The famously misquoted line from Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986) is often remembered as "Beam me up, Scotty." However, this exact phrase is never actually spoken in the film—or in any Star Trek series or movie. In The Voyage Home, Captain Kirk (William Shatner) does say a variation: "Scotty, beam me up," but the iconic misquote has taken on a life of its own.
The phrase "Beam me up, Scotty" has become synonymous with the Star Trek franchise and is widely used in pop culture to reference futuristic technology or a desire to escape a situation, despite its inaccuracy.
The famously misquoted line from The Silence of the Lambs (1991) is often remembered as "Hello, Clarice." However, this exact phrase is never spoken in the film.
When Dr. Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins) first meets FBI trainee Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster), he simply greets her with a chilling "Good morning."
The famously misquoted line from Cool Hand Luke (1967) is often remembered as "What we have here is a failure to communicate." While this is close to the actual line, the precise wording is: "What we've got here is failure to communicate."
The line is delivered by the prison warden, known as the Captain (played by Strother Martin), after Luke (Paul Newman) refuses to conform to the oppressive rules of the chain gang.
The 1953 Western Hondo, starring John Wayne, is known for its gritty realism and strong dialogue, but one line often gets misquoted. Many believe Hondo says, "A man ought to do what a man’s got to do."
While this phrasing captures the rugged ethos of the character, the actual line is, "A man ought to do what he thinks is right." This distinction reflects the film's deeper themes of morality and choice. The quote has since become a cultural mantra for independence and moral resolve, misquote and all.
The famously misquoted line from the 1979 film ...And Justice for All is often remembered as "I'm out of order? You're out of order! This whole courtroom is out of order!"
However, the actual line delivered by Al Pacino's character, defense attorney Arthur Kirkland, is slightly different: "You're out of order! You're out of order! The whole trial is out of order! They're out of order!"
The 1950 classic Sunset Boulevard famously ends with a line often misquoted as, “I’m ready for my close-up, Mr. DeMille.” However, the actual line delivered by Gloria Swanson's Norma Desmond is, “All right, Mr. DeMille, I’m ready for my close-up.”
The misquote speaks to the powerful imagery of the scene itself. Desmond's chilling descent into madness as she delivers the line is unforgettable, cementing its place in pop culture.
The famously misquoted line from the 1968 musical film Oliver! is often remembered as "Please, sir, can I have some more?" However, the actual line spoken by the character Oliver Twist is slightly different: "Please, sir, I want some more."
This moment occurs early in the film when the young orphan, played by Mark Lester, timidly asks for an additional serving of gruel in the harsh workhouse where he lives.
The iconic film Gone with the Wind is often associated with the line, "Frankly, Scarlett, I don’t give a damn." However, this is a misquote.
The actual dialogue, spoken by Rhett Butler in the final scene, is, "Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn." While slight, the change exemplifies how cultural memory can alter even the most famous phrases.
The 1933 classic King Kong gave us one of the most iconic moments in film history, but it also led to a widespread misunderstanding. Many people believe the famous line is, "It was beauty that killed the beast."
However, the actual line, spoken by Carl Denham at the film's conclusion, is slightly different. He says, "Oh, no. It wasn’t the airplanes. It was Beauty killed the Beast."
The 1967 classic The Graduate is often remembered for the line, "Mrs. Robinson, are you trying to seduce me?" Yet, this is a commonly misquoted version.
The correct line, spoken by Dustin Hoffman's character Benjamin, is, "Mrs. Robinson, you're trying to seduce me. Aren't you?" This subtle difference shifts the tone from confusion to a bold acknowledgment of the situation.
There are many storybook versions of the tale of Snow White, but if you want to quote Disney's first feature film from 1937 the correct line is, "Magic mirror on the wall, who is the fairest one of all?" Today, almost everyone incorrectly says, "Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who is the fairest of them all?"
In pop culture everyone says, "Play it again, Sam." Rick actually says, “You played it for her, you can play it for me…If she can stand it, I can. Play it!” Ilsa Ingrid actually says some closer lines: "Play it once, Sam" and "Play it Sam, play 'As Time Goes By.'"
Insider trading Tycoon Gordon Gekko epitomized '80s excess. "Greed is good" is a shortened mantra of his actual quote: "The point is, ladies and gentleman, that greed, for lack of a better word, is good. Greed is right, greed works."
This 1989 baseball fantasy stars Kevin Costner as Ray Kinsella, a character who actually hears a voice repeatedly say "If you build it, he will come." It might be misremembered as "If you build it, they will come" because more than one character does come to the baseball field Ray builds.
In the 1975 thriller Sherrif Brody gets his first look at the shark and says, "You're gonna need a bigger boat." It's often misquoted as "We're gonna need a bigger boat." A small, but crucial error.
This 1948 adventure stars Humphrey Bogart. The actual line is "Badges? We ain't got no badges. We don't need no badges! I don't have to show you any stinkin' badges!" The quote most people know is a shortened one; "Badges, we don't need no stinkin badges!"
If you've never seen 1950's All About Eve starring Bette Davis and Marilyn Monroe then you are missing out on a classic. One of its most famous lines is, "Fasten your seatbelts, it's going to be a bumpy ride." However, Davis' actual line is "Fasten your seatbelts it's going to be a bumpy night."
Fans seem determined to shorten the line said by Jack. He says "I'm the king of the world," but everyone wants to leave out the "the" before king.
Comedy team Laurel and Hardy made audiences laugh for decades. They had several catchphrases, including: "Well, here's another nice mess you've gotten me into!" Often, people refer to this line as, "Well, here's another fine mess you've gotten me into."
Few movie cops have as much attitude as Clint Eastwood's Harry Callahan. Harry points a gun at a bank robber and asks him if he knows how many, if any, rounds are left. Harry says, "You’ve got to ask yourself one question: Do I feel lucky? Well, do you, punk?" People like to shorten this amazing line to, "Do you feel lucky, punk?
In 1988, Meryl Streep starred as Lindy Chamberlin, a mom whose baby was carried off by a wild Australian dog. The actual lines are "dingo took the baby" and later "the dingo took my baby." The public seems determined to replace "took" with "ate." The film is also known by the title Evil Angels.
"He's alive!" Boris Karloff portrays Frankenstein's monster in this 1931 horror classic. When the monster awakes from the dead, Frankenstein shouts "It's alive!" Every little kid on Halloween, however, shouts, "He's alive!"
Instead of saying a gracious goodbye, a longtime TV anchorman goes on a rant on live TV. He tells the audience at home to scream, "I'm as mad as hell, and I'm not going to take this anymore!" It's a small adjustment, but this line is usually misquoted so that "this" is replaced with "it."
Most people are not familiar with this 1935 film. The misquote, however, is popular clichéd villain-speak. The accurate line is, "We have ways to make men talk." Unfortunatly, memory lessens the impact of this line by quoting it as, "We have ways of making you talk."
The Empire Strikes Back from 1980 is the favorite film of the Star Wars saga for many critics and fans. The line, "Luke, I am your father" is probably one of the most quoted in film history. However, James Earl Jones as Darth Vader actually says, "No, I am your father."
Everyone knows Dracula and his famous quote, “I want to suck your blood.” But what isn’t widely known is that this is a misquote! This iconic line was never said in the 1931 Dracula film or any other Dracula movies.
It’s a fictional addition to Dracula’s character, movies, and pop culture. Regardless of it being a misquote, it’s fun to say when referencing vampires!
The line in Forrest Gump, “Life is like a box of chocolates,” is very popular in media, but it’s slightly misquoted from the original quote.
Forrest uses the past tense, reflecting on what his mom always said: “Life was like a box of chocolates.” The present tense in the misquote became more popular, since it could be used every day.
The famously misquoted line from the first Lord of the Rings film is remembered as “Run, you fools.”
However, the actual line said by Gandalf is “Fly, you fools.” The realistic nature of running compared to flying seemed to appeal to the mass media and caught on more than the actual quote.
An infamous line in The Wizard of Oz that contributed to the film's continuous popularity was actually a misquote. The line in question is “I don’t think we’re in Kansas anymore, Toto.”
The actual line in the 1939 film is “Toto, I’ve a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore.” The slight rewording modernizes the phrasing for simplicity and practicality.
A misquoted line from the 1987 film Dirty Dancing is remembered as “Nobody puts baby in a corner.”
However, the actual line is “Nobody puts baby in the corner.” The added "a" subtly changes the meaning; the original implies something specific versus general.
The gruesome and disturbing series of movies, Saw, features an iconic line that everyone knows, even if you’ve never seen the films. The famously misquoted line is, “Do you wanna play a game?”
The actual line in the films is “I want to play a game.” The quote goes from a statement to a question, bringing some fun into the films. However, if you know the context of the Saw series, then you know the quote formatted as a question brings the ominous and scary personality the films are so famous for.
When an inconvenience occurs in life or something goes awry, you’ve probably said at some point, “Houston, we have a problem.” The quote is from the film Apollo 13, but what many may not know is that it’s misquoted.
The actual line uses a different tense: “Houston, we’ve had a problem.” The original line reflects a past occurrence, but the misquote feels more dramatic and immediate, fitting Hollywood norms.
The 1949 film White Heat features a famous misquoted line that goes “I’m on top of the world, Ma!”
The actual line is “Made it, Ma! Top of the world!” The altered version of the original quote runs more smoothly and has an appealing melody to it. The misquote sounds like it fits into any context or sentence like a puzzle piece!
The 2024 musical Wicked had everyone singing along to the catchy tunes. A famously misquoted line from not only the film but also the 2003 play is “I’d sooner try defying gravity.”
The actual line is “I’d sooner buy defying gravity.” The misquote is more widely understood than the original quote, which is likely why it caught on more.
The 1979 action war film Apocalypse Now follows a US army officer serving in Vietnam on a harrowing mission. There’s a common misquoted line in the film that is remembered as “I love the smell of napalm in the morning. It smells like victory!”
The actual line is very long and has added context and details. The original quote goes as follows: “I love the smell of napalm in the morning. You know, one time we had a hill bombed for 12 hours. When it was all over, I walked up. We didn’t find one of ’em, not one stinkin’ dink body. The smell, you know, that gasoline smell, the whole hill. Smells like victory.” No doubt, many people use the misquoted version because it goes straight to the point and is much shorter.
The late ‘90s film The Sixth Sense is known for its groundbreaking scary premise, but a quote often misquoted is “I see dead people.”
The actual quote is longer than the altered one: “I see dead people. Walking around like regular people.” Audiences trimmed the line for brevity, emphasizing the supernatural element.
The early ‘50s drama film features controversial and immoral themes, but there’s a misquoted line that many love. Blanche DuBois says, “Whoever you are, I have always depended on the kindness of strangers.”
The misquoted line removes the first three words, so it only features “I have always depended on the kindness of strangers.” The altered quote sounds more grounded and specific compared to the actual quote, which brings a little bit of uncertainty into the mix.
Do you know The Treasure of the Sierra Madre? Blazing Saddles turned this line on its head: “Badges? We ain’t got no badges! We don't need no badges! I don't have to show you any stinkin' badges!"
The actual line from the early ‘70s film, and The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, is “Badges? We don't need no stinkin' badges!" People who know the original line from Sierra Madre are misquoting the line from this movie!
In the 1932 film, Tarzan, a misquote is “Me Tarzan, you Jane.” The actual line is simply two words, “Tarzan. Jane.”
The misquote includes Tarzan pointing to himself and Jane as he says the names, which brings a bit of depth to the scene. It also gives a subtle hint to Tarzan’s lack of exposure to humans and usual conversation.
The famously misquoted line from the 1960 film Psycho is known as “We all go a little crazy sometimes.” It’s an iconic line that is referenced in pop culture.
However, the actual line is “We all go a little mad sometimes.” Swapping "mad" for "crazy" likely resulted from “mad” being a less common descriptive term in American English today.
