Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the fairest of them all? (2024)

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Source: Snow White

Speaker: The Evil Queen

Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the fairest of them all?

Context

This misquoted line is spoken by the Evil Queen, voiced by Lucille La Verne, in the film Snow White, directed by David Hand et al (1937).

The Evil Queen in Snow White is so vain she doesn't just stare at herself in the mirror all day, she gets her mirror to tell her who she needs to kill. She does this by talking to her "slave in the magic mirror" (let's save a discussion of forced labor in the Magic Kingdom for another day, all right?) and asking him, "Magic mirror on the wall, who is the fairest one of all?" Many people, who may be vain in appearance but not in speech, misquote this as, "Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the fairest of them all?"

Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the best movie quoter of them all? Not anyone who gets this quote wrong.

Where you've heard it

You've heard this everywhere. Even Julia Roberts's 2012 Snow White-inspired movie, Mirror Mirror, gets its title from the misquote!

Additional Notable References

Pretentious Factor

If you were to drop this quote at a dinner party, would you get an in-unison "awww" or would everyone roll their eyes and never invite you back? Here it is, on a scale of 1-10.

Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the fairest of them all? (2)

Being vain enough to kill is pretty terrible, but not even bothering to get the quote right is worse. If you want to be the hottest, you should be able to talk the talk as well as shimmy the shimmy.

Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the fairest of them all? (2024)

FAQs

What does Mirror, mirror on the wall who is the fairest of them all mean? ›

In the fairytale, Snow White had an evil stepmother who always looked into her mirror and asked that question. One day, instead of saying, “You are, my queen,” the mirror said, “Snow White is the fairest of them all.” ( In case “fairest” isn't a term you're used to, in the days of fairytales, it meant “most beautiful.”

What is the full saying of Mirror, mirror on the wall? ›

Perhaps the greatest trick the evil queen ever pulled was giving us all that "Mirror, mirror" collective false memory. The misquote: "Mirror, mirror, on the wall — who's the fairest of them all?" The real quote: "Magic mirror on the wall, who's the fairest one of all?"

Who was the fairest of all answers? ›

One day when the cruel Queen asked the mirror who the fairest lady of all is, the mirror answered, “Snow White”.

Who is the fairest of them all story Mirror, mirror on the wall? ›

“Thou, O Queen, art the fairest in the land,” said the mirror. Then one day, the mirror said to the queen, “Snow White, O Queen, is the fairest of them all.” Well, Snow White became the object of the queen's hatred. The queen couldn't stand to have someone fairer than she.

What is the spiritual meaning of mirror mirror on the wall? ›

It is a moment of introspection where we consider our spiritual growth progress, our thoughts, our actions, the words we use, our treatment of others and whether we harbor any anger or God forbid, any hatred.

Did the evil queen say mirror mirror on the wall? ›

Snow White is one of Disney's most well-known Princesses, and the animated film is beloved by many. Perhaps the most famous aspect of the story is when the Evil Queen asked the mirror "mirror mirror on the wall, who is the fairest of them all?

Who's the fairest of them all mirror? ›

“Mirror, Mirror on the wall, who's the fairest of them all?” This quote most of us recognize from story Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. The mirror is owned by the Wicked Queen who asks this question every day. The mirror never lies.

What does the Queen say to the mirror on the wall? ›

After the wicked queen had proved, as she thought, that Snow White was dead, she felt quite satisfied there was no one in the world now likely to become so beautiful as herself, so she stepped up to her mirror and asked: "Mirror, mirror on the wall, Who is most beautiful of all?"

Who is the fairest one of all? ›

Magic Mirror : Over the seven jewelled hills, beyond the seventh fall, in the cottage of the Seven Dwarfs, dwells Snow White, fairest one of all.

Who did the mirror on the wall say was the fairest one of all? ›

The Queen then orders her Huntsman to kill Snow White and bring her back her heart. When the Evil Queen asks the Magic Mirror who the fairest of them all was later that evening, the Magic Mirror told her that Snow White was still the fairest of them all.

What is a mirror answer? ›

What is a mirror? A mirror is a reflective surface that bounces off light, producing either a real image or a virtual image. When an object is placed in front of a mirror, the image of the same object is seen in the mirror.

Is Snow White a princess? ›

Snow White is a fictional character and the protagonist from Disney's 1937 animated film Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, as well as an official Disney Princess. Snow White is a princess of noble birth who is forced into servitude by her jealous stepmother, the Queen.

What is the message of the poem Mirror Mirror? ›

The main theme of "Mirror", by Sylvia Plath, is self-reflection. The woman in the poem looks to the mirror in an effort to find out who she is, but the mirror only reflects her exact image.

What is the literal meaning of mirror by Sylvia Plath? ›

Written from the point of view of a personified mirror, the poem explores Plath's own fears regarding aging and death. The mirror insists that it objectively reflects the truth—a truth that greets the woman who looks in the mirror each day as a "terrible" reminder of her own mortality.

What does the mirror mean in Fahrenheit 451? ›

Since Clarisse sees people for who they truly are, not who she wants or needs them to be, Clarisse acts like a mirror, a mirror that allows people to see their inner truth. It is at this moment, after looking into the mirror that Clarisse represents, that Montag realizes the depths of his own unhappiness.

What does the fairest of them all mean in Snow White? ›

The mirror meant “fair” as in palest, not prettiest, because “fair” is a hom*onym. Those can be tricky even for native English speakers, and the mirror was imported from France. (Snow White was attractive, but that's not the point — also, the mirror knew that being lighter in skin tone does not mean prettiest.

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