(See also PLACATION.)
all quiet on the Potomac A period of peace during a war; any time marked by the absence of fighting or quarreling. This expression (now used ironically or humorously) is generally thought to have originated and gained currency during the Civil War. It appeared as early as 1861 in an article by E. L. Beers in Harper’s Weekly. Simon Cameron, then Secretary of War, frequently used the phrase in his bulletins reporting the state of the war. Its origin has also been attributed to General George McClellan.
all quiet on the Western Front Peaceful, calm. This phrase is an update of the earlier all quiet on the Potomac. It was the official statement issued each day by the War Department during the periods of relatively little trench fighting in World War I.
bury the hatchet To lay down arms, to cease fighting, to make peace; also to bury the ax or tomahawk. The allusion is to the North American Indian custom of burying tomahawks, scalping-knives, and war clubs as a sign of good faith when concluding a peace. The procedure is described by Washington Irving in Adventures of Captain Bonneville (1837):
The chiefs met; the amicable pipe was smoked, the hatchet buried, and peace formally proclaimed.
The expression dates from the late 1600s. See also take up the hatchet, COMBAT.
calm before the storm A period of relative peacefulness preceding an outbreak of confusion and tumult; the quiet and sane minutes just before chaos erupts. A drop in the barometric pressure prior to a thunderstorm produces an uncomfortable, almost eerie feeling of calmness. This meterological phenomenon has given rise to the popular expression calm before the storm.
dove A pacifist, one who opposes war, in contrast to a “hawk,” who advocates a belligerent, warlike policy; one who favors negotiation and compromise as a means of resolving differences. The dove has been a symbol of peace in art and literature since Noah sent a dove from the ark to see if the waters had abated (Genesis 8:8-12). Dove referring to an antiwar advocate gained currency in 1962 during the Cuban Missile Crisis, and eventually became the label for those advocating withdrawal of U.S. troops from Vietnam.
The hawks favored an air strike to eliminate the Cuban missile bases…. The doves opposed the air strikes and favored a blockade. (Alsop and Bartlett in Saturday Evening Post, December 8, 1962)
halcyon days A time of peace and prosperity; palmy or golden days. The halcyon was a bird, usually identified as a type of kingfisher, which bred in nests floating on the sea. The ancients believed that these birds charmed the winds and waves of the sea into tranquillity during their breeding season.
Thus, halycon days originally referred to the two weeks of calm weather about the time of the winter solstice during which the halcyons bred. The current, figurative sense of halcyon days dates from the latter half of the 16th century.
hold out the olive branch To make an overture for peace; to indicate one’s peaceful intentions. Long considered a token or symbol of peace, the olive branch was represented as such in Genesis 8:11:
And the dove came in to him in the evening; and, lo, in her mouth was an olive leaf pluckt off: so Noah knew that the waters were abated from off the earth.
A more recent example of its use appears below:
My mother … had first tendered the olive branch, which had been accepted. (Frederick Marryat, Percival Keene, 1837)
Today this phrase still frequently appears in formal contexts.
raise the white flag See SUBMISSION.
| Imperative |
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| peace |
| peace |
| Noun | 1. | peace - the state prevailing during the absence of warorder - established customary state (especially of society); "order ruled in the streets"; "law and order" amity - a state of friendship and cordiality armistice, cease-fire, truce - a state of peace agreed to between opponents so they can discuss peace terms conciliation - the state of manifesting goodwill and cooperation after being reconciled; "there was a brief period of conciliation but the fighting soon resumed" collective security - a system for international peace Pax Romana - the Roman peace; the long period of peace enforced on states in the Roman Empire state of war, war - a legal state created by a declaration of war and ended by official declaration during which the international rules of war apply; "war was declared in November but actual fighting did not begin until the following spring" |
| 2. | peace - harmonious relations; freedom from disputes; "the roommates lived in peace together" concordance, concord, harmony - a harmonious state of things in general and of their properties (as of colors and sounds); congruity of parts with one another and with the whole | |
| 3. | peace - the absence of mental stress or anxiety | |
| 4. | peace - the general security of public places; "he was arrested for disturbing the peace"security - the state of being free from danger or injury; "we support the armed services in the name of national security" | |
| 5. | peace - a treaty to cease hostilities; "peace came on November 11th" |