Questionable Quotes

We all love the pithy quote, the clever put-down, the witty bon mot, the scintillating turn of phrase. We store them away in our conversational jewelry boxes, waiting for just the right occasion to decorate our speeches with their sparkle. What we often don’t realize is that many of these glittering linguistic gems are not the real thing, but mere costume jewelry.

A fake Anne Frank quote said everyone has inside of him a piece of good news or the good news is that you don't know how great you can be or how much you can love or what you can accomplish or and what your potential is.

The Anne Frank ‘Good News’ Quote Is Fake A quote attributed to Frank began: "Everyone has inside of him a piece of good...

False

Anne Frank never said the quote look at how a single candle can both defy and define the darkness.

The Anne Frank ‘Single Candle’ Quote Is Fake A quote attributed to Frank said: "Look at how a single candle can both defy...

False

Did Jen Psaki Say ‘If You Don’t Buy Anything, You Won’t Experience Inflation’? This quote started as satire, but it was removed from its original context before circulating...

Originated as Satire

Mark Wahlberg did not say or post or tweet that sometimes God slows you down so that the evil ahead of you will pass before you get there nor did Wahlberg say that your delay could mean your protection.

Did Mark Wahlberg Tweet ‘Sometimes God Slows You Down’? The quote was virally shared beginning in late 2021.

Misattributed

Did a ‘Hopi Indian Chief’ Write a Lockdown-Era Message About ‘Resistance’? Check your source's sources' sources.

Unproven

Anne Frank did not say the quote dead people receive more flowers than the living ones because regret is stronger than gratitude.

No, Anne Frank Did Not Say ‘Dead People Receive More Flowers’ A quote attributed to Frank said: "Dead people receive more flowers than the living ones...

False

Clint Eastwood did not say the quote meme message the problem is not guns it's hearts without God homes without discipline schools without prayer and courtrooms without justice.

No, Clint Eastwood Did Not Say ‘The Problem Is Not Guns’ A viral Facebook post specifically credited Eastwood for a quote that did not belong to...

Misattributed

Did Winston Churchill once say that a nation that forgets its past has no future or condemns its future or doomed to repeat it.

Did Winston Churchill Say ‘a Nation That Forgets Its Past Has No Future’? The quote was virally shared in a Facebook meme after Confederate statues were removed following...

False

Did George Orwell Say This About Societies That ‘Drift From the Truth’? Not everything "Orwellian" in its tone is Orwellian in its origins.

Misattributed

Did Tim Tebow Write Apocalyptic Facebook Post About ‘Cashless Society’? The former Denver Broncos quarterback became a household name in the 2010s as an outspoken...

False

Cobain: If you're offended by this you must be a closet pedophile.

Did Kurt Cobain Say of ‘Nevermind’ Album Cover, ‘If You’re Offended by This You Must Be a Closet Pedophile’? Come as you are as long as you're not naked.

True

Did Martin Luther Write of the Plague, ‘I Shall Not Avoid Person or Place’? The 16th century Reformation leader also condemned those who "distain the use of medicines" and...

Correct Attribution