What does it mean for someone to have no quarter?

[coloradodem2005]

As in, what does it mean to say "They hold no quarter"?

[LisaLynne]

1. They cannot play any coin-operated video games.

At least, that's what it mean to me when I was 12. Oh, okay, until I was 23 and bought an NES!

[GingerSnaps]

2. "No Mercy"

[Droopy]

3. I think it means they are not going to cut you any slack. n/t

[TrogL]

4. They have kids

(i'm kidding)

Actually, it's "giving no quarter". It's a war thing. Presumably in warfare there would come a time when you might back off and see if the other side wants to surrender or have a party or something. If you are giving no quarter, no surrender, no party.

[Swede]

5. Take no prisoners.

As Lawrence of Arabia used to say.

[Spider Jerusalem]

6. Quarter = point of the compass.

To give no quarter = to cut off all of your enemy's escape routes.

[nadinbrzezinski]

7. No mercy, asked or given

[LostInAnomie]

8. They have 24 cents or less...

[Turn CO Blue]

9. "Give no quarter" means to show no friendliness to the enemy.

[bywho4who]

10. That Would Be

I do not give a f*

[HawkerHurricane]

11. Knights in shining armor...

represented a massive investment in funds to equip and train. A knight who surrendered offered 1/4 of the value of his gear (armor, weapons, horse) in return for his release. So, a knight who called for "Quarter" was essentially promising a large sum of cash in return for a. you not killing him and b. him not fighting. To say 'No Quarter' is to refuse to take him prisoner and telling him to fight to the death... of course, usually you told him this AFTER he had surrendered, but that's not terribly honorable... so proper form was to tell all involved in battle that you were not accepting surrenders in advance; "No Quarter given or asked!", saying that you wouldn't be taking prisoners nor surrendering yourself.

No quarter, NO QUARTER!
You damn well earned your fate!
Give Satan my compliments,
We're sorry that your late!

[wtmusic]

12. three cheers

for that fascinating bit of trivia! :thumbsup:

[Nevernose]

17. The OED disagrees with you

18. a. Exemption from being immediately put to death, granted to a vanquished opponent by the victor in a battle or fight; clemency or mercy shown in sparing the life of one who surrenders. {dag}Formerly also pl. {dag}to cry quarter: to call for quarter.
The precise origin of this sense is obscure, but it may be derived from defintion 17, or even from definition 15 on the supposition that to give quarter originally meant to provide prisoners with quarters. The assertion of De Brieux (1672 Origines..de plusieurs façons de parler, 16) that it arose in an agreement between the Dutch and Spaniards, by which the ransom of an officer or private was to be a quarter of his pay, is at variance with the constant sense of the phrases give and receive quarter.

(It would ssem to me that the De Brieux assertion is the origin of the "knight in shinging armor" myth. Also, there is apparently no mention of the word "quarter" being used in any written form relating to warfare that early. When it finally does appear in a war-related form, it is a reference to housing.)

1611 COTGR., Quartier..Quarter, or faire war, wherein souldiers are taken prisoners and ransomed at a certaine rate. c1645 HOWELL Lett. (1655) I. 231 He suffered Tilly to take that great Town with so much effusion of blood, because they wood receiue no quarter. 1659 B. HARRIS Parival's Iron Age 308 Many were cut down, the Swedes giving no quarter. 1693 Mem. Ct. Teckely II. 89 As this was not a War of Quarter, they defended themselves desperately. 1720 DE FOE Capt. Singleton xi. (1840) 188 The Portuguese cry quarter. 1788 PRIESTLEY Lect. Hist. V. lxii. 494 Civil wars are also peculiarly bloody, because less quarter is expected in them. 1816 BYRON Siege Cor. xxiv, Cry For quarter, or for victory. 1841 JAMES Brigand iii, Several of them uttered a cry of ‘Quarter quarter’. 1865 KINGSLEY Herew. vii, Hereward bid his men give quarter.



pl. c1644 MS. Hist. Somerville Fam. in Scott's Rokeby, Having refused quarters, every man fell in the same order and ranke wherin he had foughten. 1684 Scanderbeg Rediv. iv. 91 There was no Quarters given during the heat of the fight. 1726 G. SHELVOCKE Voy. round World 129 They instantly came to, and call'd for quarters. 1747 Gentl. Mag. 486 Near 7 at night she called out for quarters. 1769 FALCONER Dict. Marine (1780) s.v., Quarters is also an exclamation to implore mercy from a victorious enemy.


b. transf. and fig.

1647 WARD Simp. Cobler 72 He shewes more true fortitude, that prayes quarter of..Truth. 1684 J. PETER Siege Vienna 51 Nor was there any quarter given to the Wine-Cellars of the Emperor's Ministers. 1745 DE FOE Eng. Tradesman (1841) I. vii. 55 The tradesman can expect no quarter from his creditors. 1762 KAMES Elem. Crit. xix. (1833) 344 Mere witticisms, which ought to have no quarter. 1817 SHELLEY Rev. Islam Pref., There is no quarter given to Revenge, or Envy, or Prejudice. 1871 MORLEY Crit. Misc. Ser. I. Vauvenargues (1878) 25 The Trappist theory of the conditions of virtue found no quarter with him.

The aforementioned 15 and 17 are:

15. a. Place of stay or residence; dwelling-place, lodgings, esp. of soldiers. Now usu. in pl.
free quarter(s): see FREE-QUARTER. head-, home-, out-, summer-, winter-quarters: see the first element. quarters of refreshment (see quot. 1702-11). to beat up the quarters of: see BEAT v.1 28. to take up one's quarters: to establish oneself (in a place).

1717. a. Relations with, or conduct towards, another; esp. in phr. to keep good (or fair) quarter(s) with.

1590 SHAKES. Com. Err. II. i. 108 So he would keepe faire quarter with his bed. 1604 {emem} Oth. II. iii. 180 Friends all..In Quarter, and in termes like Bride, and Groome. 1625 BACON Ess., Cunning (Arb.) 439 Two, that were Competitors,..yet kept good Quarter betweene themselues. 1637 RUTHERFORD Lett. (1862) I. 207, I find it to be hard wrestling to play fair with Christ and to keep good quarters with Him. a1674 CLARENDON Surv. Leviathan (1676) 153 The two next Kings..kept very fair quarter with Paschal.

[sally343434]

13. I'm surprised nobody here knows this!

In that sense, the word "quarter" refers to a location or place. You sometimes hear the term "quarters," meaning a barracks. But in this use, the singular is more akin to saying something like "The French Quarter."

So, if you say someone or something "holds no quarter," it means that he or it has no place or standing.

Typical uses:

"That attitude holds no quarter with me."

"His attitude has no quarter in this discussion."

[bsuz]

14. Here is what it really means...

I ain't gonna work for Maggie's brother no more
I ain't gonna work for Maggie's brother no more
Hands you a nickel and he hands you a dime
Asks you with a grin if you're having a good time
And he fines you every time you slam the door
I ain't gonna work for Maggie's brother no more

From" Maggies Farm" Dylan

[miss_kitty]

15. it means exactly this:

They have this album by Jimmy Page and Robert Plant

[coloradodem2005]

16. I have the original version of that album.

You know it's a Zeppeling song too. I was wondering what the expression meant in the context of the Led Zeppelin song 'No Quarter'.

[miss_kitty]

18. well apparently there are 3-5 or more meanings

with one person thinking s/he is the only one with the real answer.

I am working in a small nursery counting and moving plants around. the guy net door to the place restores or builds muscle cars and blasts this quite a lot. He's got a gun, so I don't say anything, but I like it better when 'Houses of the Holy' is spinning.

[Seabiscuit]

19. They're about to "nickel and dime" you.