Hell hath no fury…. like a writer misquoted. Misquoting literary lines is practically a pastime, whether from years of seeing phrases rephrased or just how specific quotes have taken on lives of their own. In some ways, the fake quotes could be seen as a folksy improvement of the original quote, but it’s fascinating to go back and read the actual text. Here, I’ll break down some of the most commonly misquoted lines from famous works of literature we cover on eNotes.com, and reveal what they actually say—and often, the actual line is just as powerful.
1. “Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.”
- The Real Line: “Heaven has no rage like love to hatred turned, Nor hell a fury like a woman scorned.” – The Mourning Bride by William Congreve
- Explanation: This line has been condensed over time into a catchier phrase, but Congreve’s original line is more nuanced. The imagery of heaven and hell intensifies the emotional depth of love-turned-hatred.
2. “All that glitters is not gold.”
- The Real Line: “All that glisters is not gold.” – The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare
- Explanation: Shakespeare actually used “glisters,” not “glitters,” to signify something that shines in appearance but lacks value. “Glisters” is an archaic form of “glitters” that has gradually morphed into popular usage, yet the meaning remains intact. So, in this, case it’s an example of just using a more modern word, the meaning is the exact same.
3. “Blood, sweat, and tears.”
- The Real Line: “I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears, and sweat.” – Winston Churchill
- Explanation: This stirring call for resilience in the face of hardship is often abbreviated to “blood, sweat, and tears,” omitting the equally crucial “toil” Churchill offered as Britain’s prime minister during WWII. The complete version adds even more intensity.
4. “Elementary, my dear Watson.”
- The Real Line: Sherlock Holmes never actually says this in any of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s works.
- Explanation: Though it has become one of the most iconic Sherlockian phrases, “Elementary, my dear Watson” does not appear in any of Doyle’s original stories. Instead, Holmes’s analytical remarks to Watson eventually inspired this famous catchphrase.
5. “Water, water, everywhere, and not a drop to drink.”
- The Real Line: “Water, water, everywhere, Nor any drop to drink.” – The Rime of the Ancient Mariner by Samuel Taylor Coleridge
- Explanation: The misquoted “not a drop to drink” simplifies the line but misses the lyrical rhythm of Coleridge’s original, which conveys the irony of being surrounded by undrinkable water in a hauntingly poetic way. Again, the meaning is not changed; it’s just made easier to repeat.
6. “I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.”
- The Real Line: This is not a Voltaire quote but a paraphrase by biographer Evelyn Beatrice Hall, summarizing Voltaire’s views on free speech.
- Explanation: Although widely attributed to Voltaire, the line was Hall’s invention. She aimed to capture the philosopher’s stance on tolerance but never claimed it as a direct quote, creating one of literature’s most widespread attributions.
7. “Good fences make good neighbors.”
- The Real Line: “Good fences make good neighbours.” – “Mending Wall” by Robert Frost
- Explanation: Frost’s poem often endorses boundaries, yet the poem questions them: “Why do they make good neighbours?” Frost presents this line as a starting point, not a conclusion, probing the paradox of human closeness and separation.
8. “Money is the root of all evil.”
- The Real Line: “The love of money is the root of all evil.” – The Bible, 1 Timothy 6:10
- Explanation: In the Bible, it is the love of money that breeds evil, not money itself. This subtle shift underscores the dangers of greed rather than condemning wealth in general. We’ve seen recent money-bible connections in the news, but we’d all be better off if the love was kept in the quote, I think. Money itself is not the problem; it’s all about love, or lust.