Metaphor A metaphor was a term or phrase used to make a comparison between two common things that were not alike . Synonymous terms included analogy or figure of speech , in which colorful metaphor s might be used to express emotion . Idioms had phrasing that had figurative meaning often unrelated to the actual phrasing , while proverbs were commonly sourced from folklore , historical allusion , or tribal memories . Adages . " " Look before you leap . " " ( ) " " Captain goes down with the ship . " " ( ) Picard also once referenced an old horse trainer ' s adage about putting too much weight on a young back . ( ) Aphorisms . " " A watched pot never boils . " " ( ) " " The left hand does not know what the right hand is doing . " " ( ) " " One cannot cheat fate . " " ( ) Blessings . Bajoran . " " Blessed be the Prophets . " " ( ) Banean . " " May the fates have mercy on you . " " ( ) Children of the Son . " " May the blessings of the son be upon you . " " ( ) " " Blessed be the son . " " ( ) Drayan . " " May this day find you at peace and leave you with hope . " " ( ) Human . " " Peace in your heart , fortune in your steps . " " ( ) " " May the wind be at our backs . " " ( ) Yash - El . " " Dream not of today . " " ( ) Vulcan . " " Live long and prosper . " " " " Peace and long life . " " " " May your journey be free of incident . " " ( ) Other and of unknown origin . While impersonating Tuvok , a Vulcan , Mobar adopted the blessing " " may the deities bless you " " as part of his persona . ( ) " " May the Great Bird of the Galaxy bless your planet . " " ( ) Idioms . " " Burning the midnight oil . " " ( ; ; ) " " Fool me once , shame on you . Fool me twice , shame on me . " " ( ; ) " " On death ' s doorstep . " " ( ) " " Put the genie back in the bottle , " " and variations thereof . In 2154 , Phlox used the cautionary Earth tale about the dangers of releasing a genie from the bottle to warn T ' Pol that she may have to live with the emotion s she was left with after ingesting trellium - D . ( ) In 2268 , Spock told Cyrano Jones that by removing tribble s from their natural habitat , he had figuratively " " removed the cork from the bottle and allowed the genie to escape " . " ( ) In 2372 , Kathryn Janeway believed there would be no way to " " put the genie back in the bottle " " , after the warp 10 barrier was broken . ( ) Maxims . " " No one is more qualified to write your story than you are . " " ( ) Proverbs and sayings . Atrean . " " A child born from parents who love each other will have nothing but goodness in his heart . " " ( ) Bajoran . " " He who studies evil is studied by evil . " " ( ) " " If you ' re not fighting them , you ' re helping them . " " – In the Bajoran Resistance ( ) " " The land and the people are one . " " ( ) Cardassian . " " Confession is good for the soul . " " ( ) " " Enemies make dangerous friends . " " ( ) " " One man ' s villain is another man ' s hero . " " ( ) Denobulan . " " When in Fellebia , do as the Fellebian s do . " " ( ) Ferengi . The Rules of Acquisition performed a function similar to proverbs in Ferengi culture . The following were quoted as Ferengi sayings , but were not stated to be included in the Rules of Acquisition : " " Never ask when you can take . " " ( ) " " A good lie is easier to believe than the truth . " " ( ) " " Good things come in small packages . " " ( ) " " Discretion [ is ] the better part of valor . " " ( ) Founders . " " To become a thing is to know a thing . To assume its form is to begin to understand its existence . " " ( ) " " The drop becomes the ocean . . . The ocean becomes the drop . . . " " ( ) Human . " " A needle in a haystack . " " ( ; ) " " When in Rome . . . do as the Roman s do . " " ( ; ; ; ) " " Fortune favors the bold . " " ( ) " " As healthy as a horse . " " ( ) " " Easy as pie . " " ( ) " " Power corrupts . And absolute power corrupts absolutely . " " ( ) " " You don ' t kick a man when he ' s down . " " ( ) " " Fool me once , shame on you . Fool me twice , shame on me . " " ( ; ) " " No good deed goes unpunished . " " ( ) " " Blood is thicker than water . " " ( ) " " Even the eagle must know when to sleep . " " ( ) " " The road to hell is paved with good intentions . " " ( ) " " May you live in interesting times . " " ( ) " " A stranger is a friend you just haven ' t met yet . " " ( ) " " Home is wherever you happen to be . " " ( ) " " The devil finds work for idle hands . " " ( ) " " Give a man a fish and he eats for a day . Teach him to fish and he eats for a lifetime . " " ( ) " " In for a penny , in for a pound . " " ( ; ) " " All good things must come to an end . " " ( ; ) " " Nothing ventured , nothing gained . " " ( ) " " The early bird gets the worm . " " ( ) " " Best defense is a good offense . " " ( ) " " Don ' t look a gift horse in the mouth . " " ( ) " " The proof is in the pudding . " " ( ) " " Two heads are better than one . " " ( ) " " The ball ' s in your court . " " ( ) " " A hundred thousand welcomes . " " ( ) " " The enemy of my enemy is my friend . " " ( ; ) " " There ' s a warm wind blowing in from Minicoy . " " ( ) " " Those who can ' t , coach . " " ( ) " " A man who ' s always looking over his shoulder is waiting for trouble to find him . " " ( ) " " Time flies when you ' re having fun . " " ( ) " " Follow your heart . " " ( ) " " The customer ' s always right . " " ( ) " " To beard the lion in its den . " " ( ) " " Time heals all wounds , but absence makes the heart grow fonder . " " ( ) " " The angels themselves take pleasure in their bodies of light . " " " " The way to a woman ' s heart is through her stomach . " " " " Wouldn ' t hurt a fly . " " ( ) " " sauce for the goose . " " ( ) " " It never rains but it pours . " " ( ) " " Waste not , want not . " " ( ) " " Spare the rod and spoil the child . " " ( ) " " If the shoe fits , wear it . " " Various Latin phrases and Biblical allusions served a function similar to proverbs in Human society . Jem ' Hadar . " " Obedience brings victory . " " ( ) " " Victory is life . " " ( ) Klingon . " " Four thousand throats may be cut in one night by a running man with a knife . " " ( ) " " Only a fool fights in a burning house . " " ( ) " " Revenge is a dish that is best served cold . " " ( ) " " You cannot loosen a man ' s tongue with root beer . " " ( ) " " A doctor who operates on himself has a " petaQ " for a patient . " " ( ) " " Today is a good day to die . " " " " Own the day . " " ( ) In addition , various sayings of Kahless served a function similar to proverbs in Klingon culture . Mikhal Traveler . " " My course is as elusive as a shadow across the sky . " " ( ) Romulan . " " Never turn your back on a Breen . " " ( ) In addition , a Romulan commander described the fact that Vulcans are incapable of lying as a well - known saying . ( ) Talaxian . " " Good news has no clothes . " " ( ) " " When the road before you splits in two , take the third path . " " ( ) " " The dream dreams the dreamer . " " ( ) Terran Empire . " " Scared Kelpien makes for tough Kelpien . " " ( ) Vulcan . " " Only Nixon could go to China . " " ( ) " " One man can summon the future . " " ( ) " " In accepting the inevitable , one finds peace . " " ( ) " " Isik for your thoughts " " ( ) Xindi . " " It ' s easier to count the stars in the sky than it is for an aquatic to reach a decision . " " ( ) " " Dealing with reptilians is like bargaining with the sun . You make no progress , and you come away burned . " " ( ) " " Patience is for the dead . " " ( ) Other and of unknown origin . " " It ' s lonely at the top . " " – Claimed to be an Arachnia n saying by Queen Arachnia . " " Stay out of harm ' s way . " " – Claimed to be a Chinese expression by Harry Kim , but disputed by Tom Paris " " Put the shoe on the right foot first , but put the left foot first into the bathtub . " " – quoted by Jadzia Dax while under the influence of Saltah ' na energy sphere s . ( ) " " There ' s no time like the past . " " – In use by crews of 29th century timeship s . ( ) " " There ' s no time like the present . " " – In use by Starfleet ' s Temporal Mechanics Department in an alternative 2404 . ( ) " " The early bird that hesitates gets wormed . " " " " Little birds in their nest get along . " " ( ) " " Once a thief . " " ( ) " " Beware Romulans bearing gifts . " " ( ) Comparisons . " " Healthy as a Rigellian ox . " " ( ) " " Hot as . " " ( ) " " Dry as . " " ( ) " " Colder than a Breen winter . " " ( ) " " Blind as a stump . " " ( ) " " Bigger than Elvis . " " ( ) " " Rich as Rockefeller . " " ( ) " " Poor as a church mouse . " " ( ) " " Clear as Tabalian glass . " " ( ) " " Busier than an Alvanian beehive . " " ( ) " " Touchier than a raw antimatter pile . " " ( " " Quiet as a Zyznian church mouse . " " ( ) " " Dropping like flies . " " ( ) " " Crystal clear . " " ( ; ; ) " " Peaceful as sheep . " " ( ) " " As right as rain . " " ( ) Other expressions . Be careful what you wish for . In 2285 , after " Mr . Adventure " complained that he wanted more challenges , adventure and surprises in his life , Uhura said " " be careful what you wish for " " and locked him in a closet . ( ) In 2373 , upon Tom Paris saying to B ' Elanna Torres that he wouldn ' t mind seeing her Klingon side again , Torres warned him to be careful what he ' d wished for . ( ) In 2377 , when 204 Klingons came aboard " Voyager " , Torres said that she should be careful what she wished for , after six years of feeling uncomfortable being the only Klingon aboard for . ( ) Between a rock and a hard place . Being " " between a rock and a hard place " " was an Earth idiom , meaning that someone was in a situation where he or she could choose between two alternatives , and neither of them were acceptable . In 1986 , Bob Briggs told Gillian Taylor , they ' re " " between a rock and a hard place " " regarding the fate of George and Gracie . ( ) Can ' t see the forest for the trees . To say one " " can ' t see the forest for the trees " " was an Earth idiom , meaning that one was so caught up in small details that they were not able to see the bigger picture . In 2373 , Miles O ' Brien felt he hadn ' t been able to see the forest for the trees when it was Rom who explained to him that the modifications that he had been making to equipment on Deep Space 9 on the orders of a Pah - wraith that had possessed his wife were designed to turn the station into a chroniton array aimed at the Bajoran wormhole , one which could kill the Prophet s . ( ) Caught with one ' s pants down . To be caught with your pants / britches down was to be found in the act of doing something which left one in an embarrassing position . In 2285 , James T . Kirk characterized his having been trapped by Khan Noonien Singh as having been caught with his britches down , a fact he attributed to his own supposed senility . ( ) In 2366 , Geordi La Forge opined that Romulan defector Alidar Jarok was correct about Romulan activity at Nelvana III , and that the Romulans would indeed be caught with their pants down . Data , unfamiliar with the phrase , questioned what he meant , and La Forge explained . ( ) Caught with one ' s hand in the cookie jar . To be " " caught with one ' s hand in the cookie jar " " was to be found to be accessing something that was not one ' s own . In , had Hoshi Sato decrypt a message from the Vulcan s and found it was a personal letter meant for T ' Pol . When expressing his embarrassment at having inadvertently snooped on her private business , he said that he felt as though he had been caught with his hand in the cookie jar . ( ) " C ' est la vie " . " " C ' est la vie " " ( French : " " that ' s life " " ) was a Human idiom , meaning bad things happen , it was the way of life . In 2285 , when Admiral James Kirk self - destructed the USS " Enterprise " , killing most of Kruge ' s Klingon crew on board , he told the commander on the surface of the : " " Sorry about your crew , but as we say on Earth , . . . ' c ' est la vie . " " ( ) Chicken and the egg . The " " chicken and the egg " " was a paradox , usually posed as the question , " " Which came first , the chicken or the egg ? " " " In an alternate anti - time future created by Q , retired captain Jean - Luc Picard , used the question of the chicken the egg as a metaphor to explain the paradox of the anti - time anomaly to Geordi La Forge , Beverly Picard , Data , and William Riker aboard the . " ( ) In 2372 , Torres described establishing communication with a duplicate of the by getting them to recalibrate their comm frequency carrier wave " before " they ' d first made contact as " " the chicken and the egg . " " ( ) In the 31st century , Jonathan Archer described ' urgent need to restore the original timeline by returning the captain to the 22nd century while lacking the technology to do so as " " a chicken or the egg problem . " " ( ) Archer again said " " Chicken or the egg " " after Daniels had sent back in time to 1944 to stop Vosk ' s temporal incursion s , and it became apparent that the timeline had changed " prior " to the 1940 s , with Lenin ' s death in 1916 . ( ) Clean their chronometers . Colonel West , while proposing Operation Retrieve , assured the Federation President that should the operation precipitate a full - scale war with the Klingon Empire , Starfleet could quite frankly " " clean their chronometer s . " " ( ) Credits to navy beans . A Federation variation on " dollars to doughnuts " , this referred to wagering something of value against something relatively worthless – in other words , " " I ' ll bet you anything . . . " " ( ) Dining on ashes . James Kirk asked if Spock was dining on ashes after finding him seemingly reflecting on the betrayal of Valeris . ( ) Falling on deaf ears . " " Falling on deaf ears " " meant something that some believe should be heeded was not . Weyoun once told Major Kira that her pleas to have Rom not executed for terrorism would fall on deaf ears . ( ) In 2372 , Neelix believed diplomatic negotiation with the Botha might fall on deaf ears . ( In 2374 , The Doctor complained that his requests for a larger sickbay were falling on deaf ears . ' ) For all the tea in China . " " For all the tea in China " " meant something was so important to a person , he or she wouldn ' t exchange it for even the most precious things in the world . In 1986 , Gillian Taylor told time travel er Admiral James Kirk , when he explained to her that they wanted to bring George and Gracie to the 23rd century , and asked her if she was curious about the details , she said , " " I wouldn ' t miss it for all the tea in China . " " ( ) Handing someone something on a silver platter . This term referred to something that was offered to someone in a rather obvious manner . In 2375 , Neelix offered B ' Elanna Torres the chance to insult his cooking by telling her to name her poison . After she missed that chance , he seemed disappointed , claiming he ' d handed it to her on a silver platter . ( ) Having one ' s head on a platter . This expression meant that the person saying it was angry at someone and intended to punish them for their actions . In 2369 , Benjamin Sisko warned Kira Nerys that he would have her head on a platter if she went over his head one more time . ( ) I couldn ' t fill your shoes . " " I couldn ' t fill your shoes " " was a Human idiom , describing one being in a bad situation , which the other person couldn ' t bear . In 2286 , Leonard McCoy told Spock , when he suffered from memory loss after being resurrected , " " What I mean is I may have carried your soul , but I sure couldn ' t fill your shoes , " " to which Spock replied , " " My shoes ? " " ( ) If we play our cards right . " " If we play our cards right " " was a Human idiom , meaning " if things go well . " In 1986 , Admiral Kirk used this idiom when talking to Spock , leading Spock to ask " " How will playing cards help ? " " ( ) Joined at the hip . This term referred to people being so close to one another as to appear inseparable ( physically or emotionally ) In 2369 , Q described himself and Vash as " " A team , joined together at the hip . " " ( ) After being temporarily telepathic ally linked with Jean - Luc Picard on Kesprytt III in 2370 , Beverly Crusher remarked that she was happy not to be joined to Picard ' s hip anymore . ( ) " In an alternate version of the year 2390 , Harry Kim called Chakotay and his girlfriend Tessa Omond as close as to be joined at the hip . ( ) " Keep it under your hat . Upon learning that Quark was aware that Odo was ill , Miles O ' Brien requested that Quark keep that information under his hat . ( ) May God have mercy upon your soul . " " May God have mercy upon your soul " " was a phrase used in some ancient Earth cultures upon sentencing a person to execution . It was used in that capacity during Worf ' s 2371 promotion ceremony , which included holodeck roleplaying on an and involved him walking the plank . ( ) A variant of the phrase , " " May God have mercy on our souls , " " was used by Malcolm Reed to end his final log entry when stranded in " " and he believed there was no chance of rescue . ( ) Media circus . " " Media circus " " was a Human idiom which described a news event where the coverage was out of proportion to the event itself . In 1986 , Gillian Taylor described to James T . Kirk the farewell ceremony for George and Gracie as a potential media circus . ( ) My mind ' s turned to clay . This expression was used by Geordi La Forge in the running up to the battle of Wolf 359 . ( ) Needle in a haystack . " " Needle in a haystack " " was a Human idiom which described the long - lasting search for something in a large variety of possibilities . In 2267 , when searching for the " " , James Kirk remarked to High Commissioner , " " Finding a needle in a haystack would be child ' s play . " " ( ) In 2364 , William Riker described searching Starfleet records for an instance of someone shower ing in their clothes as " " like looking for a needle in a haystack . " " ( ) In 2369 while searching for the crash land ed runabout in the Gamma Quadrant , Miles O ' Brien compared the search with searching a needle in a haystack . O ' Brien and Jadzia Dax had to search several planet s , two dozen moon s , and an asteroid belt . ( ) In 2370 , a Paradan replicant of commented " " Needle in a haystack wouldn ' t do this job justice " " when searching for a fault in Deep Space 9 ' s upper pylon s . ( ) In 2373 , Jadzia Dax said to Benjamin Sisko " " Do the words ' needle in a haystack ' mean anything to you , " " after the had spent two days unsuccessfully searching the Badlands for cloaked missiles appropriated by the Maquis for a strike against Cardassia . ( ) Over my dead body . This expression meant " " You ' ll have to kill me to make that happen . " " It was used by Captain Christopher in 1969 and again by Brunt in 2374 . ( ; ) Penny for your thoughts . " " A penny for your thoughts " " was a Human idiom , meaning that someone was curious about what the other person was thinking . In 2368 , Doctor Beverly Crusher used the expression when she wanted to get Jean - Luc Picard to talk to her during a conversation . When Picard asked her if she has one , she told him that the replicator probably has it on file . ( ) In 2369 , when Q brought back Picard to the incident at Starbase Earhart in 2327 , he told him ( acting as a bartender ) : " " Penny for your thoughts ? You never told me you were such a lady ' s man , " " also jokingly referring to Picard ' s unsuccessful date with Penny Muroc . ( ) In 2370 , Crusher used the expression again , dining with Picard , after they shared thoughts for a time via the psi - wave device on Kesprytt III . ( ) Playing twenty questions . Rather than playing an actual guessing game , this meant to make somebody ask questions rather than telling them directly what a problem or the answer was . When Harry Kim claimed to be an American during the Hirogen simulation of World War II in 2374 , Tom Paris became annoyed at the man ' s refusal to answer him , saying he didn ' t have time to play twenty questions . ( ) Kathryn Janeway told Neelix the same thing when he was less than forthcoming about the delicate issue of non - functioning lavatories on in 2375 . ( ) Playing possum . To " " play possum " " was to feign death when an enemy approached . In 2377 , when Chakotay suggested the Hirogen might be laying a trap for " Voyager " , Kathryn Janeway dismissed the idea , saying that the Hirogen " aren ' t the type to play possum " . ( ) Preaching to the choir . " " Preaching to the choir " " was a phrase used to describe someone who was trying to convince another who was already a believer . In 2365 , Phillipa Louvois told Bruce Maddox he was preaching to the choir when he attempted to explain the usefulness of having a Data aboard every starship . ( ) Rich beyond the dreams of avarice . Doctor Leonard McCoy managed to convince Dr . Nichols to accept the formula for transparent aluminum as compensation for his services by saying that once he figured out the dynamics of the matrix ( which would take years ) , he ' d be rich beyond the dreams of avarice . ( ) Sauce for the goose . The Earth idiom " " what ' s sauce for the goose , is sauce for the gander , " " was in part spoken by Spock following Saavik ' s notation that Khan Noonien Singh , aboard the was following the into the Mutara Nebula . In response , Spock stated stated " " sauce for the goose , Mr . Saavik . " " ( ) Stone knives and bearskins . " " Stone knives and bearskins " " was a colorful term employed by Spock to describe the 1930s technology he was forced to use to construct a tricorder interface . Vital information was locked within Spock ' s tricorder : How had Leonard McCoy changed history ? Spock was eventually able to construct an appropriate circuit , but retrieved two separate recordings : one in which Edith Keeler lived , and one in which she died . At that point , the improvised interface erupted in sparks and flame , ruining his chance to learn which of the recordings represented McCoy ' s alteration , and which the correct timeline . ( ) Kathryn Janeway also used this expression when typing on a late 20th century computer keyboard trying to find out information about Henry Starling . ( ) The real McCoy . " " The real McCoy " " described anything which was the genuine article in question , not merely a facsimile thereof . In 2374 , Vic Fontaine revealed to Odo that a new improved version of the " Lola Chrystal " hologram was in fact Kira Nerys , who the hologram ' s features were based on , and that the Changeling had been dancing with the real McCoy . ( ) In 2375 , " " classified Chakotay , unlike himself , to be the real McCoy , ( i . e . not a Species 8472 recreation of a Starfleet officer ) and recommended " Valerie Archer " perform a genetic extraction in order to figure out a better way for members of Species 8472 to maintain a Human appearance . ( ) Wash my hands of it . " " Wash my hands of it " " was an expression used to avert a wrong decision , claiming that the person could not be held responsible for it . It came from the Bible , and was said by Pilate after he sentenced Jesus Christ to crucifixion , as demanded by the crowd ; however , Pilate saw he was apparently innocent . In 2266 , Doctor Simon Van Gelder accused Captain Kirk of escaping responsibility by taking him back to the Tantalus Colony , and told him , " " You smart , button - pushing brass hat . Wash your hands of it . Is that your system ? You ' re both quite sure of yourselves , aren ' t you ? " " ( ) Wild goose chase . " " Wild goose chase " " was an expression used to mean futile pursuit or search after something . In 2153 , Jonathan Archer told T ' Pol " " Maybe we ' re just on a wild goose chase " " after their initial attempts to locate a dark matter nebula failed . ( ) In 2268 , Leonard McCoy accused Spock of " " run [ ning ] off on some wild goose chase halfway across the galaxy " " when Kirk , Uhura , and Chekov disappeared from Gamma II . Spock replied , " " Doctor , I am chasing the captain , Lieutenant Uhura , and Ensign Chekov , not some wild aquatic fowl . " " ( ) Later that year , Spock described M - 5 multitronic unit ' s diversionary tactics as " " pursuing a wild goose . " " ( ) After Katherine Pulaski was abducted by Professor in 2365 , Geordi La Forge believed she planned " " to lead [ Data ] on a wild goose chase and then recount the story to everyone between here and Alpha Centauri . " " ( ) In 2367 , Data told Doctor Crusher that he " " could be chasing an untamed ornithoid without a cause , " " describing this idiom , when examining the clues of Ambassador ' s presumed death . Crusher eventually recognized the idiom , and corrected him with its common form . ( ) In 2368 , Jean - Luc Picard commented that the ' s investigation of a Barolian freighter ' s activities at Galorndon Core " " may prove to be a wild goose chase . " " ( ) In 2369 , Picard told Deanna Troi that his continuation of Professor Richard Galen ' s research was not a case of his taking the " Enterprise " and its crew on a wild goose chase . ( ) In 2371 , Kira Nerys told Tom Riker that if she had hijacked the as he had , she " " wouldn ' t have gone flying off into the middle of Cardassia on some wild goose chase . " " ( ) In 2372 , Kathryn Janeway was concerned that investigating " Planet Hell " might prove to be a wild goose chase . ( ) With one ' s name on it . Having one ' s name on something meant that the object in question belonged to or was reserved for them . In 2372 , Julian Bashir assured Odo that there was a Spitfire with his name on it in the hangar if he wanted to join the Battle of Britain holoprogram . Later , Joseph Sisko told his grandson there was a vat of crayfish that needed cleaning with his name on it . ( ) In 2375 , Miles O ' Brien told Janel Tigan he was not looking forward to seeing Captain Sisko again , as he had a boot with O ' Brien ' s name on it . ( ) In 2377 , Reginald Barclay offered Deanna Troi a drink . When she declined , he tried to tempt her , saying he had a chocolate passion punch with her name on it . ( ) Sight for sore eyes . Something was said to be a " " sight for sore eyes " " when it was pleasing to look at . In 2376 , Harry Kim remarked that he would not want to bunk with the great explorers of the past . Tom Paris remarked that that would be a sight for sore eyes . ( ) Shortly thereafter , after making contact with " Voyager " again , Lyndsay Ballard remarked that Captain Janeway was a sight for sore eyes . ( ) Later that year , the con artist Dala used the expression sarcastically upon seeing Tuvok . ( ) Be careful what you wish for . In 2285 , after " Mr . Adventure " complained that he wanted more challenges , adventure and surprises in his life , Uhura said " be careful what you wish for " and locked him in a closet . ( ) In 2373 , upon Tom Paris saying to B ' Elanna Torres that he wouldn ' t mind seeing her Klingon side again , Torres warned him to be careful what he ' d wished for . ( ) Second wind . Finding a second wind meant regaining energy after a certain activity had gotten tired . During a 2153 engine test aboard " Enterprise " , field fluctuations dropped to zero , which lead captain Archer to suggest that they had gotten their second wind . That impression was incorrect . ( ) Upon James Kirk asking Montgomery Scott if the " Enterprise " could hold its speed while rushing to the Genesis Planet in 2285 , Scott remarked in the affirmative , saying that she had just gotten her second wind . ( )