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.

There's no record that Elon Musk said the words in the quote I hate when people confuse education with intelligence or you can have a bachelor's degree and still be an idiot.

Did Musk Say ‘I Hate When People Confuse Education with Intelligence’? We looked for the origins of a quote about confusing education with intelligence that has...

Misattributed

Did Kentucky Derby Winner Turn Down White House Invite? You may have heard this "horse's ass" joke before.

False

According to a quote Morgan Freeman once said self-control is strength and calmness is mastery and you have to get to the point where your mood doesn't shift based on the insignificant actions of someone else and don't allow others to control the direction of your life and don't allow your emotions to overpower your intelligence.

Did Morgan Freeman Say ‘Self-Control Is Strength’? We looked for the origins of a quote with Morgan Freeman's name on it that...

Misattributed

Denzel Washington never said just because you don't share it on social media doesn't mean you are not up to big things and live it and stay low key as well as privacy is everything.

Did Denzel Washington Say, ‘Just Because You Don’t Share It on Social Media Doesn’t Mean You Are Not Up to Big Things’? We looked for the origins of a quote about social media that's been credited to...

Misattributed

Mel Gibson Didn’t Say ‘Hollywood is an Institutionalized Pedophile Ring’ In 2017, a network of hoax websites published a series of false claims that still...

False

According to a viral joke quote Jada Pinkett Smith said don't let your husband stop you from finding the love of your life.

Did Jada Pinkett Smith Say, ‘Don’t Let Your Husband Stop You from Finding the Love of Your Life’? Quote memes went around on Facebook and Twitter after actor Jada Pinkett Smith's husband, Will...

Misattributed

According to quote memes Tesla CEO Elon Musk once said wokeness gives people a shield to be mean and cruel armored in false virtue.

Did Elon Musk Say ‘Wokeness Gives People a Shield to be Mean and Cruel, Armored in False Virtue’? There's no shortage of fabricated quotes on the internet that purportedly came from noteworthy figures.

Correct Attribution

According to memes Benjamin Franklin once said beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.

Did Ben Franklin Say ‘Beer Is Proof that God Loves Us and Wants Us To Be Happy’? The passage about God, beer, and being happy has for years appeared in internet memes,...

False

According to a quote meme Keanu Reeves said no one has the right to judge you because no one really knows what you have been through and that they might have heard the stories but they didn't feel what you felt in your heart.

Did Keanu Reeves Say ‘No One Has the Right To Judge You’? A meme was posted to Facebook with a picture of actor Keanu Reeves, leading commenters...

Misattributed

Did Einstein Say the Universe and Stupidity Are Infinite? Quotations attributed to Einstein — rightly and wrongly — are in seemingly infinite supply.

Unproven

According to a quote meme Bruce Lee once said instead of buying your children all the things you never had you should teach them all the things you were never taught and that material wears out but knowledge stays.

Is the Bruce Lee Quote About Teaching Children Real? Quote memes claimed the actor once urged teaching children "all the things you were never...

Research In Progress

Did Will Smith Say, ‘Never Underestimate the Pain of a Person’ Because ‘Everyone is Struggling’? The actor and rapper has been open about his personal struggles since before he infamously...

Unproven