Who said “Honey, I forgot to duck.”?

Verified

Ronald Reagan. A published source records them saying or writing it.

SourceTo his wife, Nancy, while in hospital shortly after he was shot in an assassination attempt (30 March 1981). Reagan is believed to have been quoting the words of boxer Jack Dempsey to his wife after he lost to Gene Tunney in 1926.

Evidence: Wikiquote · How we check

Source checked · Something wrong? Report a correction

“Honey, I forgot to duck.”
VerifiedTo his wife, Nancy, while in hospital shortly after he was shot in an assassination attempt (30 March 1981). Reagan is believed to have been quoting the words of boxer Jack Dempsey to his wife after he lost to Gene Tunney in 1926. · evidenceAssassination
Report

Cite this quote

For academic work, cite the original where you can: To his wife, Nancy, while in hospital shortly after he was shot in an assassination attempt (30 March 1981). Reagan is believed to have been quoting the words of boxer Jack Dempsey to his wife after he lost to Gene Tunney in 1926..

APA

Reagan, R. (n.d.). Honey, I forgot to duck. [Quotation]. Famous Quotations Network. Retrieved October 24, 2026, from https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/7430-honey-i-forgot-to-duck/

MLA

Reagan, Ronald. “Honey, I forgot to duck.” Famous Quotations Network, https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/7430-honey-i-forgot-to-duck/. Accessed 24 Oct. 2026.

Chicago

Reagan, Ronald. “Honey, I forgot to duck.” Famous Quotations Network. Accessed October 24, 2026. https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/7430-honey-i-forgot-to-duck/.