Peanuts In My Pocket

Each morning, I start my day with the New York Times mini crossword—before reading the headlines. It’s part of a larger learning goal I’ve set for myself: becoming proficient at solving crossword puzzles. I’ve been making steady progress, but this morning I came across a clue and answer combo that felt unusually snarky—and maybe even a little subversive.

Clue: “Never give a sword to a man who can’t ___” — Confucius
Answer: Dance

Naturally, I had questions. First, did Confucius actually say this? And second, what’s the deeper meaning here—especially since it felt like a quiet jab at modern leadership?

So I asked Wally.

Per ChatGPT (aka “Wally”):

Don’t entrust power or dangerous tools to someone who lacks grace, control, or understanding of balance.

The sword isn’t just a weapon here—it’s a metaphor for power, responsibility, or influence. And dancing? It’s not about the cha-cha. In this context, it symbolizes grace, discipline, rhythm, and emotional intelligence.

So the message is:

If someone lacks balance and self-awareness, they’re dangerous when armed with power.

It’s another way of saying:
Don’t promote someone with no tact to a leadership role.
Don’t hand emotional volatility the keys to the kingdom—or the launch codes.

Wally seems to agree with me.

After digging around a bit more, I confirmed my suspicion: this quote almost certainly didn’t come from Confucius. It reads more like a modern proverb written in a Confucian style. But honestly? It slaps. I can almost hear it.

A subtle jab at Trump by New York Times crossword editor Christina Iverson? Well played.