“Oops, Wrong Quote! ”

When History Gets a Little Creative with the Facts

We’ve all been there. Someone drops a quote so profound, you immediately picture Edison (or was it Einstein?) nodding wisely, saying something like, “Vision without execution is hallucination.” The problem? They probably didn’t say it. And if they did, no one wrote it down! This is the delightful chaos Jo Hedwig Teeuwisse dives into in Fake History, a book dedicated to the quotes and stories that history may have, well, creatively edited. And yes, she has corrected me a few times on X/Twitter for re-posting “memes” of Marie-Antoinette and her “Give them cake”.

Here are some of our favorite “Oops” quotes with illustrations that capture just how hilarious these misattributions can get:

Edison Not Saying “Vision Without Execution…”

Imagine Edison in his lab, scratching his head and wondering, Did I really say that? Spoiler: he probably didn’t. But hey, it’s catchy! Teeuwisse’s book reveals that Edison wasn’t the only famous name to get accidentally credited with wise words he never uttered. Edison was all about lightbulbs, not hallucinations.

Napoleon and the “Champagne for All!” Mix-Up

Picture this: Napoleon, standing victorious on the battlefield, raises a glass of champagne and shouts, “In victory, we deserve it; in defeat, we need it!” Sure, it sounds great. But historical sources? Non-existent. Turns out Napoleon wasn’t the original sommelier. Sometimes, history just can’t resist turning generals into party planners. There is however a strong correlation that the Hussards did the sabring of bottles of Champagne as I wrote here but even the quote above was attributed to many people including Churchill in the 1930s (see below :)).

Einstein, the Patron Saint of Random Wisdom

If you’ve ever seen “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over” ascribed to Einstein, know this: it probably wasn’t him. He’s just famous enough that we slap his name on any pithy thought. Teeuwisse calls this the “Einstein Effect”—when history’s smartest get credit for today’s bumper sticker philosophy.

Churchill and the Case of the Wandering Words

Ah, Churchill. If half the quotes attributed to him are real, he’d have spent more time speaking in catchphrases than leading Britain. He’s been credited with everything from resilience to recipes (or drinking poisoned tea!)! Fake History unearths these gems, proving that history, much like gossip, sometimes embellishes.

So Why Do We Do It?

Because who doesn’t love a snappy line from someone famous? Teeuwisse points out that sometimes, these misquotes fill a need we have to hear life advice from someone important, even if the words are from someone we’ve never heard of. So next time you quote a historical figure, remember: history might not mind if you make it up, but Teeuwisse certainly will!

Fake History is a must-read if you want a laugh—and a little historical humility. After all, isn’t it better to know we’re all making it up as we go? And it may bring back some common sense on checking facts but also some critical thinking on evaluating the abundance of information delivered to us via digital channels.