A fact from Swords in courts-martial appeared on Wikipedia's Main Page in the Did you know column on 20 September 2016 (check views). The text of the entry was as follows:
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Latest comment: 7 years ago2 comments2 people in discussion
My take on the putting the sword on the table is that it symbolizes that blades are for cutting up our food to cook, not for cutting other people. Using the blade to cut other people is dishonorable. The extension of that into a more metaphorical or allegorical sense is thus "putting their rank and reputation on hold" iff they've violated ethics and laws. "Though shalt not kill..." etc.KarlHegbloom (talk) 05:26, 12 December 2016 (UTC)Reply
It's more of a holdover from the days of muskets where an soldier needed a sword to attack if his firearm failed. Plus to receive an officer's sword, it was a symbol of their commission so to put it "on the line" in court was symbolic that everything they had achieved and stood for was at risk. The C of E God Save the Queen! (talk) 07:09, 12 December 2016 (UTC)Reply
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