Buzz
Everyone enjoys a good laugh over blunders. From Obama’s mention of visiting 57 states to George W. Bush’s frequent linguistic slip-ups, these moments amuse us all. However, not all mistakes are genuine. Some of history’s most iconic errors weren’t errors at all.
10. Alanis Morissette’s Hit ‘Ironic’ Is Indeed Ironic
The Misconception:
The term “irony” carries multiple meanings, none of which equate to “bad luck.” When ’90s pop icon Alanis Morissette released her song “Ironic,” featuring lyrics like “it’s a black fly in your Chardonnay,” which were unfortunate but not ironic, it sparked widespread ridicule. Today, countless online videos rework the song’s lyrics to align them with true irony.
The Truth:
What would truly be ironic? A song titled “Ironic” that fails to correctly define irony. When viewed as a whole, “Ironic” might just be the most ironic song ever created. Surprisingly, this might not be an error. As noted by the irony-focused website isitironic.com, Alanis Morissette allegedly stated, “The irony of ‘Ironic’ is that it’s not an ironic song at all.” This suggests the song could be a clever inside joke that many have misunderstood.
Even if you believe this interpretation is overly generous, it doesn’t diminish the song’s irony. In fact, it likely introduces an additional layer of dramatic irony. Whether intentional or accidental, the most inaccurately titled song in history ironically lives up to its name.
9. The Spinach Calculation Error Is a Myth
The Misunderstanding:
In 1890, German researchers attempted to measure the iron levels in spinach. However, a decimal point error in their published findings falsely suggested spinach had ten times more iron than it actually does. This mistake popularized the idea of spinach as a strength booster, eventually inspiring the creation of Popeye.
The Truth:
This anecdote first surfaced in the 1981 Christmas edition of the prestigious British Medical Journal, becoming a beloved internet myth about typos. However, it’s worth noting that the Christmas issue is known for featuring humorous articles, casting doubt on the story’s credibility.
The tale of the German scientists and their impact on Popeye’s creation was actually a playful joke. No evidence exists of such a decimal error or its cultural influence. In fact, when Popeye first ate spinach in 1932, he emphasized its vitamin A content, not iron. It’s amusing to realize the internet was fooled by a clever prank from British academics.
8. Cinderella’s Slipper Was Never Made of Fur
The Misconception:
In 1697, an unknown scholar was translating Charles Perrault’s fairy tales into English. When translating Cinderella, they confused the original “fur” slipper (pantoufle de vair) with a “glass” slipper (pantoufle de verre). This error popularized the glass slipper, creating an iconic element of the story.
The Truth:
The story of the “fur” vs. “glass” mix-up is widely shared on internet trivia platforms and even in the Encyclopaedia Britannica. However, Perrault’s original text clearly uses pantoufle de verre, indicating the slipper was always meant to be glass. Snopes confirms that Perrault couldn’t have misunderstood an oral version, as earlier European tales didn’t feature a slipper. Additionally, the term vair was archaic and unused during Perrault’s time.
Glass also holds symbolic significance. In storytelling, it represents purity and virginity, traits Cinderella embodies. Many cultures incorporate the breaking of glass in wedding traditions, adding deeper meaning to the symbol. Additionally, Perrault introduced numerous original elements to his version of the tale, far too many to be attributed to a single translation error.
7. Thomas Piketty’s Calculations Were Accurate
The Misunderstanding:
Thomas Piketty’s Capital in the Twenty-First Century is a groundbreaking economics book that earned him accolades like nomination for the Legion D’Honneur and the title “the new Karl Marx.” However, the Financial Times claimed the book was filled with errors, accusing Piketty of misrepresenting his data in an article that went viral.
The Truth:
While there are valid reasons to critique Capital, data misinterpretation isn’t one of them. Within two weeks of the FT’s accusations, Paul Krugman completed his analysis and found no errors in Piketty’s calculations. The alleged mistakes were standard data adjustments, a routine practice among scientists and economists.
Meanwhile, the FT had combined two incompatible datasets to challenge Piketty’s findings. Essentially, they were the ones in error. Other economists supported this view, though they were cautious about fully endorsing Piketty.
6. Hashtag Errors Are Often Misleading
The Misconception:
The Truth:
This phenomenon occurs frequently. When Margaret Thatcher passed away, the hashtag #nowthatchersdead trended, leading some to humorously believe Cher had died. However, writer Stuart Heritage argued in a passionate article that people feigned confusion over the hashtag for amusement, and the media mistakenly reported it as true. Similarly, the notorious #Susanalbumparty Tweet might have been a calculated move to generate publicity, though opinions on this vary.
5. Moses Was Intended to Have Horns
The Misconception:
The Vulgate, St. Jerome’s Latin translation of the Bible, includes a peculiar passage where Moses descends from Mount Sinai with horns on his head. Jerome mistranslated the Hebrew word keren (meaning “to shine” or “radiate light”), leading to a tradition in European art of portraying Moses and other Jewish figures with goat-like horns.
The Truth:
This narrative unfairly portrays Jerome as careless, but in reality, he meticulously worked on his translation, even consulting Jewish scholars. So why did he include horns? The answer lies in his commitment to accuracy. In ancient Hebrew, horns symbolized power and authority, not literal physical features.
In ancient Hebrew culture, horns were a metaphor for strength and dominance. Figures like Alexander the Great and Atilla the Hun were described as “wearing horns”, signifying their might. Just as modern readers understand metaphors like “radiating power” aren’t literal, ancient audiences would have recognized Moses’ horns as a symbol of his divine authority.
4. Mitt Romney Never Referenced the KKK
The Misconception:
During the last election, Romney faced backlash after using the phrase “keep America American” in a campaign speech in Iowa. This minor slip made the slogan nearly identical to one historically used by the Ku Klux Klan, sparking controversy.
The notion of Romney unintentionally echoing the KKK’s rhetoric was irresistible to the media, who seized the story. For days, he was criticized in the press, with commentators ridiculing him for not researching the slogan’s history. Even today, some believe he deliberately used a racist phrase in front of an audience.
The Truth:
In fact, Romney never made the alleged mistake. The Washington Post reviewed event footage and confirmed he said exactly what he intended. The incident was misreported by a few individuals and exaggerated by his critics. While his statement may not have been groundbreaking, it was certainly not racist.
3. Neil Armstrong Didn’t Mess Up His Words (Likely)
The Misconception:
The most iconic quote in history is also the most debated. When Neil Armstrong said, “One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind,” he was supposed to say, “One small step for a man.” However, his slip during this historic moment was overlooked, and the world embraced his words as they were.
The Truth:
Or did he? While it seems like Armstrong might have fumbled his iconic line, not everyone agrees. For three decades, Armstrong insisted he included the word “a” in his statement, only reconsidering after carefully reviewing the recording in 1999. However, in 2006, Peter Shann Ford may have vindicated Armstrong.
Using specialized software designed for communication via nerve impulses, Ford detected a 35-millisecond sound between “for” and “man,” too brief for human ears to catch. This was likely the missing “a.”
It’s worth noting that not all experts accept Ford’s findings, with some accusing him of rewriting history. Still, there’s a possibility that Armstrong has been unfairly criticized for a mistake he never actually made.
2. Penisland.net Was Not a Funny Error
The Misconception:
In the early days of the internet, some businesses unintentionally created URLs without considering how they might be misread. One of the most famous examples is Pen Island, which registered the amusingly suggestive domain name Penisland.net.
The Truth:
Anyone who wouldn’t immediately notice the humor in “penisland” likely doesn’t exist. The domain was intentionally designed to draw attention and amuse visitors with its obvious double entendres. The homepage alone features phrases like “we specialize in wood” and offers “long and thin” white pens or “thick dark” black ones. The FAQ section even jokes, “we can handle your wood.”
Similar to the hashtag mishaps mentioned earlier, most suggestive URLs appear to be intentionally chosen. The website Bigbustycoons.com, for instance, is clearly a joke site, while the legitimate fishing gear store Masterbaitonline.com proudly declares, “we are stiff competition.” A good rule of thumb: if a URL mistake seems too perfect, it’s likely intentional.
1. The Misinterpreted Pepsi Slogan Could Never Have Happened
The Misconception:
In the 1960s, Pepsi aimed to create a memorable slogan and settled on “come alive with Pepsi!” However, in China, this was allegedly mistranslated as “Pepsi brings your ancestors back from the grave,” leading to a sales decline and embarrassment for the marketing team.
The Truth Behind the Tale:
Pepsi has never outright refuted this story, leaving room for speculation about its authenticity. However, numerous inconsistencies suggest it’s likely a fabrication.
Firstly, Pepsi’s slogan was never 'come alive with Pepsi,' but rather 'Come alive! You’re in the Pepsi generation!' As Snopes has noted, this phrasing is far less prone to misinterpretation as a nod to the undead. Additionally, there’s no historical evidence of a significant sales decline for Pepsi in Asia during the alleged period.
The most glaring issue, however, is the timeline. In the 1960s, Pepsi was entirely unavailable in China due to the Communist Party’s ban on Western goods and advertising post-1949. Coca-Cola didn’t re-enter the market until three decades later, and Pepsi wasn’t reintroduced until 1982. The notion that such an incident could have occurred in the 1980s without media coverage is implausible, strongly indicating the story is a myth.
