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There comes a time when a man must spit on his hands, hoist the black flag and begin slitting throats.

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H. L. Mencken

(1880-1956) American Journalist, Editor, Essayist, Linguist, Lexicographer, and Critic.

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1 Comment
  • Mike Smith
    Mike Smith
    “Every normal man must be tempted, at times, to spit on his hands, hoist the black flag, and begin slitting throats.” Is the actual quote
    LikeReply 36 years ago
    • Gregg Davis
      Gregg Davis
      Wow! Really changes the meaning of the quote. I was having trouble seeing Mencken essentially saying the version so cheerfully nbandied about now.
      LikeReply 15 years ago

Translation

Find a translation for this quote in other languages:

Es kommt eine Zeit, in der ein Mann auf seine Hände spucken, die schwarze Fahne hissen und anfangen muss, sich in die Kehlen zu schneiden.

έρχεται μια στιγμή που ένας άντρας πρέπει να φτύνει στα χέρια του, να σηκώσει τη μαύρη σημαία και να αρχίσει να χτυπά τους λαιμούς.

llega un momento en que un hombre debe escupir en sus manos, izar la bandera negra y comenzar a cortar la garganta.

il arrive un moment où un homme doit cracher sur les mains, hisser le drapeau noir et commencer à se trancher la gorge.

tagann am nuair a chaithfidh fear spit ar a lámha, an bhratach dhubh a ardú agus scornach a shleamhnú.

एक समय आता है जब एक आदमी को अपने हाथों पर थूकना चाहिए, काले झंडे को फहराना चाहिए और गला काटना शुरू करना चाहिए।

ada saatnya seseorang harus meludahi tangannya, mengibarkan bendera hitam dan mulai menggorok lehernya.

מגיע הזמן בו אדם חייב לירוק על ידיו, להניף את הדגל השחור ולהתחיל לחרוק גרונות.

hoc fit quando homo iecerit super manus levate vexillum atro gutture slitting incipiunt.

det kommer en tid da en mann må spytte på hendene, heise det svarte flagget og begynne å strikke halsen.

chega um momento em que um homem deve cuspir nas mãos, hastear a bandeira negra e começar a cortar gargantas.

det kommer en tid då en man måste spotta på händerna, lyfta den svarta flaggan och börja skära halsen.

настає момент, коли чоловік повинен плюнути собі на руки, підняти чорний прапор і почати перерізати горло.

有一段時間,一個人必須吐唾沫,舉起黑旗並開始割喉。

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"H. L. Mencken Quotes." Quotes.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 18 Dec. 2024. <https://www.quotes.net/quote/40820>.

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