Well, actually…

They never said that: 12 popular misquotes

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Popular quotes are a good way to condense the ideas of a famous figure or to quickly make a reference to our favorite film or book. But we might not realize that many phrases embedded in society’s collective memory are actually misquotes or that they are wrongly attributed to someone. These are 12 examples of popular misquotes.

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If you were to ask who said this phrase, most people would answer Marie Antoinette. However, that would be incorrect. The original phrase—_"Qu'ils mangent de la brioche,"_ or _"Let them eat brioche"_—was attributed by Jean-Jacques Rousseau in his Confessions to an unnamed princess. How do we know it wasn’t Marie Antoinette? She was only nine years old at the time and still living in Austria.

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Darth Vader’s most quoted line never existed in that form. In The Empire Strikes Back, Luke accuses Darth Vader of murdering his father, based on what Obi-Wan Kenobi told him. Darth Vader’s actual response—_"No, I am your father"_—has since lived on as a misquote in the collective memory.

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Historians disagree about the last words spoken by Julius Caesar. Some say he remained silent after an initial cry of surprise, while others report that he spoke in Greek to his friend Brutus, saying Καὶ σύ, τέκνον ("You too, child"). The famous _"Et tu, Brute?"_—which can be translated as "And you?" or "You too, Brutus?"—first appeared in Caesar Interfectus by Richard Edes, but was later popularized by William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar.

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While this phrase is often associated with Niccolò Machiavelli’s ideology, he never actually said it. In his works, Machiavelli argued that rulers might sometimes need to resort to questionable means to ensure the greater good. He emphasized that one can never fully know a person’s intentions, so it is better to judge them by the results of their actions.

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According to legend, while on trial for teaching heliocentrism—at the time not scientifically proven and considered contrary to biblical teaching—Galileo Galilei famously declared "E pur si muove!" ("And yet it moves!"), meaning that the universe does not bend to belief. Although the phrase is attributed to Galileo, it was first recorded at least a century after his death, with no evidence of it being veridical.

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Casablanca is one of the undisputed classics of cinematic history, and it has frequently been quoted and used as inspiration. However, one of its most famous phrases—"Play it again, Sam"—is actually a misquote. Ingrid Bergman’s character says both "lay it once, Sam, for old times’ sake" and "Play it, Sam. Play ‘As Time Goes By’" but the misquote became popular after Woody Allen’s play, later adapted into the film Play It Again, Sam.

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This lovely quote, often attributed to Mahatma Gandhi, is another example of a phrase mistakenly linked to a famous figure. Gandhi expressed a similar sentiment in his writings—the idea that change must begin with oneself—but the exact wording is not his. The phrase is more accurately attributed to Arleen Lorrance, a 1970s educator.

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In the early 20th century, Evelyn Beatrice Hall published The Friends of Voltaire, a biography of the French philosopher. In it, as a way to illustrate Voltaire’s beliefs on freedom of speech, she penned the phrase: "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it." The maxim was such a good synopsis of Voltairian ideals that most people came to believe it was a direct quote from him.

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On April 13, 1970, the Apollo 13 spacecraft had to abort its mission due to the explosion of an oxygen tank. Astronaut Jack Swigert first reported the issue with the words: "Okay, Houston, we’ve had a problem here." Jim Lovell later repeated, "Houston, we’ve had a problem." How did the misquote become so popular? In the 1995 film Apollo 13, the screenwriter thought the past tense was not dramatic enough, and he changed it to "we have a problem."

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One could argue that this phrase is one of the quintessential Sherlock Holmes sayings. But did you know it wasn’t written by Arthur Conan Doyle? Sherlock Holmes does call his companion "my dear Watson," and he uses the word "elementary" when describing his deductions, but the full phrase —"Elementary, my dear Watson"— first appeared in a 1899 stage play and was later popularized by Basil Rathbone’s film adaptations.

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Real Trekkies know that this phrase, though popular, was never actually spoken by Captain Kirk in the original Star Trek series. He did say similar lines, such as "Mr. Scott, beam us up," and other variants. The misquote became so popular that it entered popular culture as a saying of its own.

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Some could argue that the Bible is the most misquoted book of all time. This particular phrase, often cited from Paul’s first letter to Timothy, is used to criticize money, but most people don’t realize that it is only a partial quote. The full passage—"For the love of money is the root of all evil"—warns against the dangers of loving money excessively.

What’s in a name?

Can you guess these 6 words named after places? Join our toponymic game!

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It is not surprising that some things we use or see every day are named after the place where they originated. And, over time, the place name becomes the name for the object. Words named after places or geographically grouped peoples are called toponymic words. There are more toponymic words than you can imagine, but you probably never gave them a second thought. So, we've come up with a game: We have left some clues for you to discover 6 words that derive from their place of origin. At the end of the article, you will find the correct answers. Are you up for the challenge?

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Our first toponymic word refers to a variety of knee-length, wide-legged shorts named after a British overseas territory located in a Caribbean archipelago in the North Atlantic Ocean, off the east coast of the United States.

Still haven't figured it out? Here's a hint: According to legend, there is a "triangle" in this area where numerous ships and planes have disappeared in mysterious circumstances.

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To guess this word, you have to think of a type of British coin that took its name from a region of West Africa known for its naturally moist tropical forest and savanna.

This particular gold coin was minted from 1663 to 1814 and represented a value of 20 shillings in sterling species, equal to one pound. Any ideas?

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There are many ways to refer to coffee: espresso, brew, Joe, black gold, and morning elixir, among many others. But on this occasion, we are going to focus on a toponymic word that derives from the name of a specific Indonesian island.

Coffee took this nickname when the islands were colonized by the Dutch in the 19th century. During this time, as the beverage became more and more popular, the main source of the world's coffee was this Indonesian island. Sound familiar?

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What do a formal shoe and a British city have in common? Their name! This word has its origin in an English cathedral city founded in the 8th century. The shoe in question is typically made of leather and tied with laces.

You still don't know the answer? Here's a clue: This town is home to the oldest university in the English-speaking world, where great names in world history such as Adam Smith, Oscar Wilde, Stephen Hawking, and Bill Clinton, among many others, studied.

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The fifth word in our toponymic game refers to the practice of an unconventional lifestyle generally associated with musicians, authors, painters, actors, and intellectuals. The term derives from the name of one of the three historical regions that make up the Czech Republic.

No idea what we're talking about? What if we told you that you can find the word in the title of a famous song by the British band Queen? If you are still feeling lost, scroll down and you'll find the answer!

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A type of wool made from the hair of a certain goat species shares its name with a region in North India located at the foot of the Himalayas. Although they are not spelled exactly the same, they are pronounced identically and have a historical connection.

Need a hint? The fabric made from this wool is one of the finest, softest, and warmest in the world. And yes, it is one of the most expensive too!

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Bermuda shorts are a type of short pants, worn mainly on informal occasions. The origin of this garment dates back to the early 20th century, when the British military was stationed in Bermuda. The English officers were not used to the sweltering heat of the Caribbean, so they decided to cut off their pants to alleviate the effects of the high temperatures.

The idea was a total success. The new garment began spreading to local civilians, causing the island's tailors to start selling their suits with shorts instead of long pants. Over time, tourists also adopted the local style, and bermudas gradually made their way to other parts of the world. Nowadays, bermuda shorts are the quintessential summer garment, favored for their style and versatility.

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The first guineas were minted in 1663, authorized by the British Crown "for the use and on behalf of the Company of Royal Adventurers trading with Africa". The coin received this name because the gold used to produce the first series was imported from the Guinea Coast, in West Africa.

The etymology of the word guinea is a bit tricky. It is believed that the English term Guinea comes from the Portuguese Guiné, a word from the mid-15th century used to refer to the lands inhabited by the Guineus. Guineus is what the Portuguese called the "black" African peoples living south of the Senegal River.

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Although it is not the most common nickname, many people call coffee Java. But why? Java was a very developed island in the Dutch East Indies era. In the 17th century, the Dutch introduced coffee to Southeast Asia, including places like Sumatra, Bali, and Java. In the 19th and early 20th century, Javanese coffee gained global popularity.

In 1863, a New York coffee merchant named Lewis A. Osborn launched the first packaged coffee in the United States. It was called "Osborn's Celebrated Prepared Java Coffee", a testament to the fact that the name Java was a synonym for quality coffee since it started to be massively consumed in our country.

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Did you guess it? We bet you did! Even if you didn't know the origin of the word, you probably have at least a pair of Oxford shoes in your closet. Oxford shoes are a classic and versatile style that can be worn for weddings as well as job interviews. But what is their connection with the famous English city?

There are many theories about the origin of Oxford shoes. The most accepted one is that their name derives from a type of boot known as the Oxonian that was very popular among students at Oxford University in the early 19th century. In turn, these shoes have roots in the Balmoral boot, named after Balmoral Castle in Scotland.

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The Oxford Dictionary defines the word bohemia as "Socially unconventional, artistic people viewed collectively or as a community". The word was borrowed from the French La bohème and was used to describe artists’ non-traditional lifestyles in large European cities.

The term appeared in the early 19th century and derived from the similarities the French found between urban bohemians and the Romani. La bohème was a common name for the Gypsy people of France, who were mistakenly believed to have arrived in the 15th century from Bohemia, the western part of what is now known as the Czech Republic.

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Cashmere is a natural fiber highly valued for its softness and warmth. It is obtained from the wool of the long-haired cashmere goat, native to the Kashmir region in northern India. Nowadays, these goats are also raised in other countries such as China, Mongolia, Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan.

The term cashmere is an anglicization of the name Kashmir and was used to describe shawls made by Kashmiri craftsmen that were traded via the Silk Road. However, it is said that the one responsible for its massive introduction to the Western world was Napoleon Bonaparte in the 19th century.