I got the idea of this topic after finishing rereading At All Costs. We all identify with famous one-liners from our beloved movies.
Clint Eastwood's...
"Make my day."
"Well are you gonna pull them pistols or whistle dixie?"
"Dying ain't much of a living boy."
"There's nothing like a good piece of hickory."
And of course Arnold Schwarzenegger's "I'll be back."
We all love our one-liners as they lend strength to the character and raise the medium to immortal status. Personally they strike an emotional chord throughout my body and my eyes grow teary, burning from excitement.
The Honorverse has many such one-liner-like moments. I am interested in what these moments are for all of you. Perhaps I missed a tear. So I ask you to share your most favorite and dearest one-liners from the Honorverse. Has to be one line, or as near as possible. Of course it is ok to ad lib. I'll supply my own tissue. Here is one of my favorites, spoken by Honor Harrington from At All Costs.
"We meet again, Admiral Tourville," she said, and her soprano voice was cold.
*****
Note:
Some one-liner-like moments cover the depth and breadth of entire paragraphs. Fine.
Wield the quill genteel.
With pressure from the people consider the ban lifted...
*****
Raise the curtain...
For any still aimlessly lost on the battlefield, strategy is what is planned in the War Room on paper. Tactics are what happens in the heat of battle to prevent that heat from catching your ass and your papers on fire! -Cthia's 12-year-old niece
Midway through one of the formation flying exhibitions at our last airshow, looking up at the sky...
America is too big for its britches Uncle. Good thing it has a very big belt. -Cthia's 12 year-old niece
An aside:
I miss my mother and father. Had they lived I can scarcely imagine the impact they would have had on their children considering the impact achieved in the very short time we had them. The lessons taught to us by our parents live outside a vacuum inside a continuum.
Our parents have many methods of teaching us.
My parents used their own one-liners.
Son, do not cater to the common belief that a man has to earn your respect. That is not true. You should give every man respect right from the start. What a man has to earn is your continued respect.
Son, you are not God so I don't expect you to walk on water, but do you think you can learn to stand on land?
one of the very first things he taught his boys...
I only have two rules. One, never hit my wife or my wife's daughters. Two, transgressions of this rule will be met with severe punishment. Three, if you find yourself at rule number three, you've gone too far. See rule number two.
I don't care if you boys kill each other. Just do it outside! But when your mother finds out, the survivor of the battle won't survive the war. Guess who'll be leading the charge?
One bad apple don't spoil the whole bunch. But it will always get the worm executed.
He had many more. Thus was my father. Memories are our key to immortality.
When your mother and I speak always pay attention.
Attention charges a lot less than we do.
He teaches his boys chivalry.
All girls are Princesses. Never strike a Princess. the King shall seek justice.
Never underestimate your opponent.
Always assume sharpness of the serpent's teeth.
If I had a dollar for every time you told me 'I dunno,' I could buy us both an answer.
I don't want you to attend school to be smart, I just want you to be smart enough to attend school.
Son, your mother says I have to hang you. Personally I don't think this is a capital offense. But if I don't hang you, she's gonna hang me and frankly, I'm not the one in trouble.
My father always read the morning paper. If he was at home he had to have his morning fix of black coffee and the Beetle Bailey comic strip. I never understood it but now I do. Laughter is the best medicine.
I look forward to these posts to begin the day. Laughter, joy, even anger, wakes me up and gets me started, ready to do battle with the problems of the day.
For me, these posts are like living blood, often sustaining joy and laughter.
I encourage you to donate...all blood types are accepted.
And...thanks.
.
