Vol. 06 · Misquoted ·Book ·249 of 348
"Spare the rod, spoil the child."
They never said that.
What people say
"Spare the rod, spoil the child."
What was actually said
"Love is a boy by poets styled; / Then spare the rod and spoil the child." Samuel Butler — Hudibras, Part II (1662) by Samuel Butler
Why it stuck
Butler's mock-epic, 1662. Frequently mistaken for a biblical verse — the closest scripture is Proverbs 13:24.
Know another line by heart?
Play the duel and see how many you can spot. Or browse the whole shelf.