times, retrieved 19 December 2011:

     When it comes to China, we have gone from "Speak softly and carry a big stick" to "Take the fifth and carry a toothpick". (from a Congressional speech by Rep. James Traficant, June 22, 1998)

• big stick
• you get more with a kind word and a gun than you do with a kind word alone

• “speak softly and carry a big stick”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.

• Big stick ideology on Wikipedia.Wikipedia