What the hell does this mean?

[ManBearPig]

"By all means must we fly; not with our feet, however, but with our hands."

Since I read a lot of (especially Roman) history I'm pretty used to this kind of shit, but i dont understand this one at all. Does he mean err, literally, flapping your hands? That sounds stupid but it's all i can think of.

 

[Modular]

It's fap time!

Edit: Cool, my first warp!

 

[olds]

Brutus'

 

[xanis]

Originally posted by: oldsmoboat
Brutus'

not necessarily true

add 's to the singular form of the word (even if it ends in -s):
the owner's car
James's hat (James' hat is also acceptable. For plural, proper nouns that are possessive, use an apostrophe after the 's': "The Eggles' presentation was good." The Eggles are a husband and wife consultant team.)

 

[ManBearPig]

Originally posted by: Xanis

Originally posted by: oldsmoboat
Brutus'

not necessarily true

add 's to the singular form of the word (even if it ends in -s):
the owner's car
James's hat (James' hat is also acceptable. For plural, proper nouns that are possessive, use an apostrophe after the 's': "The Eggles' presentation was good." The Eggles are a husband and wife consultant team.)

I debated on which form to use for a while but I saw that both were used so i just went with this one. But seriously, any ideas about my actual question?

 

[aceO07]

It's a play on words? Fly = run or fly (at) = attack. So he meant to attack with his hands? Depends on the context.

 

[thescreensavers]

wow I read it as Brutallus, that wow boss, fml I raided sunwell wayy to much back in the day lol

 

[lxskllr]

Fly=freedom through arms(weapons)?

 

[IronWing]

I think Brutus is referring to making that little angel wings motion with his hands after Popeye gets the spinach and is about to punch him out.

 

[Aluvus]

Facing military defeat, others wanted to flee (with their feet). He chose to kill himself (with his hands... and a sword). "Fly" would be metaphorical. Anyway that's how I interpret it after a few minutes with Google.

Oh, and "Brutus's" is completely fine. Grammar Nazi fail.

 

[Barfo]

Originally posted by: Kazaam
"By all means must we fly; not with our feet, however, but with our hands."

Since I read a lot of (especially Roman) history I'm pretty used to this kind of shit, but i dont understand this one at all. Does he mean err, literally, flapping your hands? That sounds stupid but it's all i can think of.

It means we must fap away.

 

[Rockinacoustic]

Don't be a coward

 

[SunSamurai]

It means dont run away, embrace the future or some hippy shit.

 

[Crono]

Without any context, I think it means the way to retreat is to fight your way out.

EDIT: From context, looks like he meant suicide (fall on his sword):
http://www.greektexts.com/libr...us_Brutus/eng/642.html

"Fly" is meant as escape or run away, not literally fly. So what he was saying is that the only way to get away would not be by foot, but by hand - death by his own sword.

 

[randay]

have you seen a bird fly by flapping its feet? yeah that would be stupid, you flap your hands, thats how you fly.

 

[ManBearPig]

Originally posted by: randay
have you seen a bird fly by flapping its feet? yeah that would be stupid, you flap your hands, thats how you fly.

that sounds too literal, but was my first though.

i guess he could mean fight, but that would be retarded since a)he was about to kill himself and b)they already lost and were running away and would've gotten destroyed by the other force.

reading it in context, i guess he WAS talking about flying as being liberated via committing suicide. heres the paragraph:

"As the night advanced, Brutus turned, just as he sat, towards his servant Cleitus, and talked with him. And when Cleitus wept and made no answer, Brutus next drew Dardanus his shield-bearer and had some private conversation with him. 2 Finally, he spoke to Volumnius himself in Greek, reminding him of their student life, and begged him to grasp his sword with him and help him drive home the blow. 3 And when Volumnius refused, and the rest likewise, and some one said they must not tarry p245 but fly, Brutus rose and said: "By all means must we fly; not with our feet, however, but with our hands." "

 

[lxskllr]

It could be to avoid capture which could be unpleasant.

 

[Crono]

Originally posted by: Kazaam

Originally posted by: randay
have you seen a bird fly by flapping its feet? yeah that would be stupid, you flap your hands, thats how you fly.

that sounds too literal, but was my first though.

i guess he could mean fight, but that would be retarded since a)he was about to kill himself and b)they already lost and were running away and would've gotten destroyed by the other force.

reading it in context, i guess he WAS talking about flying as being liberated via committing suicide. heres the paragraph:

"As the night advanced, Brutus turned, just as he sat, towards his servant Cleitus, and talked with him. And when Cleitus wept and made no answer, Brutus next drew Dardanus his shield-bearer and had some private conversation with him. 2 Finally, he spoke to Volumnius himself in Greek, reminding him of their student life, and begged him to grasp his sword with him and help him drive home the blow. 3 And when Volumnius refused, and the rest likewise, and some one said they must not tarry p245 but fly, Brutus rose and said: "By all means must we fly; not with our feet, however, but with our hands." "

Fly = flee, it's a older English usage of the word (I think it's still used, and I recall it being used in LoTR by Tolkien). Aluvus had it right.

 

[SirStev0]

Originally posted by: aceO07
It's a play on words? Fly = run or fly (at) = attack. So he meant to attack with his hands? Depends on the context.

That is what I was thinking. You could either run or fight. He was going with fight.

 

[nanette1985]

The "fly feet hands" thing is translated from the Greek of Plutarch. I don't know enough Greek to be able to translate it myself or to get the specific meaning of the Greek words.

Also, Plutarch was writing, but Brutus was speaking (while dying). Maybe he really said "frying" while referring to his favorite barbeque dish, and his friends jazzed it up a bit, thinking that wasn't quite fancy enough for a world-class military dude.

And since he was speaking in Latin (or Greek), who the heck knows what he actually said.

 

[acheron]

Originally posted by: princess ida
Also, Plutarch was writing, but Brutus was speaking (while dying).

"By all means must we fly; not with our feet, however, but aarrrrrrrrrggggggh."

 

[acheron]

.

 

[ElFenix]

Originally posted by: acheron

Originally posted by: princess ida
Also, Plutarch was writing, but Brutus was speaking (while dying).

"By all means must we fly; not with our feet, however, but aarrrrrrrrrggggggh."

KNIGHT: There! Look!
LAUNCELOT: What does it say?
GALAHAD: What language is that?
ARTHUR: Brother Maynard, you're our scholar!
MAYNARD: It's Aramaic!
GALAHAD: Of course! Joseph of Aramathea!
LAUNCELOT: Course!
KNIGHT: What does it say?
MAYNARD: It reads, 'Here may be found the last words of Joseph of
Aramathea. He who is valiant and pure of spirit may find the Holy Grail
in the Castle of uuggggggh'.
ARTHUR: What?
MAYNARD: '... the Castle of uuggggggh'.
BEDEMIR: What is that?
MAYNARD: He must have died while carving it.
LAUNCELOT: Oh, come on!
MAYNARD: Well, that's what it says.
ARTHUR: Look, if he was dying, he wouldn't bother to carve 'aaggggh'.
He'd just say it!
MAYNARD: Well, that's what's carved in the rock!
GALAHAD: Perhaps he was dictating.
ARTHUR: Oh, shut up. Well, does it say anything else?
MAYNARD: No. Just, 'uuggggggh'.
LAUNCELOT: Aauuggghhh.
KNIGHT: Aaauggh.
BEDEMIR: You don't suppose he meant the Camauuuugh?
KNIGHT: Where's that?
BEDEMIR: France, I think.
LAUNCELOT: Isn't there a Saint Aauuuves in Cornwall?
ARTHUR: No, that's Saint Ives.
LAUNCELOT: Oh, yes. Saint Iiiives.
SEVERAL: Iiiiives.
BEDEMIR: Oooohoohohooo!
LAUNCELOT: No, no, aauuuuugh, at the back of the throat. Aauuugh.
BEDEMIR: No, no, no, oooooooh, in surprise and alarm.
LAUNCELOT: Oh, you mean sort of a aaaagh!
BEDEMIR: Yes, but I-- Aaaaagh!
KNIGHT: Oooh!
KNIGHT: Oh, no!
[roar]
MAYNARD: It's the legendary Black Beast of aaauuugh!
ARTHUR: Run away!
ALL: Run away! Run away!

 

[Legendary]

This thread made me think of Brutuskend

As for the quote, I think context is required. Brutus committed suicide after defeat in battle, so maybe he meant instead of running (with feet) they should take their own lives (with their own hands)

 

[Nik]

Originally posted by: Xanis

Originally posted by: oldsmoboat
Brutus'

not necessarily true

add 's to the singular form of the word (even if it ends in -s):
the owner's car
James's hat (James' hat is also acceptable. For plural, proper nouns that are possessive, use an apostrophe after the 's': "The Eggles' presentation was good." The Eggles are a husband and wife consultant team.)

"Et tu Brute?"