Vol. 06 · Misquoted ·Saying ·75 of 348
"Everything comes to those who wait."
They never said that.
What people say
"Everything comes to those who wait."
What was actually said
Tout vient à point à qui sait attendre. — All things come to those who know how to wait. French proverb — Clément Marot or Rabelais, 16th century; later in La Fontaine
Why it stuck
The French insists on knowing how to wait — a skill, not a passive state. The English translation omits the skill clause, turning wisdom into fortune-cookie fatalism.
Know another line by heart?
Play the duel and see how many you can spot. Or browse the whole shelf.