Vol. 06 · Misquoted ·Speech ·27 of 348
"Ask not what your country can do for you."
They never said that.
What people say
"Ask not what your country can do for you."
What was actually said
And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you — ask what you can do for your country. John F. Kennedy — John F. Kennedy — Inaugural, 1961
Why it stuck
The full sentence is an antithesis: the half people quote is only the setup. Quoting the first clause alone turns a balanced call into a rebuke.
Know another line by heart?
Play the duel and see how many you can spot. Or browse the whole shelf.