Buzz
“The issue with online quotations is verifying their accuracy.”—Abraham Lincoln.
Absolutely correct. This isn’t limited to the Internet. Even traditional media like books and newspapers often repeat these errors. We assume we understand the meaning and origin of these quotes, but the reality is, most of us are mistaken.
10. ‘Anecdotes Don’t Equal Data’
This unattributed quote often surfaces in debates and has even become an Internet meme. The core idea is that a single personal experience can’t validate a broad claim. Repeated testing is necessary to establish its validity.
Interestingly, the original statement conveyed the opposite meaning. Political scientist Raymond Wolfinger remarked, 'The plural of anecdote is data,' during a graduate seminar at Stanford in the 1969–1970 academic year.
Over time, the quote has evolved into its current version. Scholars continue to argue over which version—the original or the modern one—holds more validity as a saying.
9. ‘That Place Is Always Packed—Nobody Goes There Anymore’
This witty remark, supposedly about a bustling restaurant, is credited to baseball legend Yogi Berra, known for his many memorable quotes. While he’s often misattributed for others, this one remains his most famous.
Although Berra may have popularized the joke, he didn’t invent it. The phrase had been circulating for years before he used it. A true “Yogi-ism” is characterized by its apparent illogical nature, yet it carries meaning within the right context.
If it fits this description, it’s irrelevant whether Berra originated it or not. As Berra (possibly) quipped, “Half the things I said, I never actually said.”
8. ‘Why Not Give Them Cake?’
Marie Antoinette, the French queen during the Revolution, is famously said to have uttered this when informed that the poor had no bread. It was used to highlight her indifference toward the common people. But did she truly say this or something similar in French?
It seems unlikely.
The nearest French equivalent is: Qu’ils mangent de la brioche. (Brioche isn’t precisely cake, but it’s similar.) This phrase first appeared in print in Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s work in 1767, long before the revolution and when Marie Antoinette was just a child. There’s no proof she ever said it or anything resembling it.
7. ‘Silence May Suggest Ignorance, But Speaking Confirms It’
This sounds like something Mark Twain might have said, doesn’t it?
Many folksy sayings are mistakenly linked to Twain, and this is no exception. Despite its popularity, the quote doesn’t appear in any of Twain’s works. It was first recorded in a 1907 publication by Maurice Switzer.
Other misattributed quotes to Twain include “Golf ruins a good walk,” “The chilliest winter I experienced was a San Francisco summer,” and “Falsehoods race across the globe while truth laces up its boots.”
6. ‘I May Disagree With Your Words, But I’ll Fight For Your Right To Speak Them’
This statement is often wrongly credited to Voltaire, a staunch advocate of free speech, though he never actually said it.
This statement was actually penned by English writer Beatrice Evelyn Hall in a 1906 book about Voltaire. She aimed to encapsulate Voltaire’s philosophy but never claimed he uttered these exact words.
Voltaire’s name sticks in memory, while Hall’s fades—especially since she published under the pseudonym S.G. Tallentyre.
5. ‘The Love of Money Is the Root of All Evil’
Not exactly. The craving for money is the source of all evils, as stated in 1 Timothy 6:10 of the Douay-Rheims Catholic Bible.
The distinction is subtle yet significant. Possessing money isn’t the issue; it’s the harmful actions people take in their quest for wealth that cause problems. Those with money would rather you understand this correctly.
4. ‘Elementary, My Dear Watson’
This phrase is often attributed to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s legendary detective Sherlock Holmes, supposedly spoken to his assistant before revealing a brilliant deduction. However, this exact wording never appears in any of Conan Doyle’s original stories or novels, though it later became famous in a film adaptation.
While Holmes did use the word “elementary” when addressing Watson, he never uttered this precise phrase. Since it closely aligns with Conan Doyle’s style, it’s generally considered acceptable to use.
It’s similar to other misquoted movie lines like “Play it again, Sam” (actual line: “Play it, Sam.”) and “Luke, I am your father” (actual line: “No. I am your father.”).
3. ‘You Can Deceive Some People All the Time, and All People Some of the Time...’
The complete saying is: “You can deceive all the people some of the time, and some of the people all the time, but you cannot deceive all the people all the time.”
This quote is often attributed to Abraham Lincoln during an 1858 speech in Illinois. However, historians question its authenticity, as the first recorded use dates back to 1885, two decades after Lincoln’s death. It wasn’t linked to Lincoln until 1886, when a Prohibition politician cited it in a speech.
Lincoln is also wrongly credited with lesser-known quotes like “You cannot aid the poor by ruining the rich,” “You cannot permanently assist people by doing for them what they should do themselves,” “If I had two faces, would I wear this one?” and “I desire God’s support, but I need Kentucky.”
2. ‘A Billion Here, A Billion There, and Soon It Adds Up to Real Money’
This saying is often linked to US Senator Everett Dirksen. It’s plausible because only a politician might casually discuss such vast sums without considering them significant.
Dirksen did mention “a billion here, a billion there” during a 1962 press conference. However, the humorous conclusion to the phrase wasn’t his. He attributed it to a reporter and found it amusing enough to repeat later.
Some claim Dirksen used the full quote during a 1960s interview on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, but no recordings survive. Even if he did, he might have been echoing a phrase mistakenly credited to him earlier.
1. ‘Victory Isn’t Just Important—It’s Everything’
This quote is often tied to legendary football coach Vince Lombardi. It’s intriguing because “everything” and “the only thing” essentially mean the same here, making the statement somewhat redundant. Yet, it has endured as a memorable saying.
Lombardi didn’t create this phrase. It was first used by UCLA football coach Henry “Red” Sanders. However, Lombardi popularized it during his tenure with the Green Bay Packers in the 1960s, when they were a dominant force in professional football.
Lombardi also adapted the quote, saying things like “Winning isn’t everything, but the desire to win is” and “Striving to win is what matters.” The original version remains linked to him because he embodied its win-at-all-costs mentality and believed it was the foundation of success.
