# Luke, we've got to set your quote right! **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 21, 2007, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/luke-weve-got-to-set-your-quote-right/404927 "2007-05-21T14:57:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Will\_Repair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a698b9/32.png) [@Will\_Repair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Will_Repair)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2007, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/luke-weve-got-to-set-your-quote-right/404927/1 "2007-05-21T14:57:25Z")
I can forgive [Transit TV](http://www.transitv.com/), I can even forgive [Terry Prachett](http://www.terrypratchettbooks.com/), but not Philip Zibardo in a pseudo scholarly work [The Lucifer Effect](http://www.lucifereffect.com/), twice. For the record, the [correct quote](http://imdb.com/title/tt0061512/) is: “ **What we have here is failure to communicate.** ” Not “a failure”. The entire meaning of the quote is changed, for the worse (except when Luke adds the ‘a’ in the next to final scene.) If you want to add an extra ‘a’ to a quote add it to [Neil Armstrong’s statement](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a3_362.html) where its inclusion would make sense. The title of this thread is fair use not false use. … ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2007, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/luke-weve-got-to-set-your-quote-right/404927/2 "2007-05-21T16:57:56Z")
Any man that misquotes spends a night in the box. ---
**Author:** ![Matt\_Holck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Matt\_Holck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Matt_Holck)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2007, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/luke-weve-got-to-set-your-quote-right/404927/3 "2007-05-21T17:03:03Z")
as long as I’m not baked in the hot sun 'til I dye of dehydration ---
**Author:** ![minlokwat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/minlokwat/32/2844_2.png) [@minlokwat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minlokwat)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2007, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/luke-weve-got-to-set-your-quote-right/404927/4 "2007-05-21T17:05:12Z")
[QUOTE=Will Repair] The entire meaning of the quote is changed, … [/QUOTE] How? Adding the “a” would suggest one solitary instance whereas without it, it suggests an overall, well, “failure to communicate”. But the _entire meaning is changed_? Color me: 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2007, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/luke-weve-got-to-set-your-quote-right/404927/5 "2007-05-21T17:05:27Z")
“I stand by all the misstatements that I’ve made.” — GW Bush ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2007, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/luke-weve-got-to-set-your-quote-right/404927/6 "2007-05-21T17:20:37Z")
We just did _Cool Hand Luke_ as part of our [monthly film discussion group](http://www.geocities.com/knoxfilmforum/). To be honest… there wasn’t much to discuss about it. We got about 1/2 hour of talk about this film - and that’s stretching it. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Arky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/87869e/32.png) [@An\_Arky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Arky)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2007, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/luke-weve-got-to-set-your-quote-right/404927/7 "2007-05-21T17:46:38Z")
I can eat 50 eggs. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2007, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/luke-weve-got-to-set-your-quote-right/404927/8 "2007-05-21T17:52:45Z")
[Nobody](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:My_name_is_nobody.jpg) can eat 50 eggs. ---
**Author:** ![neorxnawange](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f4b2a3/32.png) [@neorxnawange](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/neorxnawange)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2007, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/luke-weve-got-to-set-your-quote-right/404927/9 "2007-05-21T18:11:00Z")
umm - Isn’t it: “What we \*\*got \*\* here is failure to communicte.” ? ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2007, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/luke-weve-got-to-set-your-quote-right/404927/10 "2007-05-21T18:12:52Z")
Except when Strother Martin guest hosted on Saturday Night Live, running the French language camp. Then the line was: “What we have he’ah is failure to communicate _bilingually_!” ---
**Author:** ![An\_Arky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/87869e/32.png) [@An\_Arky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Arky)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2007, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/luke-weve-got-to-set-your-quote-right/404927/11 "2007-05-21T18:43:14Z")
[QUOTE=lieu] [Nobody](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:My_name_is_nobody.jpg) can eat 50 eggs. [/QUOTE] Ah, Terence Hill, nee Mario Girotti…those movies were hilarious! ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2007, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/luke-weve-got-to-set-your-quote-right/404927/12 "2007-05-21T18:53:49Z")
[QUOTE=neorxnawange] umm - Isn’t it: “What we \*\*got \*\* here is failure to communicte.” ? [/QUOTE] Yes it is. Or as I hear it, “What **we’ve got** here is failure to communicate.” ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2007, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/luke-weve-got-to-set-your-quote-right/404927/13 "2007-05-21T20:17:46Z")
[QUOTE=cochrane] Yes it is. Or as I hear it, “What **we’ve got** here is failure to communicate.” [/QUOTE] Here’s the scene on [youtube](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_bfqhmCCuI0). I hear, “What we’ve got here is… failure to c’mmunicate.” ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2007, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/luke-weve-got-to-set-your-quote-right/404927/14 "2007-05-21T20:58:23Z")
Callin’ it your job don’t make it right, boss. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2007, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/luke-weve-got-to-set-your-quote-right/404927/15 "2007-05-21T21:07:42Z")
[QUOTE=muldoonthief] Here’s the scene on [youtube](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_bfqhmCCuI0). I hear, “What we’ve got here is… failure to c’mmunicate.” [/QUOTE] Well, the point is Strother Martin’s quote wasn’t grammatically correct as in, “What we **have** here is…” His soliloquy also precedes the Guns 'N Roses song **Civil War** on the album **Use Your Illusion II**. ---
**Author:** ![Terminus\_Est](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terminus_est/32/3087_2.png) [@Terminus\_Est](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terminus_Est)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2007, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/luke-weve-got-to-set-your-quote-right/404927/16 "2007-05-21T21:12:47Z")
[QUOTE=Will Repair] If you want to add an extra ‘a’ to a quote add it to [Neil Armstrong’s statement](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a3_362.html) where its inclusion would make sense. [/QUOTE] No need to add anything. Armstrong really did say “[one small step for a man](http://www.wired.com/techbiz/media/news/2006/09/71885)”. ---
**Author:** ![Duke\_of\_Rat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Duke\_of\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke_of_Rat)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2007, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/luke-weve-got-to-set-your-quote-right/404927/17 "2007-05-21T21:30:57Z")
Takin’ it off here, boss. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2007, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/luke-weve-got-to-set-your-quote-right/404927/18 "2007-05-21T21:50:59Z")
[QUOTE=Matt Holck] as long as I’m not baked in the hot sun 'til I dye of dehydration [/QUOTE] What color? ---
**Author:** ![Matt\_Holck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Matt\_Holck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Matt_Holck)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2007, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/luke-weve-got-to-set-your-quote-right/404927/19 "2007-05-21T21:56:22Z")
gray ---
**Author:** ![Will\_Repair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a698b9/32.png) [@Will\_Repair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Will_Repair)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2007, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/luke-weve-got-to-set-your-quote-right/404927/20 "2007-05-22T14:35:15Z")
[QUOTE=muldoonthief] Here’s the scene on [youtube](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_bfqhmCCuI0). I hear, “What we’ve got here is… failure to c’mmunicate.” [/QUOTE] :smack: [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/luke-weve-got-to-set-your-quote-right/404927.md?page=2)