Did they actually say "No good deed goes unpunished. — Oscar Wilde."?

No. The real line is "First documented in the 1930s; no evidence Wilde said it." — from Variously attributed (Wilde, Clare Boothe Luce, Banks).

Vol. 06 · Misquoted ·Saying ·207 of 348

"No good deed goes unpunished. — Oscar Wilde."

They never said that.

What people say

"No good deed goes unpunished. — Oscar Wilde."

What was actually said

"First documented in the 1930s; no evidence Wilde said it." Variously attributed (Wilde, Clare Boothe Luce, Banks)

Wilde is a magnet for orphan epigrams. The line's first solid print appearance is Walter Winchell, 1938 — 38 years after Wilde's death.

Play the duel and see how many you can spot. Or browse the whole shelf.