Vol. 06 · Misquoted ·Speech ·88 of 348
"Genius is 1 percent inspiration and 99 percent perspiration."
They never said that.
What people say
"Genius is 1 percent inspiration and 99 percent perspiration."
What was actually said
"Genius is two percent inspiration and ninety-eight percent perspiration." Thomas Edison — Thomas Edison — Ladies' Home Journal (1898)
Why it stuck
Edison gave the line with different ratios in different interviews — two/ninety-eight in the earliest, then shifted to one/ninety-nine. Both are authentic; only one is famous.
Know another line by heart?
Play the duel and see how many you can spot. Or browse the whole shelf.