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.

Did Bob Marley Say This About ‘The Perfect Woman’? "The most beautiful things are not perfect, they are special," he supposedly said.

Unproven

We looked into whether Chelsea Clinton tweeted, "If Jesus were alive today he'd be working at Planned Parenthood."

Did Chelsea Clinton Tweet ‘If Jesus Were Alive Today He’d Be Working at Planned Parenthood’? Outrage over this alleged Chelsea Clinton tweet is misdirected.

False

screenshot of video from viral tweet about cops having the "best sex after killing"

Did a Police Trainer Say Police Have the ‘Best Sex’ After Killing Someone? The remark was featured in a 2016 documentary on the militarization of U.S. police.

Correct Attribution

Did Prince Philip Say He Wanted To Be Reincarnated as a Deadly Virus? This line of thinking first appeared in a foreword authored by the prince to an...

True

Did Freud Say Before Diagnosing Yourself With Depression, Make Sure You Are Not Just ‘Surrounded By Assholes’? Sigmund Freud had some questionable scientific views, but was this one of them?

Misattributed

We looked into rumors that Tucker Carlson only felt comfortable eating at a particular restaurant.

Did Tucker Carlson Say He Can’t Go to Restaurants Without Being Harassed? The Fox News host reportedly feels comfortable dining in only one restaurant in D.C.

Outdated

Did Keanu Reeves Say ‘The Road to Heaven Isn’t Through Your Yard’? A viral quotation has been around online for years, but only belatedly was the Hollywood...

Unproven

Did Nikola Tesla Describe Cell Phones in 1926? "When wireless is perfectly applied, the whole earth will be converted into a huge brain,"...

Correct Attribution

Did Einstein Say He Believed in the Pantheistic God of Baruch Spinoza? Einstein wasn’t afraid to question religion as critically as he did scientific theory.

Correct Attribution

Did Orwell Write That People Who Elect Corrupt Politicians Are ‘Accomplices’? A seemingly Orwellian quote made a comeback during the 2020 election season.

False

Is This a Real Quote by Nelson Mandela? A quote attributed to Mandela, former president of South Africa, said: "Fools divide themselves by...

Misattributed

Did Chick-fil-A CEO Say White People Should Shine Black People’s Shoes? CEO Dan Cathy's alleged comments caused some blowback among his conservative audience.

Mixture