Let Loose/Slip the Dogs of War

Let Loose/Slip the Dogs of War / idiom :

First Page Mentioned (By Name) : ch. “The Ex-Vacation?” – pg. 46

“Cry 'Havoc' and let slip the dogs of war!” - Mark Antony, Act 3 Scene 1 Line 273 “Julius Caesar” by William Shakespeare is the main source for which this phrase lays credit, however, similar usages of “dogs of war” and “crying havoc” predate Shakespeare. The idiom references the controls commanding officers have over their soldiers as being 'reins', and their soldiers being 'dogs of war'. By letting those reins slip, their soldiers are allowed full freedom to carry out whatever actions they feel they need to carry out in order to get the job done. It's a very threatening prospect, with the idea that soldiers who have no guidelines are especially dangerous and vulgar in their behavior. Crying 'havoc' is a declaration the soldiers are to loot and pillage the targets of their assault.

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