Vol. 06 · Misquoted ·Book ·260 of 348
"The best laid plans of mice and men."
They never said that.
What people say
"The best laid plans of mice and men."
What was actually said
"The best-laid schemes o' Mice an' Men / Gang aft agley." Robert Burns — "To a Mouse" by Robert Burns (1785)
Why it stuck
Steinbeck's 1937 novel title preserved "Mice and Men" but substituted "plans" for Burns's "schemes."
Know another line by heart?
Play the duel and see how many you can spot. Or browse the whole shelf.