40 Famous Quotes the Internet Got Wrong

Wrongly Attributed

Mark Twain, Jack Benny, or Muhammad Ali

Source

Unknown. The earliest evidence of this quote is within a 1968 research article about aging.

Wrongly Attributed

Edmund Burke and President John F. Kennedy

Source

Unknown. Similar wording was used in Charles F. Aked's 1916 speech, however, nothing exact can be dated.

Wrongly Attributed

C.S. Lewis. It’s also not confirmed to originally be from the 1993 film Shadowlands.

Source

Unknown

Wrongly Attributed

George Washington

Source

It actually was fabricated by the former president’s 19th century biographer.

Wrongly Attributed

Marilyn Monroe

Source

The originator of this quote is historian Laurel Thatcher Ulrich, writer of “Well-Behaved Women Rarely Make History." The quote originated in 1976 in an issue of American Quarterly in reference to colonial women who weren’t featured in history books.

Wrongly Attributed

Niccolo Machiavelli

Source

While Machiavelli argued for this point in The Prince, it actually is from Roman poet Ovid. In “Heroides II”, Ovid wrote, “Exitus acta probat,” which translates to “the outcome justifies the means.” While Machiavelli may have made a similar point, he’s not to be credited for it.

Wrongly Attributed

Abraham Lincoln

Source

Most think it was former president Lincoln, even the GOP got it wrong in 2017 when they tweeted the quote and attributed it to Lincoln. However, it was Edward J. Stieglitz, writer of The Second Forty Years. An advertisement for the book had the phrase, "The important thing to you is not how many years in your life, but how much life in your years!"

Wrongly Attributed

Teddy Roosevelt

Source

While he did say it, Teddy wasn’t the original speaker. It was actually an African proverb.

Wrongly Attributed

Vince Lombardi

Source

This quote was said by a football coach, but it wasn’t Lombardi. Henry Russell “Red” Sanders was actually the first player and coach to say the quote.

Wrongly Attributed

Voltaire

Source

This was actually Evelyn Beatrice Hall, who wrote a biography of Voltaire under the pseudonym Stephen G. Tallentyre.

Wrongly Attributed

Nelson Mandela

Source

This was not spoken by Nelson Mandela, instead it was from a 1992 tome by self-help guru Marianne Williamson.

Wrongly Attributed

Captain Kirk

Source

For those poetry lovers, this quote is clearly from William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. However, many believe it to be from Captain Kirk, who misquoted it. The correct quote is, "That which we call a rose by any other word would smell as sweet."

Wrongly Attributed

Mark Twain

Source

There have been many who this quote was attributed to, however, the earliest version of it dates back to 1716 in Christopher Bolluck’s The Cobbler of Preston.

Wrongly Attributed

Andrew Jackson

Source

Many believe that General Andrew Jackson said these words, when in fact it was a soldier named Israel Putnam who was relaying orders to Colonel William Prescott.

Wrongly Attributed

Confucius

Source

Not only was it Lao Tzu who actually said it, but the correct quote is, “A journey of 400 miles begins beneath one’s feet”. While not as catchy, it is just as valid.

Wrongly Attributed

Ginger Rogers

Source

Ginger Rogers refuted that she said this quote in her autobiography, My Story. Apparently the quote came from a newspaper comic.

Wrongly Attributed

Marie Antoinette

Source

That’s right, she never said anything remotely like this. In fact, it was French philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau who did, and he wasn’t actually talking about Marie or cake. The original quote is, “Let them eat brioche!" Which is arguably just as delicious as cake.

Wrongly Attributed

Thomas Edison

Source

Let’s start with who actually said the original quote, Kate Sanborn, a 1890s academic who had been exploring the topic of genius. Within her lectures, she stated that genius was a mix of inspiration and perspiration, though didn’t state any percentage required of either. Edison did say something similar, however, he stated “2% is genius and 98% is hard work.” He also stated, “Genius is not inspired. Inspiration is perspiration.” Thus, the incorrect quotation and origination was born.

Wrongly Attributed

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Source

This quote became famous courtesy of an academic periodical reprinting the original quote and crediting Emerson. It was Muriel Strode’s 1903 poem “Wind-Wafted Wild Flowers” that stated, “I will not follow where the path may lead, but I will go where there is no path, and I will leave a trail.”

Wrongly Attributed

Albert Einstein, Benjamin Franklin, and Mark Twain

Source

This famous and commonly used quote actually belongs to Narcotics Anonymous, a nonprofit group for addiction recovery. It first made an appearance in their November 1981 handbook. It wasn’t until the ‘90s that it began being attributed to others. No matter who said it first, this is still an inspiration quote for the ages.

Wrongly Attributed

John F. Kennedy, Jacqueline Kennedy, and Audrey Hepburn

Source

This one belongs to political scientist Thomas Cronin in 1987. No one knows how it became associated with President Kennedy or his wife. Audrey Hepburn held similar views, which is probably why she was wrongly attributed.

Wrongly Attributed

Abraham Lincoln and Mark Twain

Source

While it’s not 100% confirmed, historians claim this quote to belong to Maurice Switzer. In their 1907 book you’ll read, “It is better to remain silent at the risk of being thought a fool, than to talk and remove all doubt of it.”

Wrongly Attributed

F. Scott Fitzgerald

Source

No, the Great Gatsby writer didn’t come up with this one. Christopher Poindexter is the creator in his 2013 poetry collection. This quote went viral with the wrong attribution, courtesy of Twitter user @SirJayGatsby.

Wrongly Attributed

Isaac Newton

Source

While Newton did use this quote in a letter to his rival Robert Hooke, he wasn’t the originator. That title belongs to John of Salisbury, a twelfth-century English author, philosopher, educationalist, diplomat and bishop of Chartres.

Wrongly Attributed

Depending on whom you ask, this Edward A. Murphy quote has different origins. A few claims are:

1. George E. Nichols: “If that guy has any way of making a mistake, he will.”
2. Robert Nichols: “If there’s more than one way to do a job, and one of those ways will result in disaster, then somebody will do it that way.”

Source

However, the quote should be attributed to Major John Paul Stapp of the U.S. Air Force with the correct statement, “We do all of our work in consideration of Murphy’s Law.”

Correct Quote

What Gandhi actually said was, “If we could change ourselves, the tendencies in the world would also change. As a man changes his own nature, so does the attitude of the world change towards him. ... We need not wait to see what others do.”

It holds the same sentiment, even if it doesn’t flow as well.

Correct Quote

According to the Literal Standard Translation of the Bible, the correct quote is “For the love of money is a root of all the evils, which certain [ones] longing for went astray from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows;” 1 Timothy 6:10

As catchy as this quote is, it is incorrect. In Forrest Gump, the main character actually says, “Life was like a box of chocolates.”

Perhaps the diehard Disney fans will already know this one. The Queen in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs doesn’t say “mirror” twice to talk to her bestie. She actually says, “Magic mirror.”

Correct Quote

In Hamlet, Queen Gertrude speaks a similar line in response to a play based on her family’s life. While not gravely wrong, it’s good to know what was actually said and written, “The lady doth protest too much, methinks.”

Correct Quote

This quote was adapted from William Congreve’s original, “Heaven has no rage like love to hatred turned/Nor hell a fury like a woman scorned."

Correct Quote

Many Star Wars fans know that this isn’t the correct quote. The quote should be, “No, I am your father.”

Correct Quote

There’s a bit more to this Winston Churchill quote, “I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears, and sweat.” Certainly not as catchy, but a lot more descriptive.

Correct Quote

This is another quote adapted incorrectly from the Bible. The original quote is, “The blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb.” The meaning can be debated, however, it’s not directly referring to family (which we associate the quote with now).

Surprisingly to most, Tarzan has never said this quote in any version.

Correct Quote

This quote makes people think curiosity is bad, however, this is based on the incorrect quote. What it actually says is, “Care killed the cat,“ with care meaning worry or sorrow. A later version stated, “Curiosity killed the cat, but satisfaction brought it back.” Either way, a cat perishes, so it’s up to you which version you prefer!

Correct Quote

Originating from the 14th century, it was misquoted sometime around the 1920s. The original saying goes, “The proof of the pudding is in the eating.” It actually was meant to encourage a person to try the food before deciding whether it’s good or bad. Similar sentiment, but one version is less wordy.

Sorry, but this phrase never said by Sherlock. He has said both "elementary" and "dear, Watson", but never together.

If you watch back the scene in The Silence of the Lambs, Clarice introduces herself. Hannibal never actually says, “Hello, Clarice.”

Correct Quote

This Greek proverb was watered down over the ages. The original phrase was, “Great minds think alike, though fools seldom differ.” Thus, people may have the same conclusion, but might not be the geniuses you think they are. The original is more humorous than the one we all use and know!