--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: And he’s maneuvered Old George into a…" description: "\"“And he’s maneuvered Old George into a position where the only way to safety lies through the New Annex. Things are about to get very messy indeed, for..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b49/charles-stross-896_messy_and-he-s-maneuvered-old-george-into-a-po_496365.png" --- # And he’s maneuvered Old George into a position where the… ![“And he’s maneuvered Old George into a position where the only way to safety lies through the New Annex. Things are about to get very messy indeed, for blood-on-the-walls values of messy.” quote by Charles Stross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b49/charles-stross-896_messy_and-he-s-maneuvered-old-george-into-a-po_496365.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b49/charles-stross-896_messy_and-he-s-maneuvered-old-george-into-a-po_496365.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b49/charles-stross-896_messy_and-he-s-maneuvered-old-george-into-a-po_496365.png) > ““And he’s maneuvered Old George into a position where the only way to safety lies through the New Annex. Things are about to get very messy indeed, for blood-on-the-walls values of messy.”” [Charles Stross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-stross/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A character is forced into a dangerous escape route, highlighting that chaotic situations often have hidden risks and moral compromises. **In simple terms:** Escaping danger can be messy and morally ambiguous. Key Takeaway Beware hidden costs of seemingly safe choices. Themes danger morality politics conflict Mood tense reflective Type cautionary political When to use this quote - military retreats - political negotiations - emergency evacuations - high‑stakes espionage Key Concepts ethical dilemmas strategic planning risk assessment Questions to Reflect On - What hidden costs might your safe choice conceal? - How do you balance safety with moral integrity? A Different Perspective Even a "safe" path may involve unintended violence or ethical loss. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet ## Related quotes > [Along the way, a lot of filmmakers get rid of things that are messy or don't fit in some ways. To me, I want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-greene/along-the-way-a-lot-of-filmmakers-get-rid-of-things-that-are-messy-or/) [Robert Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-greene/) > [Relationships are like farts... If you push too hard things will get messy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trent-thomas/relationships-are-like-farts-if-you-push-too-hard-things-will-get/) [Trent Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trent-thomas/) > [Rain didn't make things messy. People did that all on their own.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-delinsky/rain-didn-t-make-things-messy-people-did-that-all-on-their-own/) [Barbara Delinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-delinsky/) > [I'm not crazy about being out of control, and I get emotional when things are unclean. When things are out of order. When things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-cranston/i-m-not-crazy-about-being-out-of-control-and-i-get-emotional-when/) [Bryan Cranston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryan-cranston/) > [“I'm starting to learn that if things are messy, or pieces don't get put back right, they are going to hurt, either way.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-ys-perez/i-m-starting-to-learn-that-if-things-are-messy-or-pieces-don-t-get/) [R. YS Perez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-ys-perez/) > [I'm not a neat freak. I don't mind things being messy but I mind them being dirty. I just can't relax in a dirty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leah-remini/i-m-not-a-neat-freak-i-don-t-mind-things-being-messy-but-i-mind-them/) [Leah Remini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leah-remini/) > [Relationships are like farting, If you push too hard things could get messy real fast.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-hart/relationships-are-like-farting-if-you-push-too-hard-things-could-get/) [Kevin Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-hart/) > [“When things get messy in your life, always embrace the fact that you're not perfect. Do not beat yourself up when you mess up.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcia-m-edwards/when-things-get-messy-in-your-life-always-embrace-the-fact-that-you/) [Marcia M Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcia-m-edwards/) > [“I know things are messy with us, but do you really think I could just walk away from you?" This time he doesn't look…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-weston/i-know-things-are-messy-with-us-but-do-you-really-think-i-could-just/) [Paula Weston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-weston/) > [Any replacement to the current copyright position (life plus 70 years) needs to have an answer lined up for this, and similar, messy edge cases.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-stross/any-replacement-to-the-current-copyright-position-life-plus-70-years/) [Charles Stross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-stross/) > [People are messy and complex, particularly in the homosexual world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milo-yiannopoulos/people-are-messy-and-complex-particularly-in-the-homosexual-world/) [Milo Yiannopoulos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milo-yiannopoulos/) > [ The parts of the \[Civil Right\] Movement we recognize so well now were not born from a single decision, but were a complicated and… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-aydin/the-parts-of-the-civil-right-movement-we-recognize-so-well-now-were/) [Andrew Aydin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-aydin/) > [You can’t bake a cake without getting the kitchen messy. Halfway through surgery it looks like there’s been a murder in the operating room.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/price-pritchett/you-can-t-bake-a-cake-without-getting-the-kitchen-messy-halfway/) [Price Pritchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/price-pritchett/) > [I'd think the house was the source of great sadness or pressure. I knew it wasn't. I knew it was just where I lived.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-granduciel/i-d-think-the-house-was-the-source-of-great-sadness-or-pressure-i/) [Adam Granduciel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-granduciel/) > [“It’s the difference between dancing along the eggshell crust of acquaintance and diving into the messy center of a relationship.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/it-s-the-difference-between-dancing-along-the-eggshell-crust-of/) [Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/) ## More by Charles Stross > [We are Bay Aryans from Berkeley: prepare to be reengineered in an attractive range of color schemes for your safety and comfort!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-stross/we-are-bay-aryans-from-berkeley-prepare-to-be-reengineered-in-an/) [Charles Stross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-stross/) > [“Shut up. Stand up. Put this on. That’s right . . . if you were the kind of man who found it easy to do that kind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-stross/shut-up-stand-up-put-this-on-that-s-right-if-you-were-the-kind-of-man/) [Charles Stross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-stross/) > [Generating ideas isn't some mystical talent that you have to be born with: it's a skill you can develop.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-stross/generating-ideas-isn-t-some-mystical-talent-that-you-have-to-be-born/) [Charles Stross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-stross/) > [Any replacement to the current copyright position (life plus 70 years) needs to have an answer lined up for this, and similar, messy edge cases.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-stross/any-replacement-to-the-current-copyright-position-life-plus-70-years/) [Charles Stross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-stross/) > [Time is a corrosive fluid, dissolving motivation, destroying novelty, and leaching the joy from life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-stross/time-is-a-corrosive-fluid-dissolving-motivation-destroying-novelty/) [Charles Stross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-stross/) > [“- Toma un puro, Sherlock. - Lo siento; sólo echo humo cuando me enchufan a la red eléctrica.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-stross/toma-un-puro-sherlock-lo-siento-s-lo-echo-humo-cuando-me-enchufan-a/) [Charles Stross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-stross/) > [I have no policy, for or against: only a personal style. Which is to say, I use them when I think it's appropriate to;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-stross/i-have-no-policy-for-or-against-only-a-personal-style-which-is-to-say/) [Charles Stross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-stross/) > [“To boldly go where no uploaded metahuman colony has gone before”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-stross/to-boldly-go-where-no-uploaded-metahuman-colony-has-gone-before/) [Charles Stross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-stross/) > [I was raised thinking that moral and ethical standards are universals that apply equally to everyone. And these values aren't easily compatible with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-stross/i-was-raised-thinking-that-moral-and-ethical-standards-are-universals/) [Charles Stross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-stross/) > [I don't like Amazon (wearing my author hat, not my customer hat).](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-stross/i-don-t-like-amazon-wearing-my-author-hat-not-my-customer-hat/) [Charles Stross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-stross/) > [“Some say the Internet is for porn but you know that in truth the Internet is for spam.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-stross/some-say-the-internet-is-for-porn-but-you-know-that-in-truth-the/) [Charles Stross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-stross/) > [If I forget, then it might as well never have happened. Memory is liberty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-stross/if-i-forget-then-it-might-as-well-never-have-happened-memory-is/) [Charles Stross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-stross/) > [“If he wakes the ancient sleeping horrors I am going to have to brief the private secretary and the Joint Intelligence Oversight Committee so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-stross/if-he-wakes-the-ancient-sleeping-horrors-i-am-going-to-have-to-brief/) [Charles Stross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-stross/) > [“Crawling eldritch horrors don’t get planning permission unless they’re Trump’s hairpiece.)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-stross/crawling-eldritch-horrors-don-t-get-planning-permission-unless-they/) [Charles Stross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-stross/) > [“A historian who works for a bank: That’s not the most likely background for someone who capers around the cosmos having adventures, is it?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-stross/a-historian-who-works-for-a-bank-that-s-not-the-most-likely/) [Charles Stross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-stross/) [Explore all 331 Charles Stross quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-stross/) ## More Messy quotes > [“It’s the difference between dancing along the eggshell crust of acquaintance and diving into the messy center of a relationship.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/it-s-the-difference-between-dancing-along-the-eggshell-crust-of/) [Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/) > [I'd think the house was the source of great sadness or pressure. I knew it wasn't. I knew it was just where I lived.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-granduciel/i-d-think-the-house-was-the-source-of-great-sadness-or-pressure-i/) [Adam Granduciel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-granduciel/) > [You can’t bake a cake without getting the kitchen messy. Halfway through surgery it looks like there’s been a murder in the operating room.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/price-pritchett/you-can-t-bake-a-cake-without-getting-the-kitchen-messy-halfway/) [Price Pritchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/price-pritchett/) > [ The parts of the \[Civil Right\] Movement we recognize so well now were not born from a single decision, but were a complicated and… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-aydin/the-parts-of-the-civil-right-movement-we-recognize-so-well-now-were/) [Andrew Aydin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-aydin/) > [People are messy and complex, particularly in the homosexual world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milo-yiannopoulos/people-are-messy-and-complex-particularly-in-the-homosexual-world/) [Milo Yiannopoulos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milo-yiannopoulos/) > [Any replacement to the current copyright position (life plus 70 years) needs to have an answer lined up for this, and similar, messy edge cases.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-stross/any-replacement-to-the-current-copyright-position-life-plus-70-years/) [Charles Stross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-stross/) > [“Relationships are messy and painful, and hard to maintain. It takes time build, but only seconds to destroy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexis-tiger/relationships-are-messy-and-painful-and-hard-to-maintain-it-takes/) Alexis Tiger > [Messy love is better than none, I guess. I am no authority on sane living.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-atwood/messy-love-is-better-than-none-i-guess-i-am-no-authority-on-sane/) [Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/) > [Do people always act this way around you? (Kiara) You should have seen the reactions when I wore a League uniform. Those were actually…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/do-people-always-act-this-way-around-you-kiara-you-should-have-seen/) [Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/) > [This is why I loved the support groups so much, if people thought you were dying, they gave you their full attention. If this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/this-is-why-i-loved-the-support-groups-so-much-if-people-thought-you/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [Mom, my friends don't care if my room is messy. They just care if we have food.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/mom-my-friends-don-t-care-if-my-room-is-messy-they-just-care-if-we/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [What fiction offers us is an intimacy shorn of the messy contingencies of human existence - gender, race, class or age. Those moments of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-self/what-fiction-offers-us-is-an-intimacy-shorn-of-the-messy/) [Will Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-self/) > [“Don't cry over the same thing twice. Get it all out the first time, even if it's loud and messy. Then it's over.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruth-emmie-lang/don-t-cry-over-the-same-thing-twice-get-it-all-out-the-first-time/) [Ruth Emmie Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruth-emmie-lang/) > [“Living is messy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woody-allen/living-is-messy/) [woody allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woody-allen/) > [When you see a tumour in the brain, it's an ugly looking thing. It's kind of black, grisly and messy. Or it can be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-nesbitt/when-you-see-a-tumour-in-the-brain-it-s-an-ugly-looking-thing-it-s/) [James Nesbitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-nesbitt/) Browse all 672 Messy quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“And he’s maneuvered Old George into a position where the only way to safety lies through the New Annex. Things are about to get very messy indeed, for blood-on-the-walls values of messy.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Charles Stross" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-stross/and-he-s-maneuvered-old-george-into-a-position-where-the-only-way-to/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Messy" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-stross/and-he-s-maneuvered-old-george-into-a-position-where-the-only-way-to/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b49/charles-stross-896_messy_and-he-s-maneuvered-old-george-into-a-po_496365.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b49/charles-stross-896_messy_and-he-s-maneuvered-old-george-into-a-po_496365.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b49/charles-stross-896_messy_and-he-s-maneuvered-old-george-into-a-po_496365.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“And he’s maneuvered Old George into a position where the only way to safety lies through the New Annex…” — Charles Stross", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Charles Stross", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-stross/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“And he’s maneuvered Old George into...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-stross/and-he-s-maneuvered-old-george-into-a-position-where-the-only-way-to/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-stross/and-he-s-maneuvered-old-george-into-a-position-where-the-only-way-to/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```