Vol. 06 · Misquoted ·Saying ·250 of 348
"Speak softly and carry a big stick."
They never said that.
What people say
"Speak softly and carry a big stick."
What was actually said
"Speak softly, and carry a big stick; you will go far." Theodore Roosevelt — Letter to Henry L. Sprague, 26 January 1900
Why it stuck
TR called the phrase a "West African proverb"; historians have not located an African source for it.
Know another line by heart?
Play the duel and see how many you can spot. Or browse the whole shelf.