Let's roll

Pre–September 11, 2001 usage

The phrase may have its origins as early as 1908 in the cadence song now called "The Army Goes Rolling Along", which likely extended into tank usage. "The Roads Must Roll", a science fiction story written in 1940 by Robert A. Heinlein, mentions a re-worded version of "The Roll of the Caissons" called "Road Songs of the Transport Cadets". The protagonist of the 1937 supernatural comedy, Topper, played by Cary Grant uses the phrase "Let's roll" to his wife, played by Constance Bennett, to indicate they should immediately exit their friend's stuffy office and find a drink. The pair are lighthearted, youthful, irresponsible and impossibly glamorous types, and the line delivery has a decisive insouciance about it. The protagonist of Ernest Hemingway's 1950 novel Across the River and into the Trees, Colonel Dick Cantwell, based on World War II commander Charles "Buck" Lanham, uses the phrase to his driver. He knows he is facing imminent death, but tries to maintain decency, grace, and a sense of humor. The verb "roll" has been used in both the film and recording industry to signal the beginning of a film or audio recording.

"Let's roll" was in common use on 1950s and 1960s police television series such as Adam-12 and (the original) Dragnet. It was used at the end of roll call at the beginning of each episode of 1980s TV series Hill Street Blues. It has appeared, among other places, in The Transformers animated series by Optimus Prime before entering battle or embarking on a group journey. The exact phrase was used in Season 1, Episode 3 "More than Meets the Eye" (1984) in preparation for the final showdown with Megatron and the Decepticons (as well as in the 2009 feature film Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen). In the 2004 video game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas set in 1992, the main character, "CJ" Carl Johnson frequently uses the term "Let's Roll" when he attempts to accomplish a certain mission. It was used in the 1986 film Ferris Bueller's Day Off, and the 1987 film Matewan, where it was used by Baldwin–Felts agents just before a violent attack on striking coal miners. The term was used at the end of the film Matilda when the title character was given up for adoption. The toys use the phrase when setting out to rescue Woody in the 1999 animated children's film Toy Story 2. In the late 1990s, the term "let's roll" was frequently used to initiate a departure from any given place. Hence, the term and true context of the term "let's roll" during this time period was to initiate action from an individual to a group of friends.

Flight 93

Todd Beamer, a passenger on the hijacked United Airlines Flight 93, tried to place a credit card call through a phone located on the back of a plane seat but was routed to a customer-service representative instead, who passed him on to supervisor Lisa Jefferson. Beamer reported that one passenger was killed and, later, that a flight attendant had told him the pilot and co-pilot had been forced from the cockpit and may have been wounded. He was also on the phone when the plane made its turn in a southeasterly direction, a move that had him briefly panicking. Later, he told the operator that some of the plane's passengers were planning to attack the hijackers and take control of the aircraft. According to Jefferson, Beamer's last audible words were "Are you ready? Okay. Let's roll."

In a November 8 address from the World Congress Center in Atlanta, Georgia, President George W. Bush would invoke Beamer's words: "Some of our greatest moments have been acts of courage for which no one could have been prepared. But we have our marching orders. My fellow Americans, let's roll!" He would use them again in the 2002 State of the Union address: "For too long our culture has said, “If it feels good, do it.” Now America is embracing a new ethic and a new creed: “Let’s roll.”"

Music

Government

Sports

Media

Political