Vol. 06 · Misquoted ·Attribution ·264 of 348
"The buck stops here."
They never said that.
What people say
"The buck stops here."
What was actually said
"The buck stops here." Harry S. Truman — Harry S. Truman's White House desk sign (1945–1953)
Why it stuck
Correct. But the phrase is often cited as a general American idiom rather than Truman's personal motto. The desk sign is the origin; poker slang (the "buck" as dealer's marker) is the source.
The sign is preserved at the Truman Library. The other side read, "I'm from Missouri."
Know another line by heart?
Play the duel and see how many you can spot. Or browse the whole shelf.