What They Didn't Say: A Book of Misquotations

by Elizabeth Knowles

An entertaining and thought-provoking book for language buffs and anyone interested in quotations, What They Didn't Say sifts through more than one hundred and fifty misquotations, incorrect attributions, and apocryphal remarks to reveal the origins of the quotes. Organized in an accessible
A-Z format, quotes range from "Actors are cattle" (Alfred Hitchcock) to "You dirty rat!" (James Cagney) and span from the classical world right up to the present day.

Bringing together a fascinating range of wrongly remembered sayings, What They Didn't Say aims to set the record straight by revealing the real names and actual words behind the famous missayings.

Sample entry:
A good day to bury bad news.
In the hours following news of the terrorist action in America on 11 September 2001 ("nine-eleven"), the British government adviser Jo Moore sent out an email reading, "It is now a very good day to get out anything we want to bury." This was leaked and widely reported; public shock and distaste
were heightened by its becoming fixed in the general consciousness in the form, "a good day to bury bad news."

Genres: Language, Nonfiction

176 pages, Hardcover

First published October 26, 2006

Reviews

[Kaethe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Looking at common misquotations to see why and how they've been changed is very interesting. However, if you've read the introduction, the individual entries here will all seem redundant. Further, USians and others who are not current with UKian quotes will feel neglected (or perhaps, relieved to be left out of it). On the plus side, if one is in the habit of using quotations, this would be a good guide to keep one accurate.

[Mick Meyers · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting book pointing what we all thought,mainly politicians have nothing new to say.

[Joanna · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting tidbits but pretty dry. I may refer to this when and if I am called upon to defend my memory of a mis-quoted quote! (Or would that be if and when....)