Capitalism - the Ultimate Religion

[Existentialist]

1. A restatement of a text or passage in another form or other words, often to clarify meaning.

Note the word "often". Put there to show the most common use of paraphrasing, but by no means the *only* use.

So in this case, it wasn't a misquote, it was a paraphrase. It would only be a misquote if you were attributing the exact quote to the person, rather than changing the quote to suit the conversation.

By all means misquote Churchill, it's a free country! The grumpy old right-winger needs the exercise anyway.

I wasn't actually quoting Churchill was I. Because he was talking about something completely different. So I haven't misquoted him. But I modified his original quote to make MY case whilst pointing out that the original was his. Happy now?

Ok I give in, it's not a misquote. In your worlds anyway. However, in my world it is a misquote and I'm sure you wouldn't want me to stop sharing my world with everybody. Now let us re-visit the dictionary.

misquote [ˌmɪsˈkwəʊt]
vb
to quote (a text, speech, etc.) inaccurately*

Note the prefix "in-" for "inaccurately", which closely corresponds to the prefix "mis" in the word "misquote". Perhaps we need to look at the definition of the word "quote" to establish who's telling the absolute indisputable objective truth here.

quote (kwt)
v. quot·ed, quot·ing, quotes
v.tr.
1. To repeat or copy the words of (another), usually with acknowledgment of the source.
2. To cite or refer to for illustration or proof.
3. To repeat a brief passage or excerpt from: The saxophonist quoted a Duke Ellington melody in his solo.
4. To state (a price) for securities, goods, or services.

By using the word paraphrase, Zen Badger acknowledges that the source is not Churchill, so does not therefore acknowledge that source. But note in definition Number 1 the use of the word "usually" - put there to show the most common use of quote, but by no means the *only* use. So in order to establish whether Zen Badger is quoting Churchill it is only necessary to establish that if he "repeated" or "copied" the his words, with no requirement that the source of those (exact) words be acknowledged. So let's look again at the words used in each case to find out if Zen Badger repeated Churchill's words and then introduced any inaccuracies:-

"It has been said that democracy is the worst form of government except all the others that have been tried." - Churchill

"Capitalism is the worst system of all, apart from all the others." - Zen Badger

Zen Badger repeated some of the words of Churchill, ("is the worst", "of", "all the others") but not all of them. I concede that this could be a paraphrase, although personally I wouldn't use that word because to me it implies the restating of the original meaning. However it does seem to meet the dictionary definition of a quote. And because it is inaccurate, whether or not the inaccuracy as compared to the Churchill's original words is admitted by Zen Badger, it is not an accurate quote. Zen Badger quoted a text inaccurately.

Therefore by my own subjective interpretation and, apparently according to the dictionary which seems to have the same status among some atheists that the bible has among christians, it was a misquote.

Here endeth the judgment.