"Beam me up, Scotty"
Notes: From the Star Trek science-fiction TV series. Several variants of this do occur in the series, such as "Beam me aboard," or "Two to beam up", but "Beam me up, Scotty" was never said during the run of the original Star Trek series. However, the quote "Beam me up, Scotty" was uttered in the Star Trek animated series that aired in 1973-74. The movie Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home included the closest other variation: "Scotty, beam me up."
"Just the Facts, M'am."
Notes: This, the best known quote from the Jack Webb series Dragnet, was never said by Sgt. Friday in any of the Dragnet radio or television series.
However...when asked what sort of metal detector the famous detective used in his favorite hobby, Joe Friday IS known to have said, "Just DFX, M'am."
"Religion is the opiate of the masses." - Karl Marx
Correct quote: "Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world and the soul of soulless conditions. It is the opium of the people." Marx's intended meaning is subtler than the misquote would suggest.
"Blood, Sweat and Tears"
Correct quote: "I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat." - Winston Churchill
The quote appeared in the book Metropolis, written by Thea von Harbou, first published in 1926. The text, describing Joh Frederson who has just finished his first day working to keep the machines of Metropolis alive, states, "He tasted a salty taste on his lips, and did not know if it was from blood, sweat, or tears."
"Damn it, Jim! I'm a doctor not a..."
McCoy had several lines of this sort, except that he never said "damn it". Only one "swear word" was ever uttered on the original Star Trek series (i.e. prior to the movies) and it was by Kirk: "Let's get the hell outta here."
"Elementary, my dear Watson"
Correct quote: Though "Elementary," and "...my dear Watson." both do appear in the beginning of The Crooked Man, it is the "...my dear Watson" that appears first and the "Elementary" said by Holmes is a reply to Watson's exclamation just one turn of dialogue later. This is the closest these four immortal words ever appear together in the canon. - Sherlock Holmes
Notes: According to the Sherlock Holmes series of books, the expression was uttered in some derivative works such as Sherlock Holmes films and television programmes.
"Et tu, Brute ?" or "Et tu, Brutus ?"
Translation: "You too, Brutus?" as credited to the Roman emporer, Julius Ceasar.
Note: The second one is completely incorrect Latin grammar, as it didn't correctly use the vocative case.
As for the first, "Et tu, Brute?"...it is an accurate quotation from a play by William Shakespeare (Julius Caesar). Interestingly, Shakespeare renders the quote as Latin in an English play what was originally quoted as Greek spoken by a Roman.
Also translated as "And you, Brutus ?"
Correct quote: "Kai su, teknon?" (quoted by Suetonius)
Translation (from Greek, the language of Rome's elite at the time): "You too, my child?"
Note: It is highly unlikely that Caesar actually said these words.
"Friends, Romans, Countrymen, Lend me your ears." - William Shakespeare (also Julius Caesar)
Notes: The quote is considered accurate, but is normally attributed to Julius Caesar; actually said by the character of Mark Antony.
"Bubble bubble, toil and trouble."
Correct quote is: "Double double, toil and trouble." - William Shakespeare (Macbeth)
Notes: It is worth mentioning that the line following this quote reads "Fire burn and cauldron bubble"; if the first line had indeed read "Bubble, bubble (etc)", the second line would sound redundant. If this is kept in mind, accidental misquotations can be avoided.
"Me Tarzan, you Jane."
Occurs in none of the Tarzan films nor in the book by Edgar Rice Burroughs
Occured in an interview with the actor of Tarzan in the films, saying this is as complicated as his dialogue got.
"Methinks the lady doth protest too much"
Correct quote: "The lady doth protest too much, methinks" - William Shakespeare (Hamlet).
It should also be noted that, even when misquoted, the use of "protest" in this context means more of "proclaim" than "argue against," as in someone spending too much time carrying a picket sign or posting bills, rather than actively doing something about a issue.
"Money is the root of all evil."
Correct quote: "For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows." (I Timothy 6:10) Generally speaking, the texts of the Bible don't seem to have an issue with money as evil unless seeking it or any other vice deters one from faith or good works.
"Now is the winter of our discontent."
In context: "Now is the winter of our discontent / Made glorious summer by this sun of York." - William Shakespeare (Richard III)
Notes: This is a misquotation because, despite the same word order, the grammar of the quotation is different from the grammar of the original, and hence the meaning lost. In other words, the quote is incorrect in that it is misused from it's original intent. As misquoted, "is" is the main verb, and the phrase means, "The winter of our discontent is happening now." In the full quote, is is a helper verb, and might be repositioned in modern usage to clarify the meaning: "Now the winter of our discontent is made glorious summer by this sun of York."
"Alas, poor Yorick. I knew him well."
Correct quote: "Alas, poor Yorick. I knew him, Horatio - a fellow of infinite jest, of most excellent fancy." - William Shakespeare (Hamlet, Act V, Scene I)
"People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf."
Alternative: "We sleep safely at night because rough men stand ready to visit violence on those who would harm us."
Notes: allegedly said by George Orwell although there is no evidence that Orwell ever wrote or uttered either of these versions of this idea. They do bear some similarity to comments made in an essay that Orwell wrote on Rudyard Kipling, when quoting from one of his poems.
"Yes, making mock o' uniforms that guard you while you sleep" - Rudyard Kipling (Tommy)
"Play it again, Sam"
Actual quote: "Play it Sam, for old times' sake, play 'As Time Goes By'." - Ingrid Bergman (Casablanca)
Actual quote: "You played it for her, you can play it for me. ... If she can stand it, I can! PLAYIIT!" - Humphrey Bogart (Casablanca)
Note: Woody Allen made a homage to Casablanca under the title Play It Again, Sam, which is likely the source of much such misquotation.
The line first occurred in the Marx Brothers' film A Night in Casablanca (1946), another possible source of this misquotation.
"Someone set us up the bomb"
Correct quote: "Somebody set up us the bomb"
Notes: From a popular early Japanese video game, Zero Wing, with a very unskilled and amusing English translation.
"The rest is science"
Correct quote: "The rest is silence" - William Shakespeare (Hamlet)
"To gild the lily"
Correct quote: "To gild refined gold, to paint the lily" - William Shakespeare (The Life and Death of King John, Act IV, Scene II, line 13)
"Why don't you come up and see me sometime?"
Correct quote: "Why don't you come up sometime and see me?" - Mae West
A mechanical mouse in an old Tom and Jerry cartoon repeated "come up and see me sometime".
"I am not a crook" Richard Nixon
Often attributed to his denial of any foreknowledge of the Watergate break-in, when in fact the question raised in a Press Conference was about his personal finances. Not exactly: It was said in reference to a slew of questions at a press conference in 1973, many of which were about Watergate.
"Luke, I am your father."
Correct quote: "No. I am your father." - Darth Vader, Star Wars Episode V:The Empire Strikes Back
Notes: Said in response to Luke Skywalker's accusation about his father's death: "He told me enough! He told me you killed him!"
"You dirty rat!"
Never said by James Cagney in any film.
"Pride goeth before a fall"
Correct quote: "Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall" - Bible (King James Version), Proverbs 16:18
"The only traditions of the Royal Navy are rum, sodomy and the lash."
Winston Churchill's assistant, Anthony Montague-Browne said that although Churchill had not said this, he wished he had.
"A language is a dialect with a Navy."
This was not said by Otto von Bismarck, but rather by the linguist Max Weinreich or his student Joshua Fishman, who actually said "A shprakh iz a diyalekt mit an armey un a flot" (in English: "A language is a dialect with an army and a navy.")
"The hottest places in hell are reserved for those who, in times of great moral crisis, maintain their neutrality", or a variation on that.
This was stated by John F. Kennedy and attributed by him to Dante [1]. However, in the Divine Comedy those who "non furon ribelli n
Notes: From the Star Trek science-fiction TV series. Several variants of this do occur in the series, such as "Beam me aboard," or "Two to beam up", but "Beam me up, Scotty" was never said during the run of the original Star Trek series. However, the quote "Beam me up, Scotty" was uttered in the Star Trek animated series that aired in 1973-74. The movie Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home included the closest other variation: "Scotty, beam me up."
"Just the Facts, M'am."
Notes: This, the best known quote from the Jack Webb series Dragnet, was never said by Sgt. Friday in any of the Dragnet radio or television series.
However...when asked what sort of metal detector the famous detective used in his favorite hobby, Joe Friday IS known to have said, "Just DFX, M'am."
"Religion is the opiate of the masses." - Karl Marx
Correct quote: "Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world and the soul of soulless conditions. It is the opium of the people." Marx's intended meaning is subtler than the misquote would suggest.
"Blood, Sweat and Tears"
Correct quote: "I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat." - Winston Churchill
The quote appeared in the book Metropolis, written by Thea von Harbou, first published in 1926. The text, describing Joh Frederson who has just finished his first day working to keep the machines of Metropolis alive, states, "He tasted a salty taste on his lips, and did not know if it was from blood, sweat, or tears."
"Damn it, Jim! I'm a doctor not a..."
McCoy had several lines of this sort, except that he never said "damn it". Only one "swear word" was ever uttered on the original Star Trek series (i.e. prior to the movies) and it was by Kirk: "Let's get the hell outta here."
"Elementary, my dear Watson"
Correct quote: Though "Elementary," and "...my dear Watson." both do appear in the beginning of The Crooked Man, it is the "...my dear Watson" that appears first and the "Elementary" said by Holmes is a reply to Watson's exclamation just one turn of dialogue later. This is the closest these four immortal words ever appear together in the canon. - Sherlock Holmes
Notes: According to the Sherlock Holmes series of books, the expression was uttered in some derivative works such as Sherlock Holmes films and television programmes.
"Et tu, Brute ?" or "Et tu, Brutus ?"
Translation: "You too, Brutus?" as credited to the Roman emporer, Julius Ceasar.
Note: The second one is completely incorrect Latin grammar, as it didn't correctly use the vocative case.
As for the first, "Et tu, Brute?"...it is an accurate quotation from a play by William Shakespeare (Julius Caesar). Interestingly, Shakespeare renders the quote as Latin in an English play what was originally quoted as Greek spoken by a Roman.
Also translated as "And you, Brutus ?"
Correct quote: "Kai su, teknon?" (quoted by Suetonius)
Translation (from Greek, the language of Rome's elite at the time): "You too, my child?"
Note: It is highly unlikely that Caesar actually said these words.
"Friends, Romans, Countrymen, Lend me your ears." - William Shakespeare (also Julius Caesar)
Notes: The quote is considered accurate, but is normally attributed to Julius Caesar; actually said by the character of Mark Antony.
"Bubble bubble, toil and trouble."
Correct quote is: "Double double, toil and trouble." - William Shakespeare (Macbeth)
Notes: It is worth mentioning that the line following this quote reads "Fire burn and cauldron bubble"; if the first line had indeed read "Bubble, bubble (etc)", the second line would sound redundant. If this is kept in mind, accidental misquotations can be avoided.
"Me Tarzan, you Jane."
Occurs in none of the Tarzan films nor in the book by Edgar Rice Burroughs
Occured in an interview with the actor of Tarzan in the films, saying this is as complicated as his dialogue got.
"Methinks the lady doth protest too much"
Correct quote: "The lady doth protest too much, methinks" - William Shakespeare (Hamlet).
It should also be noted that, even when misquoted, the use of "protest" in this context means more of "proclaim" than "argue against," as in someone spending too much time carrying a picket sign or posting bills, rather than actively doing something about a issue.
"Money is the root of all evil."
Correct quote: "For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows." (I Timothy 6:10) Generally speaking, the texts of the Bible don't seem to have an issue with money as evil unless seeking it or any other vice deters one from faith or good works.
"Now is the winter of our discontent."
In context: "Now is the winter of our discontent / Made glorious summer by this sun of York." - William Shakespeare (Richard III)
Notes: This is a misquotation because, despite the same word order, the grammar of the quotation is different from the grammar of the original, and hence the meaning lost. In other words, the quote is incorrect in that it is misused from it's original intent. As misquoted, "is" is the main verb, and the phrase means, "The winter of our discontent is happening now." In the full quote, is is a helper verb, and might be repositioned in modern usage to clarify the meaning: "Now the winter of our discontent is made glorious summer by this sun of York."
"Alas, poor Yorick. I knew him well."
Correct quote: "Alas, poor Yorick. I knew him, Horatio - a fellow of infinite jest, of most excellent fancy." - William Shakespeare (Hamlet, Act V, Scene I)
"People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf."
Alternative: "We sleep safely at night because rough men stand ready to visit violence on those who would harm us."
Notes: allegedly said by George Orwell although there is no evidence that Orwell ever wrote or uttered either of these versions of this idea. They do bear some similarity to comments made in an essay that Orwell wrote on Rudyard Kipling, when quoting from one of his poems.
"Yes, making mock o' uniforms that guard you while you sleep" - Rudyard Kipling (Tommy)
"Play it again, Sam"
Actual quote: "Play it Sam, for old times' sake, play 'As Time Goes By'." - Ingrid Bergman (Casablanca)
Actual quote: "You played it for her, you can play it for me. ... If she can stand it, I can! PLAYIIT!" - Humphrey Bogart (Casablanca)
Note: Woody Allen made a homage to Casablanca under the title Play It Again, Sam, which is likely the source of much such misquotation.
The line first occurred in the Marx Brothers' film A Night in Casablanca (1946), another possible source of this misquotation.
"Someone set us up the bomb"
Correct quote: "Somebody set up us the bomb"
Notes: From a popular early Japanese video game, Zero Wing, with a very unskilled and amusing English translation.
"The rest is science"
Correct quote: "The rest is silence" - William Shakespeare (Hamlet)
"To gild the lily"
Correct quote: "To gild refined gold, to paint the lily" - William Shakespeare (The Life and Death of King John, Act IV, Scene II, line 13)
"Why don't you come up and see me sometime?"
Correct quote: "Why don't you come up sometime and see me?" - Mae West
A mechanical mouse in an old Tom and Jerry cartoon repeated "come up and see me sometime".
"I am not a crook" Richard Nixon
Often attributed to his denial of any foreknowledge of the Watergate break-in, when in fact the question raised in a Press Conference was about his personal finances. Not exactly: It was said in reference to a slew of questions at a press conference in 1973, many of which were about Watergate.
"Luke, I am your father."
Correct quote: "No. I am your father." - Darth Vader, Star Wars Episode V:The Empire Strikes Back
Notes: Said in response to Luke Skywalker's accusation about his father's death: "He told me enough! He told me you killed him!"
"You dirty rat!"
Never said by James Cagney in any film.
"Pride goeth before a fall"
Correct quote: "Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall" - Bible (King James Version), Proverbs 16:18
"The only traditions of the Royal Navy are rum, sodomy and the lash."
Winston Churchill's assistant, Anthony Montague-Browne said that although Churchill had not said this, he wished he had.
"A language is a dialect with a Navy."
This was not said by Otto von Bismarck, but rather by the linguist Max Weinreich or his student Joshua Fishman, who actually said "A shprakh iz a diyalekt mit an armey un a flot" (in English: "A language is a dialect with an army and a navy.")
"The hottest places in hell are reserved for those who, in times of great moral crisis, maintain their neutrality", or a variation on that.
This was stated by John F. Kennedy and attributed by him to Dante [1]. However, in the Divine Comedy those who "non furon ribelli n