The Wire quotes

I'm sayin', every Friday night in an alley behind the Cut Rate, we rollin' bones, you know? I mean all them boys, we roll til late.

McNulty

Alley crap game, right?

Like every time, Snot, he'd fade a few shooters, play it out til the pot's deep. Snatch and run.

McNulty

What, every time?

Couldn't help hisself.

McNulty

Let me understand. Every Friday night, you and your boys are shooting craps, right? And every Friday night, your pal Snot Boogie... he'd wait til there's cash on the ground and he'd grab it and run away? You let him do that?

We'd catch him and beat his ass but ain't nobody ever go past that.

McNulty

I gotta ask ya: If every time Snotboogie would grab the money and run away, why'd you even let him in the game?

What?

McNulty

If Snotboogie always stole the money, why'd you let him play?

Got to. This America, man.

McNulty

All I did was answer the guy's questions, he's a fucking judge.

Landsman

And the Deputy's the fucking Deputy, and he, not the judge, has what's left of your be-shitted career in his hot little hands.

Bunk

[to McNulty] That will teach you to give a fuck when it ain't your turn to give a fuck.

Kima

Fighting the war on drugs... one brutality case at a time.

Carver

Girl, you can't even think of calling this shit a war.

Herc

Why not?

Carver

Wars end.

Bunk

[to dead body] You moldering motherfucker don't even think about coming back a murder. Don't even think of that shit.

McNulty

So your boy's name is what?

Snot.

McNulty

You call the guy Snot?

Snot Boogie.

What?

McNulty

Snot Boogie. [man shrugs] This kid, whose mamma went to the trouble of christening him Omar Isaiah Betts. You know, he forgets his jacket, so his nose starts running, and some asshole, instead of getting him a Kleenex, he calls him Snot. So he's Snot forever. Doesn't seem fair.

Life just be that way, I guess.

McNulty

So, who shot Snot?

I ain't goin' to no court. [shakes his head] Motherfucker ain't have to put no cap in him, though.

McNulty

Definitely not.

I mean, he could've whooped his ass like we always whoop his ass.

McNulty

I agree with you.

He goin' kill Snot, Snot been doin' the same shit I don't know how long. Kill a man over some bullshit. I'm sayin', every Friday night in an alley behind the Cut Rate, we rollin' bones, you know? I mean all them boys, we roll til late.

McNulty

Alley crap game, right?

Like every time, Snot, he'd fade a few shooters, play it out til the pot's deep. Snatch and run.

McNulty

What, every time?

Couldn't help hisself.

McNulty

Let me understand. Every Friday night, you and your boys are shooting craps, right? And every Friday night, your pal Snot Boogie... he'd wait til there's cash on the ground and he'd grab it and run away? You let him do that?

We'd catch him and beat his ass but ain't nobody ever go past that.

McNulty

I gotta ask ya: if every time Snot Boogie would grab the money and run away, why'd you even let him in the game?

What?

McNulty

If Snot Boogie always stole the money, why'd you let him play?

Got to. This America, man.

McNulty

How happy am I to see my pager go off with your call number?

Bunk

Smoke 'em if you got 'em, because this muthafucka is as ripe as they get.

McNulty

We aren't up. Nolan's squad is up.

Bunk

I know, I know.

McNulty

But you had to answer the fuckin' phone, didn't you?

Bunk

I gotta pay down my credit cards, man.

McNulty

Not off him, you ain't. Motherfucker, I leave you alone for a minute or two, what do you do?

Bunk

All right, I heard ya!

McNulty

Well, say the words, Bunk.

Bunk

Oh, come on, man.

McNulty

Speak to me.

Bunk

So you gonna cut and run on the Bunk? That shit ain't right, Jimmy. All right then, this is my case, my file. This shit comes back a murder, you ain't gotta do shit but stand there and laugh at me. You happy now, ya bitch?

McNulty

This'll teach you to give a fuck when it ain't your turn to give a fuck.

Bunk

It ain't even gonna be a murder. This muthafucka probably came in here to take a shit or somethin' and just fell out. I betcha there ain't nothin' to it.

McNulty

[turns to leave] You hope.

Bunk

Where you goin'?

McNulty

Back to the office, where I belong.

Bunk

You... molderin' muthafucka, don't even think about comin' back a murder. Don't even think of that shit.

Landsman

[about McNulty and Bunk] Look at 'em, Cole. Don't it make your dick bust concrete to be in the same room with two noble, selfless public servants?

Carver

What he means to say is that we are an effective deterrent in the war on drugs when we are on the street.

Herc

Fucking motherfuckers up.

Carver

Indeed.

Herc

Fuck the paperwork. Collect bodies, split heads.

Carver

Split 'em wide.

Herc

The Western District way.

Carver

A'ight.

Kima

You rogue motherfuckers kill me. Fighting the war on drugs... one brutality case at a time.

Carver

Girl, you can't even think of calling this shit a war.

Herc

Why not?

Carver

Wars end.

D'Angelo

Now you think Ronald McDonald gonna go down to the basement and say, "Hey Mr. Nugget - you the bomb. We sellin' chicken faster than you can tear the bone out. So I'm gonna write my clowney ass name on this fat-ass check for you." Shit. Man, the nigga who invented them things? Still working in the basement for regular wage, thinking of some shit to make the fries taste better or some shit like that. Believe.

You cannot lose if you do not play.

McNulty

This is just us talking right? Just you, me, my partner and... what did you say your name was?

Bodie

I didn't say shit.

McNulty

Just you, me, my partner and Mr. Shit here.

Landsman

I-- uh... he's detailed, Major, to narcotics.

Rawls

I fuckin' know where he's detailed. I fuckin' already know that.

Poot

You think he get paid?

Wallace

Shit, he richer than a motherfucker.

McNulty

See, that's what I don't get about the drug thing. Why can't you sell the shit and walk the fuck away? You know what I mean? Everything else in this country gets sold without people shooting each other behind it.