Quotes / Lean and Mean

Corpulence makes a man reasonable, pleasant and phlegmatic. Have you noticed the nastiest of tyrants are invariably thin?

— Gracchus, Spartacus

"As far as brains go I have the lion's share, but when it comes to brute strength... I'm afraid I'm at the shallow end of the gene pool."

— Scar, from The Lion King (1994)

These werecats are always lean and hungry: starved for food and drink, ravenous for knowledge. They literally can't get enough of either. By the time he reaches middle age, a Bubasti has acquired a huge library, a host of enemies, and a mortgaged soul. His power is often vast - these cats are masters of Shadow Craft and even darker arts - but it's never enough to satisfy him. The average shadowcat can eat a table's worth of food in a single sitting and not gain a pound of weight. This curse gives them an endless appetite, and they pursue it with abandon.

— Werewolf: The Apocalypse - Breedbook: Bastet

"He's as skinny as a pencil, as smart as a whip, and possibly the scariest man currently living."

— Mr. Badger on Mr. Bean, Fantastic Mr. Fox

Sid: [Madalena] will rip your heart out, and I don't mean symbolically.
Gareth: Yeah, you're right. But she's so skinny and mean.

— Galavant

Despite their peculiar modifications, Haemonculi are always attenuated and twisted. Their sparse alabaster frames have not an ounce of fat upon them, quite unlike those of their more wild creations, and their waspish waists are devoid of internal organs - the better to present a fashionably disturbing appearance.

—Warhammer 40,000: Codex - Dark Eldar (5th ed)

Anton Ego: You're slow for someone in the fast lane.
Alfredo Linguini: And... you're thin for someone who likes food.
Anton Ego: I don't like food, I love it. If I don't love it, I don't swallow.

—Ratatouille

For a while it seemed Savannah suffered no long-term effects from the incident. She went to school, grew into a slim and beautiful young woman, and started a promising career as a fashion model. Then her organization noticed that on each shoot she looked a little bit thinner. Soon Savannah’s thinness was unnatural, freakish even by professional model standards. When her hair began to fall out and all her ribs were visible, Savannah’s manager insisted she seek medical attention. But by then Savannah had gone, leaving behind an empty apartment — empty, except for the embalmed corpses of three other models who hadn’t shown up for work for a while.

—Hunter: The Vigil: Slasher

Vault had his greatsword drawn, grinning as the blade shone dully. Maia thought that he looked like a hero of old. Few would not think of the master of the Black Dogs in such a light; a string of victories under his belt all but cemented his place in the lofty legends of Eostia.

The Hunter was far different. He was leaner than Vault and less broad at the shoulder. He cut a sinister figure, Maia admitted, as he stood very still.

—The Night Unfurls: Re-Imagined, Chapter 3, "Nemesis"

"Double up on your rations, sparky."

— Major Chip Hazzard to Link Static, Small Soldiers