When it comes to 10 more pairs of look‑alike critters, what distinguishes a genuine specialist in any discipline is the knack for noticing the minute distinctions that set seemingly alike items apart. Whether you’re a physician hunting down a rare diagnosis or a covert operative sifting through forged documents at a federal agency, those tiny clues often hold the key to accurate identification.

10 More Pairs: Spotting the Subtle Differences

10 Octopus/Squid

To the casual observer, an octopus and a squid can look virtually identical. Luckily, several straightforward clues exist that let you tell them apart. Let’s begin with the most surprising fact: an octopus lacks true tentacles.

Tentacles are defined by having hooks or suckers only at their ends. When a limb is covered entirely with suckers, it’s called an arm. Both octopuses and squids sport eight arms, yet squids possess an additional pair of tentacles that extend farther and sit higher than the arms.

If counting limbs isn’t your thing, no problem. A far more noticeable distinction lies in head shape: octopuses feature a round, bulbous cranium, whereas squids display a triangular head crowned with a fin on each flank. Additionally, squids often gather in schools, grow bigger, and enjoy longer lifespans compared to their octopus cousins.

9 Ape/Monkey

Most people meet apes and monkeys only at zoos, where a convenient sign labels each creature. While pinpointing the exact species isn’t required, distinguishing whether the animal is an ape or a monkey should be straightforward.

Monkeys boast hundreds of species, whereas apes number roughly two dozen. Memorizing the ape species can aid identification, but size offers a quick clue—apes are generally far larger than monkeys.

The most reliable giveaway, however, is the presence of a tail. Old World monkeys (Africa and Asia) typically sport short tails, whereas New World monkeys (South and Central America) have long ones. Apes lack tails entirely, which translates into most monkeys living arboreally, while apes are predominantly terrestrial.

8 Rabbit/Hare

Since both creatures often appear as tiny brown streaks darting across fields, teasing apart hares from rabbits can be tricky. Yet once you get a closer look, the distinction becomes clearer. Hares tend to be larger, swifter, and more robust than rabbits, most noticeably through their oversized ears and hefty feet.

Habitat offers another clue. Hares remain wild, so any domesticated specimen you encounter is a rabbit (or should be). In nature, rabbits engage in burrowing battles, nesting underground because their newborns are helpless. Conversely, hares seldom fight and dwell above ground, with their offspring gaining independence shortly after birth.

Lastly, fur coloration varies seasonally. During warm periods, hares sport predominantly brown coats with hints of black, which they swap for a white winter pelage. Wild rabbits, however, wear brown fur in summer and turn gray when the cold sets in.

7 Possum/Opossum

As the saying goes, “When did they start calling it opossum? Back in my day we just said possum. ‘Opossum’ sounds like an Irish name.” In reality, the opossum is native to North America, while true possums hail from Australia, New Zealand, China, and several other regions.

What sets them apart? Both belong to the marsupial family, yet the opossum is the sole North American marsupial. Opossums display gray pelage, a white facial mask, and black ears and paws. Possums, by contrast, come in gray, black, brown, or golden shades and feature noticeably larger ears.

The simplest distinction, however, lies in cuteness. Possums resemble chinchillas, boasting stout bodies and petite heads. Conversely, opossums possess hairless, rat‑like tails and elongated snouts bristling with sharp teeth, ready to intimidate any intruder.

6 Bee/Wasp

When faced with bees versus wasps, most folks think about fleeing rather than identification. Both fall under the Apocrita suborder, characterized by a slender waist. Yet bees usually appear rounder, while wasps exhibit a more elongated, cylindrical form.

Bees are generally far less belligerent than wasps for two key reasons. Firstly, bees are herbivorous and rarely attack unless defending their nest. More crucially, a bee’s stinger is barbed; once deployed it remains lodged, often killing the bee.

Conversely, wasps are predatory, preying on other insects, and wield a smooth stinger that can be retracted without injury. While they too avoid unprovoked aggression, they pose a greater threat overall. Moreover, bees, being pollinators, sport a fuzzy covering on their bodies and legs, whereas wasps are sleek and virtually hairless.

5 Butterfly/Moth

Butterflies and moths share many striking resemblances, particularly regarding their life cycles. Moths begin as caterpillars, then spin silk‑lined cocoons, emerging as adult moths after roughly three weeks.

In contrast, butterflies also start as caterpillars but forego cocoons, instead forming chrysalises—tough, smooth chambers lacking silk. They too emerge as adults within a similar three‑week span.

Bright coloration often signals a butterfly, yet this isn’t foolproof; some moths flaunt vivid hues while certain butterflies appear muted. A more dependable cue is activity pattern: moths tend to be nocturnal, whereas butterflies are active by day.

The most reliable identifier, however, lies in wing posture at rest. Butterflies hold their wings upright over their backs, while moths fold their wings flat, wrapping them around the body.

4 Shrimp/Prawn

When you spot a shrimp or a prawn, chances are you’re gearing up to eat it. In that scenario, the menu likely already tells you which you’re about to devour. Yet placing a prawn beside a shrimp makes distinguishing them considerably tougher.

Both belong to the Decapoda order of crustaceans, sporting ten legs and a hard exoskeleton. Prawns generally outsize shrimp and possess a straighter body. Their segments overlap sequentially from head to tail, resembling roof tiles.

Because of their curvature, a shrimp’s second segment overlaps both the first and third, serving as a clear shrimp marker. Additionally, prawns feature claws on the first three leg pairs, whereas shrimp bear claws only on the initial two pairs.

3 Bison/Buffalo

Many folks find it challenging to separate bison from buffalo, yet the distinction is fairly simple. Geography provides the first clue. Early American pioneers dubbed the bison “buffalo” because of its resemblance to the African buffalo. However, true buffalo reside only in Africa and Asia, while bison inhabit Europe and North America.

Physically, telling them apart is akin to differentiating a cow from a bull. Bison boast massive heads and shoulders that appear oversized relative to their frames, whereas buffalo sport large, moustache‑shaped horns; bison’s horns are comparatively modest and don’t protrude far.

Climate also influences their coats: bison grow a thick, beard‑like hair that they shed during summer months, while buffalo possess a shorter, finer coat appropriate for the warmer African and Asian environments.

2 Caterpillar/Centipede

While they scuttle through soil, caterpillars, centipedes, and millipedes can appear indistinguishable. Yet a closer inspection quickly reveals clear differences.

Despite patterned appearances suggesting segmentation, caterpillars possess elongated, unbroken bodies akin to worms. Numerous caterpillars are also cloaked in fine hairs, unlike the hairless centipedes and millipedes. While this hints at a caterpillar, the definitive identifier lies in the leg arrangement.

Caterpillars feature both prolegs and true legs. The prolegs vanish during metamorphosis into a butterfly, whereas the true legs persist. These genuine legs consist of three pairs situated near the head, tightly clustered and ending in hooked claws.

Contrary to their names, centipedes don’t sport 100 legs, nor do millipedes boast 1,000. Typically, centipedes bear around 50 legs, while millipedes can reach up to 400. Rather than counting, observe the body segments: centipedes display a single leg per segment, whereas millipedes show two legs per segment.

1 Black Panthers

Most big cats inhabit distinct regions: cougars and jaguars reside in the Americas, lions dominate Africa, while cheetahs and leopards span Africa and Asia. Black panthers, however, are unique because they appear wherever a big‑cat species exists, since a true “black panther” doesn’t actually exist.

What we label a black panther is simply another big‑cat variant. Its exact species varies by location, yet the reason for its dark hue is consistent. You may know albinism, a condition that renders individuals pale due to insufficient melanin, the pigment responsible for hair and skin color.

Melanism is the reverse condition: excess melanin darkens the animal’s coat. In big cats, this masks their characteristic spots or stripes, giving the impression of an entirely black feline. Yet a close inspection of the fur still reveals the underlying pattern.

You can catch the musings of the often‑confused Simon on Twitter.

The world of cabinets of curiosities was a playground for the eccentric, the erudite, and the downright weird. In this top 10 bizarre tour we’ll wander through the most outlandish specimens ever displayed, from half‑fish clergy to mechanically singing devils, all while keeping the spirit of wonder alive.

10 Sirens And Sea Monsters

Taxidermied sirens, mermaids, and a host of other marine monstrosities were staple attractions in early wunderkammern. Artisans typically cobbled these creatures together from assorted fish parts, creating hybrids that were part human, part fish, and occasionally part bear or monkey. In Ambroise Pare’s 1510‑1590 treatise Of Monsters and Marvels, he argued that the sea teemed with as many strange beings as the land, describing sirens and tritons as bizarre blends of fish, primates, and even ursine features.

The most distinctive examples were the monk‑fish and bishop‑fish, which appeared in several bestiaries of the era, including those by Pare, Conrad Gessner, and Pierre Belon. These fanciful hybrids were portrayed wearing ecclesiastical garb, blurring the lines between the sacred and the monstrous.

French naturalist Guillaume Rondelet (1507‑1566) recounted seeing a portrait of a bishop‑fish that supposedly had been displayed in Poland in 1531. According to the tale, the creature made the sign of the cross before diving back into the water, a claim Rondelet himself viewed with skepticism.

While the story was entertaining, Rondelet admitted he doubted the fish ever truly performed a Christian gesture before slipping beneath the waves, suggesting the anecdote was more myth than fact.

9 Automata

Automata, the precursors to modern robots, were prized mechanical wonders that often took center stage in cabinets of curiosities. Milanese collector Manfredo Settala (1600‑1680) owned a devil automaton that greeted visitors by sticking out its tongue and emitting loud sounds whenever someone entered his cabinet, creating a theatrical welcome.

The fascination with these engineered marvels surged in the 17th and 18th centuries as philosophers likened nature to a grand machine. Artisans responded by crafting lifelike devices that mimicked living beings, exemplified by Jacques de Vaucanson’s (1709‑1782) mechanical duck, which seemed to digest food—though later investigations revealed the duck was simply fed pre‑digested material.

Swiss watchmaker Pierre Jaquet‑Droz (1721‑1790) pushed the boundaries further, designing automata capable of playing musical instruments and even writing. In 1780, the eccentric Abbot Mical produced a series of mechanical talking heads that could utter sentences such as “The king brings peace to Europe” and “Peace crowns the king with glory,” hoping to win a competition at the Imperial Academy of Sciences in Saint Petersburg.

8 Paradise Birds Without Feet

When the flamboyant birds of paradise first arrived in Europe via Eastern trade routes, they ignited the imagination of scholars and collectors alike. Legends proclaimed these dazzling avians as footless creatures, forever soaring on the strength of their plumage and subsisting on dew or pure air.

Carl Linnaeus (1707‑1778), the father of modern taxonomy, christened the species Paradisaea apoda, literally “bird of paradise without feet.” In a grim twist, merchants sometimes amputated the birds’ legs to perpetuate the myth and increase their market value, turning myth into a macabre reality.

7 Aldrovandi’s Dragon

Ulisse Aldrovandi (1522‑1605) stands among the most celebrated collectors of the Renaissance. As a professor of natural philosophy at the University of Bologna, he amassed a staggering assemblage of specimens and even founded one of the earliest botanical gardens.

In his extensive treatises, including A History of Monsters and A History of Serpents and Dragons, Aldrovandi described a dead dragon discovered in the fields surrounding Bologna. He detailed it as a bipedal creature with a long neck, a lengthy tail, scales covering its body, a robust torso, and a forked tongue.

Aldrovandi proudly added this extraordinary find to his collection, noting its rarity. He famously remarked, “Serpents naturally do not have feet.” Contemporary works, such as Conrad Gessner’s Historiae Animalium, also reported sightings of winged, four‑legged serpents near Styria, indicating that belief in dragons was widespread among scholars of the time.

6 Unicorn Horns

Unicorn horns were a coveted addition to many cabinets, though they were almost certainly the tusks of narwhals masquerading as the fabled beasts. Collectors believed these horns possessed potent medicinal powers, capable of neutralizing plagues, venomous bites, and even rabies. Legend has it that Mary Stuart (1542‑1587), the Queen of Scotland, kept a unicorn horn on hand to safeguard her meals from poison.

Conrad Gessner (1516‑1565), author of one of the most influential bestiaries, devoted a full page to the unicorn in his Historiae Animalium. Remarkably, the unicorn’s illustration sat beside an entry for the common mouse, juxtaposing the fantastical with the mundane. Gessner drew on biblical, medieval, and mythic sources to claim the unicorn could cure epilepsy and purify water.

The creature was also steeped in symbolism: it was said to approach only virgin women, resting its head in their laps. This association with purity linked the unicorn to Christ in medieval iconography, reinforcing its status as a divine emblem.

5 Anatomical Tableaux

Monstrous or misshapen specimens have long been a fixture of cabinets, serving as tangible proof of nature’s boundless variety. Frederik Ruysch (1638‑1731), a prolific collector, blended scientific inquiry with theatrical flair. A botanist by training, he devised a preservation technique that infused specimens with colored substances, accentuating veins and arteries in vivid hues.

Ruysch’s most celebrated creations were his dioramas, miniature scenes that placed fetal skeletons in dramatic, natural‑looking settings. Yet the “nature” was cleverly fabricated from human body parts: gallstones masqueraded as rocks, veins became trees, and lung tissue formed bushes and grass.

These anatomical tableaux carried allegorical weight, prompting viewers to contemplate the fleeting nature of life. By intertwining art, anatomy, and symbolism, Ruysch turned his cabinet into a stage for both education and wonder.

4 The Stuffed Crocodile

The taxidermied crocodile was a frequent centerpiece in many cabinets of curiosities, gracing the covers of renowned catalogs such as those compiled by Ferrante Imperato and Ole Worm. Its exotic, semi‑aquatic nature made it an ideal specimen to provoke questions about the boundaries between land and water.

Ambroise Pare, in his Of Monsters and Marvels, marveled at the crocodile’s paradoxical tongue: “It has such an impedite [rudimentary] tongue that it seems not to have one at all, which is the reason why it lives partly on land, partly in the water; as, being terrestrial, it takes the place of a tongue for him, and as, being aquatic, he is without a tongue.” He argued that fish either lacked tongues entirely or possessed a very reduced one.

Beyond its anatomical curiosity, the crocodile was believed to possess medicinal virtues. Its flesh was thought to cure facial blemishes, its gall to treat cataracts, and its blood to sharpen vision, illustrating how cabinets blended science with folk remedy.

3 Bestiaries

Renaissance bestiaries functioned as early encyclopedias, cataloguing both ordinary and fantastical creatures. Each entry paired an illustration with a narrative describing the animal’s habits, symbolism, and purported uses, often emphasizing medicinal properties.

The genre’s longevity stemmed from its dual purpose: classification and wonder. Collectors of cabinets frequently produced their own mini‑natural histories, documenting the oddities within their walls. Dutch zoologist Albertus Seba exemplified this practice, commissioning exquisitely detailed illustrations of his specimens and publishing them across four lavishly colored volumes.

These illustrated tomes cemented the credibility of both real and imagined beasts, reinforcing the cabinet’s role as a bridge between empirical observation and mythic imagination.

2 Herbaria And Mandrakes

Herbaria, much like bestiaries, served as catalogues of plant specimens, often emphasizing their therapeutic virtues. Among the most enigmatic entries were mandrakes (Mandragora), whose human‑shaped roots sparked both fascination and fear.

Renaissance illustrations frequently portrayed mandrakes as tiny, anthropomorphic figures. Folklore warned that uprooting a mandrake would unleash a blood‑curdling scream capable of killing anyone who heard it. To avoid this fate, practitioners depicted the plant being pulled from the earth by tying its head to a dog while the owner kept a safe distance.

William Turner (1509‑1568), author of the Niewe Herball, warned of the plant’s potent effects: inhaling its scent could induce sleep, while excessive consumption might render a person “dumb.” He cautioned that over‑use could cause severe lethargy and a loss of strength, underscoring the fine line between remedy and poison.

1 Decorated Nautilus Shells

Elaborately painted or mounted nautilus shells were a regular feature in many cabinets. Some specimens were tinted with vivid pigments, while others rested upon richly ornamented pedestals, occasionally serving as functional drinking vessels.

The practice of embellishing these shells reflected a broader philosophical belief: nature could be refined through human artistry. By marrying natural form with decorative craft, collectors highlighted the dialogue between the organic world and human ingenuity, encapsulating the very essence of curiosity that defined these extraordinary cabinets.

From sea‑borne myths to mechanical marvels, the top 10 bizarre objects showcased here illustrate how the quest for wonder has long driven humanity to collect, categorize, and celebrate the extraordinary.

10 more commonly, I was strolling through a local bookstore when a flashy health‑related title caught my eye and reminded me of a wildly popular list we rolled out last year. That sparked the idea to compile a fresh batch of medical myths that still manage to worm their way into casual chats and even doctor’s offices. Below you’ll find ten stubborn misconceptions, each busted with solid science and a dash of humor. Feel free to drop your own favorite myths in the comments – the more we debunk, the better!

10 More Commonly: Myths Overview

1 Contact Lens Stuck Behind the Eye

Many people swear they’ve felt a contact lens slip behind their eyeball, prompting frantic searches for a mysterious cavity that seemingly hides the rogue lens. The truth? Your eye anatomy simply doesn’t have a pocket for a lens to disappear into. The space behind the cornea is occupied by the vitreous humor, a gel‑like substance that’s sealed off, leaving no room for a lens to lodge. If a lens goes missing, it’s most likely tucked under an eyelid fold or, more embarrassingly, on the bathroom floor after a clumsy removal attempt. So, breathe easy – there’s no secret “back‑of‑the‑eye” storage unit for lenses.

2 Missing Tampon String Mystery

Ever heard a frantic call for help because a tampon’s string vanished mid‑day? Some women rush to the ER convinced the tampon has slipped into a hidden chamber. In reality, the vaginal canal is a closed tunnel that only opens at the cervix, and there’s nowhere for a tampon to wander off to. If a tampon seems to disappear, the most plausible explanation is that it was simply removed and forgotten, not that it’s lodged somewhere mysterious. Doctors routinely perform examinations and find nothing – the “lost tampon” myth is just that, a myth.

3 Flu Shot Can Give You the Flu

There’s a persistent rumor that the flu vaccine actually spreads the flu virus. The reality is that flu shots contain either inactivated (killed) viruses or sub‑units that can’t cause infection. Your immune system still recognizes these components and mounts a defensive response, granting you protection without the disease. The only rare exception involves a massive manufacturing error where a batch of swine‑flu vaccine wasn’t properly deactivated – a spectacular slip‑up that led to a massive recall. But under normal circumstances, the flu shot can’t give you the flu.

4 Direct‑Heart Injection Myth

Hollywood loves dramatic medical scenes – remember the iconic moment in “Pulp Fiction” where a character receives a direct injection into the heart? In real life, physicians never inject medication straight into the myocardium. Emergency adrenaline for cardiac arrest is delivered intravenously, not intracardially. Moreover, adrenaline isn’t the antidote for heroin overdose; naloxone (Narcan) is. The only time doctors get close to the heart is when they insert a needle into the pericardial sac to drain fluid, a procedure called pericardiocentesis, which is far removed from the cinematic “heart‑shot” fantasy.

5 Older Adults Need Less Sleep

The age‑old belief that seniors can get by on fewer hours of shut‑eye is simply false. Research shows that the sleep requirement remains fairly constant throughout adulthood, hovering around 7‑9 hours for most people. Once you cross the 65‑year threshold, you may even need a touch more rest, as the body’s ability to stay asleep wanes. The myth likely stems from older adults experiencing fragmented sleep, leading them to think they need less overall. In truth, the need for quality sleep doesn’t diminish with age – it just becomes harder to achieve.

6 Chocolate and Greasy Food Cause Acne

Parents and teenagers alike have been warned that indulging in chocolate or greasy fast food will turn skin into a battlefield of pimples. Yet rigorous scientific studies have shown that diet plays a minimal role in acne development. One controlled trial fed one group a high‑chocolate diet while the other avoided chocolate entirely; neither group experienced a noticeable change in breakouts. While excessive consumption can lead to weight gain and hormonal fluctuations, the direct link between those foods and acne is tenuous at best.

7 Sneezing Stops Your Heart

Ever heard someone claim that a massive sneeze can make your heart quit? The myth has a grain of truth – a powerful sneeze can briefly alter intrathoracic pressure, causing a fleeting irregularity in heart rhythm. However, the heart does not stop; it merely experiences a momentary blip that is harmless in healthy individuals. The myth likely stuck because the sensation of a sudden pause feels dramatic, but physiologically the heart continues beating normally.

8 Putting a Cut in Your Mouth Is Safe

Many of us have, at some point, stuck a bleeding fingertip straight into our mouth, assuming the saliva will clean the wound. In reality, the oral cavity teems with bacteria, making it a less than sterile environment. Introducing a fresh cut to that bacterial buffet dramatically raises the risk of infection. While the habit may feel instinctive, it’s best to rinse the wound with clean water and apply a sterile dressing instead of giving it a tour of your tongue.

9 You Must Stay Awake After a Concussion

Movies love the trope of a knocked‑out athlete being shaken awake and then forced to stay alert to avoid a fatal bleed. In real life, a mild concussion rarely leads to a coma, and a brief nap after a head injury is generally safe. However, any severe blow to the head warrants a medical evaluation to rule out intracranial bleeding. The myth persists because dramatized portrayals make for gripping cinema, but the reality is far less sensational.

10 Cold Sores Are Contagious, Mouth Ulcers Are Not

Everyone knows that cold‑sores, caused by the herpes simplex virus, spread through close contact like kissing. Yet many mistakenly believe the same goes for those painful mouth ulcers that appear on the inner cheeks. Research shows that mouth ulcers aren’t contagious – viruses and bacteria have been ruled out as causes. Instead, they likely stem from immune system disturbances, stress, or minor trauma. So, while you should avoid sharing utensils with someone sporting a cold‑sore, there’s no need to quarantine over a harmless ulcer.

Now that we’ve cleared up these ten stubborn myths, you’re armed with the facts. Share this list, debunk the rumors, and keep the conversation grounded in science!

Misquotations are numerous, prevalent, and seemingly, inevitable. Hamlet’s “Alas, poor Yorick. I knew him, Horatio” (5.1.190-1) is frequently misquoted as “Alas, poor Yorick. I knew him well.” The same goes for Darth Vader’s iconic declaration in The Empire Strikes Back (1980), which is often misremembered as “Luke, I am your father” rather than “No, I am your father.”

The corruption and misattribution of quotations happen for a variety of reasons. Sometimes, as in the case of Vader’s revelation, it is to add context. In other cases, the original saying is clumsy or doesn’t translate neatly. And misattributions often happen because they seem right, despite not being accurate. Whatever the reason, here are ten quotations that are commonly misquoted or misattributed, or both.

10 “There’s a sucker born every minute.”

Most people believe that this phrase was uttered by P. T. Barnum, the 19th-century showman known for his museum of curiosities and hoaxes. However, there is no evidence that he ever spoke these words. Arthur H. Saxon, Barnum’s biographer, explains that “There’s no contemporary account of it.” The phrase has been attributed to both Adam Forepaugh and David Hannum, who said it in connection with Barnum, who was their competitor.

The phrase itself goes back further than that, though. The earliest known version comes from an article published in European Magazine in 1806: “It was the observation of one of the tribes of Levi, to whom some person had expressed his astonishment at his being able to sell his damaged and worthless commodities, ‘That there vash von fool born every minute.’” Barnum wasn’t even born until 1810, so there is no possible way he was involved with the coining of this phrase.^[1]

9 “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.”

As Neil Armstrong took his first step onto the surface of the moon in 1969, he famously declared, “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” Only, those weren’t his actual words. Armstrong has stated that he actually said “one small step for a man,” which makes much more sense semantically. In the famous but misquoted version of this phrase, “man” and “mankind” are synonymous. Adding “a” before “man” clarifies that it is the step of an individual.

In his official biography, First Man: The Life of Neil A. Armstrong (2005), written by James R. Hansen, Armstrong offers the possibility that the sound “didn’t get picked up by the voice mic.” He explains that if he was at fault for omitting it though, he hoped “history would grant me leeway for dropping the syllable and understand that it was certainly unintended.” NASA did indeed grant him leeway, transcribing the audio with the inclusion of the “a.”^[2]

8 “The ends justify the means.”

Niccolò Machiavelli’s The Prince (1532) has long been misunderstood as a guidebook to being evil, with its main message being summed up neatly by the expression “the ends justify the means.” Anyone who has actually read this political text will know that these words never appear. While his very name has become synonymous with behavior that is “marked by cunning, duplicity, or bad faith,” Machiavelli did not actually recommend outright villainy.

The sense of this phrase is most closely reached when he advises the prince to “stick to the good if he can but know how to be bad when the occasion demands.” So, a more accurate summary of Machiavelli’s political philosophy would be “the ends sometimes justify the means.” The Roman poet Ovid is the more accurate originator of this quotation. In the second poem of his Heroides, he writes “Exitus acta probat,” which translates to “the outcome justifies the means.”^[3]

7 “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”

These motivational words, which have been added to pictures of mountains and shared across the internet, are occasionally misattributed to Confucius. However, the quotation is actually credited to his contemporary, Lao Tzu. It comes from the Chinese religious and philosophical text Tao Te Ching, also known as Dao De Jing, from roughly 400 BC.

The saying in its current popular form is also not totally accurate. It actually reads, “the journey of a thousand li commenced with a single step.” Li is a traditional Chinese measurement of distance, which converts to roughly 360 miles. Unfortunately, 360 isn’t as nearly snappy as a thousand, of course, so the corruption is understandable.^[4]

6 “Hell is just a frame of mind.”

If you plug this quotation into Google, multiple results will claim that it comes from Christopher Marlowe’s Doctor Faustus (c. 1592/3). But this exact phrase is not to be found within the pages of the play, although the sense of it is. Mephistophilis, the demon Faustus conjures up, utters a warning about the horrors of hell: “Hell hath no limits, nor is circumscribed / In one self-place; but where we are is hell; / And where hell is, there must we ever be” (5.120-2).

Mephistophilis essentially insists that hell is not a location, but a state of being, or to put it another way, a frame of mind. His speech has been twisted and shortened into the quotation that is now closely identified with the play. Mephistophilis’s original words are far more impactful, although they were not enough to dissuade Faustus from his treacherous path.^[5]

5 “Well-behaved women seldom make history.”

This quotation is not only widely misattributed, but the original meaning has also been distorted. It is frequently tagged as being said by Marilyn Monroe, but it was actually penned by the academic Laurel Thatcher Ulrich. Much of Ulrich’s research is about the women who have been traditionally left out of the history books. This now-widespread saying comes from her 1976 paper “Vertuous Women Found: New England Ministerial Literature, 1668-1735.”

Out of context, the quotation is seen as an encouragement for women to rebel, but Ulrich’s original meaning was that well-behaved women should make history. In 2007 she released a book titled Well-Behaved Women Seldom Make History and commented that the slogan’s popularity offered “an opportunity to reach out to those who might not take a history course, and encourage them to ask new questions about the nature of history.”^[6]

4 “Houston, we have a problem.”

Born from an onboard explosion during the Apollo 13 mission to the moon, this phrase has become shorthand for saying something has gone wrong. But it isn’t exactly what was said. In reality, Jack Swigert said, “Okay, Houston, we’ve had a problem here.” When prompted, Jim Lovell then repeated, “Uh, Houston, we’ve had a problem.” The more urgent and suspenseful “Houston, we have a problem” was popularized by the 1995 movie Apollo 13.

The Tom Hanks version has since overridden the original in our collective cultural conscience. William Broyles Jr., one of the movie’s screenwriters, explains that “The past perfect tense wasn’t as dramatic as “We have a problem”—which meant that the problem was happening right then and was continuing.” But this wasn’t the first time the words were changed. In 1983, NASA themselves used the misquoted version as the title for a radio program. It was also the title of a TV movie about the mission made by Universal Television in 1974.^[7]

3 “The only two certainties in life are death and taxes.”

Various people are cited as originating this pithy phrase, most notably Mark Twain and Benjamin Franklin. In 1884, Mark Twain, who loved a witty remark, wrote in a letter that he “changed publishers once—and just as sure as death and taxes I never will again.” And Benjamin Franklin used the quip even earlier, employing it in a letter written in 1789: “in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.” Earlier still, Daniel Defoe used it in The Political History of the Devil (1726): “things as certain as death and taxes, can be more firmly believed.”

But none of these men actually came up with the phrase, despite being the most widely cited examples. The earliest known usage of the term comes from Christopher Bullock’s play The Cobbler of Preston, first performed in 1716. The drunken cobbler Toby Guzzle says, “You lye, you are not sure; for I say, Woman, ’tis impossible to be sure of any thing but Death and Taxes.”^[8]

2 “I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.”

Voltaire made this statement about the importance of free speech, right? Wrong. The French Enlightenment writer was a proponent of free speech, but he never wrote or said this now-famous phrase. It was actually penned by Evelyn Beatrice Hall, writing under the pseudonym S. G. Tallentyre.

In her biography of Voltaire, The Friends of Voltaire (1906), she wrote the sentence to summarize his opinion. She even included “was his attitude now” at the end of the sentence. However, this clarifying segment is commonly missed out, thereby leading to the misunderstanding that Voltaire himself wrote it. Despite being a prolific and influential writer, he wasn’t actually the originator of his most renowned pronouncement.^[9]

1 “Don’t fire till you see the whites of their eyes.”

This is one of the most famous quotations from the American Revolutionary War. Johnny Horton’s 1959 song “The Battle of New Orleans” attributes the command to Andrew Jackson during the War of 1812 instead: “Old Hickory said, ‘We could take ’em by surprise if we didn’t fire our muskets ’til we looked ’em in the eye’.” However, it is more commonly thought that the original words were spoken by Colonel Israel Putnam or Colonel William Prescott at the Battle of Bunker Hill.

Historians are now not certain that the command was uttered at all during the battle. Regardless of whether it was or wasn’t, it was not an American colonel who originally coined it. Predating the battle, there is evidence to suggest that Frederick the Great ordered his Prussian soldiers to withhold from shooting until the enemies’ eyes could be seen. The command was also previously used by British officers in the Royal Navy. If Putnam or Prescott did give this famous command, then it was likely because they had previous knowledge of it.^[10]