Vol. 06 · Misquoted ·Book ·48 of 348
"Children should be seen and not heard."
They never said that.
What people say
"Children should be seen and not heard."
What was actually said
A mayde schuld be seen, but not herd. — John Mirk, Mirk's Festial (c. 1450). John Mirk — Mirk's Festial, c. 1450
Why it stuck
The Middle English original applies specifically to unmarried young women ("a mayde"). By the Victorian period the target had widened to children of both sexes.
Know another line by heart?
Play the duel and see how many you can spot. Or browse the whole shelf.