A famous non-quotation is a well-known phrase attributed to someone who, in fact, did not say it.

It may not be known how these phrases came about, but when possible their type of origin is noted in this way:

  • [P] Parody or satire of the original.
  • [C] A corruption (probably accidental) of the original phrase which became better known than the original.
  • [M] A deliberate misquoting or made-up quote intended to discredit the alleged speaker.
  • [A] Attributed to a well-known person to improve the appearance of the phrase or the person.

A detailed explanation of each of these would be desirable, but it should go on the speaker's page, rather than on this page. That is, information about a mis-quote of Al Gore should be found under Al Gore.



See also: