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40 Common Quotes People Get Wrong

We love our quotes. From favorite movie lines to nuggets of wisdom from world leaders and deep thinkers, we use quotes to hammer a point home and make ourselves look intelligent.

But sometimes, commonplace sayings are actually different than we think and show us that we might not be as smart as we think.

From misappropriated sayings to movie lines we just plain butcher, here are quotes we’ve been getting all wrong.

Poor Kitty

Poor kitty

Quote: “Curiosity killed the cat.”

Who said it: Ben Johnson

When it was said: 1598

What people get wrong: “Helter skelter, hang sorrow, care’ll kill a Cat, up-tails all, and a Louse for the Hangman.”

Bottom Line: Poor Kitty

Every Man in His Humour

We all know about the nine lives our kitties have. The first sighting of something killing the cat came in Ben Johnson’s play “Every Man in His Humour.”

The original form of the saying was “care killed the cat,” but the word “care” doesn’t mean proper feeding and brushing. It actually means worry or to pester.

The line is basically saying to not ask too many questions or get nosey into someone else’s business, or it will come back to bite you.

That Took a Dark Turn.

Rome

Quote: “Rome wasn’t built in a day.”

Who said it: Unknown French poet

When it was said: 1190

What people get wrong: “Rome wasn’t built in a day, but it was burned in one.”

Bottom Line: That Took a Dark Turn.

Rome
Mauricio Artieda / Unsplash

See how we’ve lopped off the second half of this saying like an unwanted bud on a flower?

The way we say, “Rome wasn’t built in a day!” has come to mean that it takes hard work and time to create something worthwhile.

What we leave out is the part of the saying that implies it can be destroyed very quickly despite our efforts. So work hard and don’t play with matches.