Another quote often attributed to her without an original source in her writings, as in The Wit and Wisdom of Eleanor Roosevelt (1996), p. 199. But once again archivists have not been able to find the quote in any of her writings, see the comment from Ralph Keyes in The Quote Verifier above.
A very similar remark was attributed to Nancy Reagan, in The Observer (29 March 1981): "A woman is like a teabag — only in hot water do you realize how strong she is."
Variants:
A woman is like a teabag. You never know how strong she is until she gets into hot water.
A woman is like a tea bag, you can not tell how strong she is until you put her in hot water.
A woman is like a tea bag; you can't tell how strong she is and how much to trust her until you put her in hot water.
Disputed
“A woman is like a tea bag; you never know how strong she is until she gets into hot water. ”
“A woman is like a teabag. You can't tell how strong she is until you put her in hot water.”
Interview with ABC News, as quoted by Hilary Clinton.
2000s
“A woman is like a teabag - only in hot water do you realize how strong she is.”
“You never know how strong you are until being strong is your only choice.”
Variant: You never know how strong you are, until being strong is your only choice...
“I like my coffee hot and strong. Like I like my women: hot and strong… with a spoon in them.”
Glorious (1997)
Variant: I like my coffee like I like my women... in a plastic cup.
Source: Eddie Izzard: Dress to Kill
“You never know how strong you can be until being strong is the only choice you have left.”
Source: The Rose That Grew from Concrete
Getting to know him, I understood that the right way was with a certain sense of justice.
1995 and later, interview in Kirkeby’s home studio, Copenhagen (2012)
“Congratulations, you have been tea-bagged!”
The Rachel Maddow Show, MSNBC (April 14, 2009)
