I realized the other day that I had been misquoting a famous line in literature, for a long time, maybe forever. But I’m not the only one. In fact, misquotes have even been used as product names and book titles. Think you’re immune to misquote-itis? Test your knowledge below!

  WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING LINES ARE MISQUOTES?

A. Out, damned spot!

B. Out, out, damn spot!

C. Would someone let the damn dog out?

B. Though Shakespeare never wrote this line, I’ve definitely heard it used. I swear I saw it on a bar of gift shop soap once, and you can still buy Out, Out Damn Spot – Activated Charcoal Blemish Treatment on Etsy.

A. Lead on, Macduff!

B. Lay on, Macduff!

C. Lay off, Macduff.

A & C. – I suspect that someone somewhere wanted to tell Macduff to lay off, but it doesn’t seem to be in print.

A. Bubble, bubble, toil and trouble.


B. Double, double toil and trouble.

C. Double your pleasure. Double your fun.

A. Maybe this isn’t a misquote since you can buy a paperback copy of Bubble, Bubble, Toil, & Trouble: Mystical Munchies, Prophetic Potions, Sexy Servings, and Other Witchy Dishes on Amazon. And C. was a tagline for Doublemint gum, though sadly we don’t get to actually hear the tagline in the famous commercial (but it’s still worth watching):

A. We are such stuff as dreams are made of. 

B. We are such stuff as dreams are made on. 

C. We are made of star stuff.

A. Bet you’ve heard this misquote a lot, unless you’re around actors or Shakespeare enthusiasts (BTW, isn’t it cool to have Shakespeare and Carl Sagan in the same question?)

A. Please sir, I want some more.

B.  Please sir, may I have some more?

C. Thank you, sir! May I have another?

B. This is the misquote I will admit to. Guess I was combining quote A. (from Oliver Twist) with quote C. (from Animal House).

A. Water, water everywhere, and not a drop to drink.

 B. Water, water, every where, Nor any drop to drink.

C. Water, water, everywhere. Of course it’s everywhere. I live in Oregon.

 A. Another famous misquote. And C. is an actual quote. From me.