“Saber throw” is a slang term used to describe displays of military force and threats in politics. It refers to the saber, a sword once carried by high-ranking military officers, and can take various forms such as military exercises, speeches, and troop movements. Some consider it an empty threat, while others see it as a warning or intimidation tactic.
The slang term “saber throw” is used to describe displays of military force, and also more generally to any exchange of threats and attitudes, especially in politics. As a general rule, people use this term critically, often to refer to actions by foreign governments that are intended to carry implied threats. You may also hear the term in the context of high-potential business relationships.
This phrase is a reference to the saber, a type of sword that was once carried by all high-ranking military officers. Officers might threaten to draw their swords in a variety of situations, and in some cultures, officers would jingle their sabers in their scabbards to emphasize the message of threat. Although sabers are typically only used during ceremonies today, the concept of saber rattling lives on.
Saber rattling can take many forms. For example, a country might advertise military exercises and other displays of force, such as test detonations of new weapon systems. In some cases, nations may even come together to engage in some saber rattling; NATO members, for example, often conduct joint exercises both for training purposes and to remind people of the organization’s power. Saber rattling can also appear in speeches by heads of state or in the form of overt troop and supply movements.
In politics, saber rattling often appears in the form of thinly veiled threats that may or may not be carried out. Many political candidates engage in saber rattling in an attempt to scare each other, with the hope of flushing out an opponent’s embarrassing action or statement. Many politicians use a variety of threat techniques in debates and public forums to undermine their opponents.
Some people consider saber rattling to be an empty threat, implying that in the event of a serious threat, the saber would obviously be removed from its scabbard. However, it could also be seen as a warning, especially when performed by one country with the intention of sending a message to an opposing nation. A decisive show of military force could encourage a nation to reconsider invasion plans, for example, thus sparing both sides the pain of actual military action. Intimidation tactics can also be used for manipulation purposes, in an attempt to make a country capitulate to the terms of a particular treaty or trade agreement.
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