Vol. 06 · Misquoted ·Play ·10 of 348
"A rose by any other name smells just as sweet."
They never said that.
What people say
"A rose by any other name smells just as sweet."
What was actually said
"That which we call a rose / By any other name would smell as sweet." Juliet — Romeo and Juliet (II.ii)
Why it stuck
Shakespeare uses "would" (subjunctive), not the indicative "does/smells." And the rose is an image in a longer clause — not the sentence's subject.
Know another line by heart?
Play the duel and see how many you can spot. Or browse the whole shelf.