If you get the dirty end of the stick, sharpen it and turn it into a useful tool

Don't bother people for help without first trying to solve the problem yourself.

The trust of the innocent is the liar's most useful tool.

We have to sharpen up,

They find all kinds of excuses, a thousand excuses -- 'There are spies on this team. We don't want this. When are sanctions going to be relieved and removed?' The issue is Iraqi noncompliance, and we should not allow them to move us off that issue.

you can't find actual germs on them.