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.

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

Did ‘Be Curious, Not Judgmental’ Originate with Walt Whitman? We're curious, but not judgmental, about how this quote ended up in "Ted Lasso."

Misattributed

Did Biden Say ‘My Butt’s Been Wiped?’ The president appeared to be making a joke about how difficult it was to talk...

Unproven

Did Transgender Olympian Chelsea Wolfe Say She Wants To ‘Burn a US Flag on the Podium’? The BMX Freestyle rider’s qualification to join the U.S. team made history.

Unproven

Did Anthony Bourdain Praise Wuhan’s Bat Soup? It didn't contain any bats, but Bourdain did once eat a dish in South Korea...

False

No, Elon Musk Didn’t Tweet ‘I Miss You Ghislaine’ in Acrostic Code Critics of the SpaceX founder often point out that he was once photographed with Ghislaine...

False