Author's note

seeing how violence is widespread amongst our ranks (read: bf2), i did not intend to say that gentlemen use words to retort/debunk/refute/debate/utterly-humiliate-you-and-i-fart-in-your-general-direction as opposed to using violence.

yes, the sly change in the arrangement was indeed very intentional.

In any case, this idiom would either imply that we do not bother using our mouths but rather our fists, or that there aren't any gentlemen in our midst to begin with - since the apparently preferred mode of operations is violent armed conflict (albeit virtually).

i hope that clarifies matters.