"Rosebud"
The last words ever uttered by Charles Foster Kane, the search for the meaning behind them being the plot for the immortal classic Citizen Kane.
None of us know what the last words we ever say in our lifetime will be.
Throughout history, some people who found themselves in the extremely unlucky situation of knowing their death was imminent made a point of choosing their words carefully, never to be forgotten.
While others had the dubious fortune of being present at the very moment of someone's passing, and hearing the moving last words they uttered in their final moments.
Redditor jetrocket223 was curious to hear the greatest last words, both famous and obscure, ever uttered, leading them to ask:
"What are the best 'last words' in history?"
And No Doubt She Had A Lovely Time
"I like my Gramma's last words."
"'My, what a LOVELY party!'"
"She was 102 and a half, at home, and the end was very near."
"Family and friends (including her cardiologist, a close friend of ours) were over for Christmas, and after dinner mom put Gramma to bed."
"Then everyone gathered in Gramma's room with bottles of wine and champagne, played Big Band music, sang, chatted, passed Gramma wine and bubbly."
"Eventually everyone retired, and as mom tucked her in, Gramma said 'My, what a LOVELY party!'"
"She never woke up."
"It was a good passing."- Flimsy_Fee8449
There's Never An Excuse To Be Sloppy
"Just before hanging, French aristocrat Marquis de Favras read his death warrant and commented "I see that you have made 3 spelling errors'."- johnny_cash_money
"Ready, Aim..."
"'They couldn't hit an elephant at this distance'."
"Union General John Sedgewick."- Hoppy_Croaklightly
civil war riverhunters GIF by HISTORY UKGiphy
Couldn't Be Any Clearer
"There is an apocryphal story about the last words of jazz drummer Buddy Rich."
"As he was being prepped for surgery, the nurse asked him if there was anything he was allergic to, and he replied, 'Yeah, country music'."
"He never recovered from the surgery and died a couple weeks later."- MR_NIKAPOPOLOS
Another Reason To Get Out While The Getting Is Good
"The almost final words of writer Roald Dahl, were 'You know, I'm not frightened. It's just that I will miss you all so much' to his family."
"After appearing to fall unconscious, the nurse then injected him with morphine to ease his passing, and he said his actual last words:"
“'Ow, f*ck!'”- The_AlphaLaser
"Who's That Lady?"“
"'Lady, you shot me'.”
"Sam Cooke upon having been shot."
"By some lady."- Carrollmusician
look out sub pop GIF by Sub Pop RecordsGiphy
There's Nothing Worth Holding Onto More Than A Sense Of Humor
“'I’m well done on this side'."
"'Turn me over'.”
"St. Lawrence (while being burned to death on a gridiron)."- dumbinternetstuff
Ever The Perfectionist
"'I have offended God and mankind because my work did not reach the quality it should have'."
"Leonardo da Vinci."- doublestitch
She Knew Where She Was Headed
“'If anyone has a message for the Devil, tell me now, for I shall be seeing him shortly'.”
"Lavinia Fisher, the first female serial killer in the US."- LadyGwyn12-22
Thats Me Jason Sudeikis GIF by Saturday Night LiveGiphy
Self-Awareness Is A Virtue
"On his deathbed, Spanish Prime Minister Ramón María Narváez was asked to forgive his enemies, to which he replied:
"I' don't need to forgive my enemies — I have had them all shot'."- LexLuthorJr
Never Succumbing To Lunacy...
"'More weight'."
"Giles Corey, as he was pressed to death for refusing to confess to witchcraft."- A5CH3NT3
Tragic, Or Ironic?
"I find Marie Antoinette’s last words to be very tragic."
"On her way to the block she accidentally trod on the executioner’s foot and said, 'pardon me, sir, I did not mean to do it'."- NotACyclopsHonest
marie antoinette GIFGiphy
Nothing More Divine Than The Truth
”'I am about to - or I am going to - die: either expression is acceptable'.”
"Dominique Bouhours (1628-1702) - Priest, essayist, critic and grammarian."- jhau01
Seems About Right
"My mom woke up for a moment toward the end, saw the people gathered to say goodbye and her last words were, 'Holy sh*t!'"- curseyoukhan
It Wasn't Scientifically Possible For Him Not To End With Something Witty...
"Oscar Wilde: 'My wallpaper and I are fighting a duel to the death'."
"'One or the other of us must go'.”- Hectordoink
There are many reasons we are told to "choose our words carefully."
One of the most overlooked reasons being, we really never know which words will be our last.