sticks and stones

noun

any obsolete technology (usually of military and law enforcement purposes) when used in comparison to state of the art technology used by the antagonists or competitors.

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Meanings

phrase
  1. abbreviationellipsisidiomaticEllipsis of sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.

    1957, Brendan Gill, The Day the Money Stopped ‘You cheap dead-beat son of a bitch.’ / ‘Sticks and stones.’

    3 more examples

    1993, The Independent, 15 May He has come through the worst and now presents a stoical ‘sticks and stones’ front to his detractors.

    Elizabeth Swann: You're despicable! Jack Sparrow: Sticks and stones, love.

    2003, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (film)

    (Kate): That's gross! You're a pervert. (Trekkie):Oh, sticks and stones, Kate Monster.

    2003, “The Internet Is For Porn”, in Avenue Q soundtrack
nounsticks and stones (plural not attested)
  1. idiomaticno pluralany obsolete technology (usually of military and law enforcement purposes) when used in comparison to state of the art technology used by the antagonists or competitors.

    I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones.

    20th century, (famous quote)
Cite this entry
APA

sticks and stones. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sticks%20and%20stones

MLA

“sticks and stones.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sticks%20and%20stones. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “sticks and stones,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sticks%20and%20stones.

Source: sticks and stones on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.