--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: As a matter of fact,” says a commandant…" description: "\"“As a matter of fact,” says a commandant, “anybody — or, rather, everybody did. The general idea is after such-and-such system, the patent of which had..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fa7/anonymous-1_matter-of-fact_as-a-matter-of-fact-says-a-commandant-an_360863.jpg" --- # As a matter of fact,” says a commandant, “anybody — or… ![“As a matter of fact,” says a commandant, “anybody — or, rather, everybody did. The general idea is after such-and-such system, the patent of which had expired, and we improved it; the breech action, with slight modification, is somebody else’s; the sighting is perhaps a little special; and so is…” quote by Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fa7/anonymous-1_matter-of-fact_as-a-matter-of-fact-says-a-commandant-an_360863.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fa7/anonymous-1_matter-of-fact_as-a-matter-of-fact-says-a-commandant-an_360863.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fa7/anonymous-1_matter-of-fact_as-a-matter-of-fact-says-a-commandant-an_360863.jpg) > ““As a matter of fact,” says a commandant, “anybody — or, rather, everybody did. The general idea is after such-and-such system, the patent of which had expired, and we improved it; the breech action, with slight modification, is somebody else’s; the sighting is perhaps a little special; and so is the traversing, but, at bottom, it is only an assembly of variations and arrangements.” That, of course, is all that Shakespeare ever got out of the alphabet. The French Artillery make their own guns as he made his plays.”” [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Describes how a weapon system is merely a collection of minor tweaks, likening it to Shakespeare’s limited use of language. **In simple terms:** Weapons are built from small variations, not breakthroughs. Key Takeaway Recognize incremental innovation. Themes innovation technology history language military creativity Mood analytical critical Type explanatory reflective When to use this quote - weapon development - patent expiration - creative processes Key Concepts incremental design intellectual property artistic analogy Questions to Reflect On - What value lies in small improvements? - How does analogy shape our view of technology? A Different Perspective Oversimplifies complex engineering achievements. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Artillery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artillery/) [Artillery Make](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artillery-make-3314386/) [Breech Action](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/breech-action-3314389/) [Commandant Anybody](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/commandant-anybody-3314387/) [Matter of fact](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/matter-of-fact/) [Says Commandant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/says-commandant-3314388/) ## Related quotes > [“More than Iran's enemies need artillery, guns, and so forth, they need to spread cultural values that lead to moral corruption... a senior official…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/more-than-iran-s-enemies-need-artillery-guns-and-so-forth-they-need/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You do not need a guy/girl to tell you that you are hot or anything the matter of fact that your living. There are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-do-not-need-a-guy-girl-to-tell-you-that-you-are-hot-or-anything/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [How you gone know where I'm at if you aint been where I been now do you understand where I'm coming from so really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/how-you-gone-know-where-i-m-at-if-you-aint-been-where-i-been-now-do/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I am not a morning person. Never have been - never want to be. As a matter of fact, I am vaguely distrustful of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-am-not-a-morning-person-never-have-been-never-want-to-be-as-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [1 day you love me and then 1 day you hate me. 1 day you wanna forget me and then turn around and chase…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/1-day-you-love-me-and-then-1-day-you-hate-me-1-day-you-wanna-forget/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [As a matter of fact, I rather feel like expressing myself now.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/as-a-matter-of-fact-i-rather-feel-like-expressing-myself-now/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Popularity gets you nowhere after high school, matter of fact it's the last thing on your mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/popularity-gets-you-nowhere-after-high-school-matter-of-fact-it-s-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Life is not a matter of fact. What is fact or fiction is a matter of perspective.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-not-a-matter-of-fact-what-is-fact-or-fiction-is-a-matter-of/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [We are not utopians, we do not “dream” of dispensing at once with all administration, with all subordination. These anarchist dreams, based upon incomprehension…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/we-are-not-utopians-we-do-not-dream-of-dispensing-at-once-with-all/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [As a matter of fact it does hurt me to smile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/as-a-matter-of-fact-it-does-hurt-me-to-smile/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [She, too, had worn a mask in assuming a contempt for him, whilst, as a matter of fact, she completely misunderstood him](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/she-too-had-worn-a-mask-in-assuming-a-contempt-for-him-whilst-as-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Matter-of-fact descriptions make the improbable seem real.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/matter-of-fact-descriptions-make-the-improbable-seem-real/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Think you a little din can daunt mine ears? Have I not in my time heard lions roar? Have I not heard the sea,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/think-you-a-little-din-can-daunt-mine-ears-have-i-not-in-my-time/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [The epic disappeared along with the age of personal heroism; there can be no epic with artillery.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-renan/the-epic-disappeared-along-with-the-age-of-personal-heroism-there-can/) [Ernest Renan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-renan/) > [Another success is the post-office, with its educating energy augmented by cheapness and guarded by a certain religious sentimentin mankind; so that the power…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/another-success-is-the-post-office-with-its-educating-energy/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) ## More by Anonymous > [And a tear rolled down her cheek, as she said goodbye; because she's walking away, and she's never looking back](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/and-a-tear-rolled-down-her-cheek-as-she-said-goodbye-because-she-s/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Life is full of change. That's how we learn and grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-full-of-change-that-s-how-we-learn-and-grow/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You'll seldom experience regret for anything that you've done. It is what you haven't done that will torment you. The message, therefore, is clear.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-ll-seldom-experience-regret-for-anything-that-you-ve-done-it-is/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Scrabble - The game is available in Braille. That’s a nice fact. This makes me feel better about humanity for some reason. I can’t…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/scrabble-the-game-is-available-in-braille-that-s-a-nice-fact-this/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Everyone needs someone to love, and I choose you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/everyone-needs-someone-to-love-and-i-choose-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“THIS tale of my sore-troubled life I write,    To thank the God of nature, who conveyed    My soul to me, and with such care…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/this-tale-of-my-sore-troubled-life-i-write-to-thank-the-god-of-nature/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Put on my J's and dance the whole night away Im naughty by nature like Im hip-hop hooray With my hands in the sky,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/put-on-my-j-s-and-dance-the-whole-night-away-im-naughty-by-nature/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Me.. I have been through a lot, but I still manage to have a smile on my face. Im not worried about the past…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/me-i-have-been-through-a-lot-but-i-still-manage-to-have-a-smile-on-my/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Distance is a test of love. many will fail for those who can't withstand it, but for those who can, theres only one answer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/distance-is-a-test-of-love-many-will-fail-for-those-who-can-t/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Im sorry I ever tried...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/im-sorry-i-ever-tried/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Being betrayed by the one you love is the worst feeling in the world...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/being-betrayed-by-the-one-you-love-is-the-worst-feeling-in-the-world/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Let children support their parents or be imprisoned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/let-children-support-their-parents-or-be-imprisoned/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The only person I've ever purposely caused pain here is myself...By simply sharing, caring too much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-only-person-i-ve-ever-purposely-caused-pain-here-is-myself-by/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Start a business, not a startup”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/start-a-business-not-a-startup/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The truth is, of course, that the curtness of the Ten Commandments is an evidence, not of the gloom and narrowness of a religion,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-truth-is-of-course-that-the-curtness-of-the-ten-commandments-is/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Explore all 162,899 Anonymous quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More Artillery quotes > [Another success is the post-office, with its educating energy augmented by cheapness and guarded by a certain religious sentimentin mankind; so that the power…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/another-success-is-the-post-office-with-its-educating-energy/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [The epic disappeared along with the age of personal heroism; there can be no epic with artillery.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-renan/the-epic-disappeared-along-with-the-age-of-personal-heroism-there-can/) [Ernest Renan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-renan/) > [Think you a little din can daunt mine ears? Have I not in my time heard lions roar? Have I not heard the sea,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/think-you-a-little-din-can-daunt-mine-ears-have-i-not-in-my-time/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Pyongyang possesses thousands of artillery pieces 30 miles from Seoul. Just one retaliatory salvo could decimate South Korea's capital.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antony-blinken/pyongyang-possesses-thousands-of-artillery-pieces-30-miles-from-seoul/) [Antony Blinken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antony-blinken/) > [No one accuses the gunner of maudlin affection for anything except his beasts and his weapons. He serves as least three jealous gods-his horse…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudyard-kipling/no-one-accuses-the-gunner-of-maudlin-affection-for-anything-except/) [Rudyard Kipling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudyard-kipling/) > [Blessed be those happy ages that were strangers to the dreadful fury of these devilish instruments of artillery, whose inventor I am satisfied is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miguel-de-cervantes/blessed-be-those-happy-ages-that-were-strangers-to-the-dreadful-fury/) [Miguel de Cervantes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miguel-de-cervantes/) > [“Shamu and I have arrived safely in Costa Rica. He was stopped by airport security because he carries enough artillery in his pants pockets…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chelsea-handler/shamu-and-i-have-arrived-safely-in-costa-rica-he-was-stopped-by/) [Chelsea Handler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chelsea-handler/) > [Great battles are won with artillery.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-bonaparte/great-battles-are-won-with-artillery/) [Napoleon Bonaparte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-bonaparte/) > [“Artillery fire is cheap, American lives are priceless”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-babcock/artillery-fire-is-cheap-american-lives-are-priceless/) [Robert Babcock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-babcock/) > [We now demand the light artillery of the intellect; we need the curt, the condensed, the pointed, the readily diffused -- in place of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-allan-poe/we-now-demand-the-light-artillery-of-the-intellect-we-need-the-curt/) [Edgar Allan Poe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-allan-poe/) > [Artillery is more essential to cavalry than to infantry, because cavalry has no fire for its defence, but depends on the sabre.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-bonaparte/artillery-is-more-essential-to-cavalry-than-to-infantry-because/) [Napoleon Bonaparte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-bonaparte/) > [Expressive glances Shall be our lances And pops of Sillery Our light artillery.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-raleigh/expressive-glances-shall-be-our-lances-and-pops-of-sillery-our-light/) [Walter Raleigh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-raleigh/) > [Fortifications, artillery, foreign aid - will be of no value, unless the ordinary soldier knows that it is HE guarding his country](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-gustaf-emil-mannerheim/fortifications-artillery-foreign-aid-will-be-of-no-value-unless-the/) [Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-gustaf-emil-mannerheim/) > [Marines have a cynical approach to war. 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