January 1, 1970

It’s worth knowing, though, that many quotes that people think are Churchill’s aren’t in fact his; many are incorrectly attributed to him probably because they ‘sound too good to be by anyone else’.

One of the most famous incorrectly attributed quotes is the Nancy Astor one:

Nancy Astor: ‘If I were married to you, I’d put poison in your coffee.’

Churchill is said to have replied: ‘If I were married to you, I’d drink it’.

2025 International Churchill Conference

Join us for the 42nd International Churchill Conference. Washington, DC | October 9-11, 2025

2025 International Churchill Conference

In fact, it’s much more likely that Churchill’s friend, Lord Birkenhead (F. E. Smith) said this to her (according to Langworth, he was much quicker with his retorts than Churchill).

Misattributed quotes like this are very common on ‘Churchill quote’ sites – and in books – so be careful! Check out our ‘red herrings’ section. And if it’s a bit smutty, it’s unlikely to be Churchill.