Comments on: Common Misquotes about Politics and War http://www.moaablogs.org/battleofthebilge/2009/07/common-misquotes/ bilge (noun)- worthless talk or writing; nonsense Sun, 29 Jan 2012 12:11:20 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: sanderson http://www.moaablogs.org/battleofthebilge/2009/07/common-misquotes/comment-page-1/#comment-1289 sanderson Tue, 07 Jun 2011 00:54:35 +0000 http://www.moaablogs.org/battleofthebilge/?p=998#comment-1289 re "blood, sweat and tears" I think you mean Dunkirk, not Falkirk re “blood, sweat and tears” I think you mean Dunkirk, not Falkirk

]]> By: Matthew LoFiego http://www.moaablogs.org/battleofthebilge/2009/07/common-misquotes/comment-page-1/#comment-432 Matthew LoFiego Thu, 20 Aug 2009 13:08:10 +0000 http://www.moaablogs.org/battleofthebilge/?p=998#comment-432 You might be right on that one, Churchill quotes are so pervasive that it is hard to tell sometimes if it was him or not. My favorite quote of his is when he reportedly had the following discussion at a dinner party: Female Guest: 'Mr. Churchill, if you were my husband I would poison your drink' Churchill: 'Madame, if you were my wife, I would drink it' Yes, it is a true story that he stated that he wished he had said the Navy quote. Thanks for the excellent comment! You might be right on that one, Churchill quotes are so pervasive that it is hard to tell sometimes if it was him or not. My favorite quote of his is when he reportedly had the following discussion at a dinner party:
Female Guest: ‘Mr. Churchill, if you were my husband I would poison your drink’
Churchill: ‘Madame, if you were my wife, I would drink it’

Yes, it is a true story that he stated that he wished he had said the Navy quote.

Thanks for the excellent comment!

]]> By: California_Dreamin http://www.moaablogs.org/battleofthebilge/2009/07/common-misquotes/comment-page-1/#comment-431 California_Dreamin Thu, 20 Aug 2009 04:38:24 +0000 http://www.moaablogs.org/battleofthebilge/?p=998#comment-431 “The only traditions of the Royal Navy are rum, sodomy and the lash” You have a lot of well-researched and fascinating info here, but I believe that the above Churchill quote is actually a misquote rather a misattribution. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think he actually said: "Naval tradition? Monstrous. Nothing but rum, sodomy, prayers, and the lash." I've often heard the theory, on the internet, that Churchill never made this imminentally quotable comment but that, according Anthony Montague-Brown, he wished he had said it. My 2006 copy of The Oxford Concise Dictionary of Quotations--even though it is put out by Oxford, is in the fifth edition, and has a whole section devoted to misquotes--makes no mention of this theory. Personally, I have to go with Oxford as the authority on this one and assume that rather than just wishing he had said this, Churchill did in fact say it. One thing that argues in favor of that conclusion is the distincly Churchillian ring of the phrase. “The only traditions of the Royal Navy are rum, sodomy and the lash”

You have a lot of well-researched and fascinating info here, but I believe that the above Churchill quote is actually a misquote rather a misattribution. Correct me if I’m wrong, but I think he actually said:

“Naval tradition? Monstrous. Nothing but rum, sodomy, prayers, and the lash.”

I’ve often heard the theory, on the internet, that Churchill never made this imminentally quotable comment but that, according Anthony Montague-Brown, he wished he had said it.

My 2006 copy of The Oxford Concise Dictionary of Quotations–even though it is put out by Oxford, is in the fifth edition, and has a whole section devoted to misquotes–makes no mention of this theory. Personally, I have to go with Oxford as the authority on this one and assume that rather than just wishing he had said this, Churchill did in fact say it. One thing that argues in favor of that conclusion is the distincly Churchillian ring of the phrase.

]]>