Context

This line is spoken by Frank Underwood, played by Kevin Spacey, in the TV show House of Cards (2013—).

In this animal-themed one-liner, Underwood is talking about taking out yet another hapless political rival. And this time, it's the president of the United States himself, Garrett Walker.

If Francis Underwood were a politician in the Renaissance, Niccolo Machiavelli would probably throw Cesare Borgia to the curbside and use him as an example of a ruthless, effective ruler in The Prince. In the three seasons of House of Cards, he has ascended from a lowly senator from South Carolina to President of the United States thanks to his skill, tenacity, and the fact that he's not afraid to get his hands dirty and throw journalists in front of metro trains. (Poor Zoe!)

Basically, this quote is Francis showing off his power, ability, and wit to the audience. One of the trademarks of House of Cards is that its main character likes to break the fourth wall and tell viewers exactly what he thinks about the people around them. (Usually, that they're incompetent dimwits.) This gives us a glance at just how power-hungry and evil Francis Underwood really is beneath his thin veneer of Southern Democrat charm.

And who doesn't love a good villain speech? If Underwood had sung it, he might've had to drop out of politics and play Scar in The Lion King on Broadway.

Where you've heard it

You've probably heard a variation of this quote in a competitive environment. Like if your favorite sports team seems poised to annihilate their rivals, or if you're about to beat your friends in Mario Kart with a well-timed red or green shell. Francis Underwood actually plays Call of Duty and other video games in House of Cards, so maybe he tested out this line in the virtual arena before uttering it on Capitol Hill.

Additional Notable References:

• Here is a video tutorial in ruthlessness from Senator Underwood himself.
• Thousands of years before streaming video was invented, the Greek hero Achilles once used a lion-themed quote to show his ruthless dominance over his opponents in the Iliad. And Brad Pitt gets to say it in the 2004 movie Troy.
• And if this quote intrigued you, maybe you should take a "study break," head over to Netflix, and watch the first three seasons of House of Cards. Here are some handy tips for your binge-watching session.

Pretentious Factor

If you were to drop this quote at a dinner party, would you get an in-unison "awww" or would everyone roll their eyes and never invite you back? Here it is, on a scale of 1-10.

Unless you're an incredibly high-ranking politician, please save this quote for video games and maybe chess. Even if you're the President of the United States, saying this in public will make you look like a colossal jerk at best or a megalomaniacal supervillain at worst.