Quote Misattributions

Commenters question and correct the attributions of quotes, frequently citing sources like Quote Investigator to debunk dubious claims about famous sayings on the internet.

📉 Falling 0.4x Other
3,315
Comments
20
Years Active
5
Top Authors
#3412
Topic ID

Activity Over Time

2007
10
2008
41
2009
51
2010
137
2011
134
2012
99
2013
180
2014
123
2015
149
2016
183
2017
188
2018
179
2019
218
2020
303
2021
283
2022
294
2023
288
2024
233
2025
208
2026
14

Keywords

theodorerooseveltcenter.org fsu.edu youtube.com quoteinvestigator.com TIL famousquotes.com OT stackexchange.com Arena.aspx wikiquote.org quote attribution attributed mark swift lies phrase interview internet original

Sample Comments

blowski Apr 4, 2022 View on HN

TIL that quote is _actually_ from George Bernard Shaw. https://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/176500.html

wwtrv Aug 25, 2024 View on HN

> Benjamin FranklinSupposedly that's not his quote though?https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=41342251

danparsonson Dec 20, 2023 View on HN

"Show me a quotation on the internet, and I will show you a dubious attribution" -- Abraham Lincoln

marmaduke Feb 2, 2018 View on HN

Do you have an attribution for the quote?

michaelx386 Jul 15, 2014 View on HN

That quote might be by RiderOfGiraffes:https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1626405

lazerwalker Nov 20, 2016 View on HN

"When reading a pithy observation about the state of the world, never assume the attribution is correct" -Mark Twain

kbenson Apr 4, 2017 View on HN

I've heard that quote before, but I don't really know its pedigree. Do you have a reference? (I also imagine the lack of sourcing is why you got downvoted).

solipsist Dec 31, 2010 View on HN

I was sure I heard that same quote before, but attributed to Mark Twain instead of Blaise Pascal. I looked it up on Google and, while there is some controversy, it seems as if Blaise was the first to say this.http://www.famousquotes.com/show/1045873/I know this is unrelated to the original post, but it's just another example of what we can learn from these little insightful comments on Hacker News even if it is not what

fzil Nov 20, 2020 View on HN

you have source on that quote? I searched and couldn't find anything.

shdh Aug 5, 2020 View on HN

Could you share a source for this quote?