Since the beginning of spoken language, human beings have made an astounding number of astute observations. They’ve turned some brilliant phrases and offered some unique perspectives. A small percentage of those wonderful utterances have been recorded for posterity. Unfortunately, many of those have been misattributed to the wrong people, or have been altered to the point where they don’t even truly capture what was originally said.
Luckily for all of us, YouTube all-stars Mental Floss are here to right the wrongs and offer some clarity. The forward-thinking channel’s newest video dropped today, and in it, host John Green goes over fifty of the most common misquotations in existence. From Kurt Vonnegut to Martin Luther King, he slashes his way in a lot of different directions, but at no point does he lose momentum or the cocksure attitude of a man who knows he’s right.
In the past, Green and company have tackled everything from facts about US Presidents to unusual units of measurement to common grammar mistakes. No doubt this clip will go over just as well with the target demographic.
So, remember, the next time you quote someone in an essay, paper or email, go the extra step to make sure said person actually said it. There’s a surprisingly good chance they didn’t.
