The conquest of the earth, which mostly means the taking it away from those who have a different complexion or slightly flatter noses than ourselves, is not a pretty thing when you look into it too much. Joseph Conrad
Bad weather has grounded the Luftwaffe and now we must stand by and watch countless thousands of the enemy getting away to England under our noses. Franz Halder
We stand guard over works of art, but species representing the work of aeons are stolen from under our noses. Aldo Leopold
Laws have wax noses. French Proverb
Many stop their noses at ambergris. Italian Proverb
Snivelling folks always want to wipe other folks' noses. French Proverb