Vol. 06 · Misquoted ·Play ·44 of 348
"By the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes."
They never said that.
What people say
"By the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes."
What was actually said
"By the pricking of my thumbs, / Something wicked this way comes." Second Witch — Macbeth (1606) IV.i
Why it stuck
Correct as words, but the line is universally attributed to Macbeth or to "the witches" collectively. It is specifically the Second Witch, and it arrives before Macbeth himself.
Ray Bradbury used the line as the title of his 1962 novel, cementing the phrase in pop-culture memory with exactly the original wording.
Know another line by heart?
Play the duel and see how many you can spot. Or browse the whole shelf.