“The report of my death was an exaggeration.”

What does it mean?

A newspaper wrongly reported that Twain was dying, so he calmly replied that he was very much alive. The humour comes from describing something completely false as just "an exaggeration". It is usually misquoted as "The reports of my death are greatly exaggerated."

Key vocabulary

exaggeration

a description that makes something seem bigger or worse than it is

• “The difference between the almost right word and the right word is really a large matter: 'tis the difference between the lightning-bug and the lightning.”– Mark Twain
• “I know grammar by ear only, not by note, not by the rules.”– Mark Twain
• “In Paris they simply stared when I spoke to them in French; I never did succeed in making those idiots understand their own language.”– Mark Twain
• “The secret of getting ahead is getting started.”– Often attributed to Mark Twain