In the R.S.V.P. thread I made some assertions based on what I had assumed was an authoritative source - one of Bill Bryson’s books on the English language.
My source was, however, debunked fairly soundly by the masses to my great dissapointment.
Has this happened to anyone else - You think you have tapped into the Fountain of Knowledge only to find that you are perpetuating ULs and mis-information?
Russell
Russell, you’re blushing needlessly, sweetie. I read the whole RSVP thread and I didn’t notice any blood on the floor. 
I like Bill Bryson’s stuff, too, and yeah, I might have quoted him myself for something, if I had had a copy of his book here, if I hadn’t been too cheap to buy it and checked it out of the library instead.
In answer to your question, no, I haven’t had this happen to me (at least, not yet!), mainly because I stick to Webster’s Dictionary, the Encyclopedia Britannica, and Cecil, when I want to talk about facts like what does RSVP stand for (as opposed to opinions or debates).
And if somebody in the audience does clear his throat significantly and stand up and correct you on something, well, so what? Thank him kindly for the information and move on. He’s not saying you’re a bad person because you quoted Bill Bryson as an authority on language, he’s just saying he doesn’t think Bill Bryson is an authority on language. It’s a difference of opinion, and that’s why we’re all here, isn’t it? To have differences of opinion in the safety of our homes, without the possibility of gunplay?
So relax. 
It has happened to me several times. I have learned to include disclaimers and do a lot of self-editing, based on questions like, “Are you sure about that?” and, “Could you quote a source if you had to?” Eventually, you have to face it; some of the stuff you blindly accepted as truth may be bull droppings. That’s OK. The moment you realize just how ignorant you really are is the beginning of wisdom.
AskNott
"Measure twice, cut once. Dang! Measure again, cut again.