Quote:
Originally Posted by sodascouts
A stiletto is also a type of knife. It still is problematic as a simile (whips and knives don't really "cut through the air quickly" in a similar manner), but it's probably what she was going for.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stiletto |
indeed, the shoe heel was named for the knife-- high heeled shoes had wider, thicker heels and then tall very narrow heels came into style and were named for their resemblance the the knife.
Stilettos were common means of killing someone quickly and furtively and because of this are common in Shakespeare and other dramatic plays. People could hide them in the robes they wore in those times or in their garters (which men wore to hold up their silk socks or 'stockings'). You could quickly whip out the stiletto, stab your victim, put the knife back in your clothing and move on before anyone could see anything happening. So I always thought in Fireflies, which is of course all about the tribulations in the band, when she says "the stiletto cuts quick" it's a reference to all the hurt the five fireflies inflict on each other.