Although in its modern usage the phrase has universal, timeless applications to concepts such as tyrannical governments, uncontrollably oppressive dictatorships, and police or judicial corruption and overreach, in context within Juvenal's poem it refers to the impossibility of enforcing moral behaviour on women when the enforcers (custodes) are corruptible (Satire 6, 346–348): Modern editors regard these three lines as an interpolation inserted into the text.
Iako u svojem modernom značenju fraza ima univerzalnu, bezvremensku primjenu na koncepte kao što su tiranska vladavina, nekontrolirana opresivna diktatura te policijska i sudska korupcija i prekoračenje ovlasti, u kontekstu Juvenalove poeme ona označuje nemogućnost nametanja moralnog ponašanja ženama kada su čuvari (custodes) pokvareni (Šesta satira, 346–348): No moderni urednici smatraju ova tri stiha interpolacijom umetnutom u tekst.