Old Wives Tales?

Question

I have heard a few old wives tales and I can understand some of them.
Don´t put new shoes on the table. I can understand this as the old kind of shoes had studs in the bottoms so that they wear out before the leather.
Dont cut your toenails on a nightime. This is because it is darker on a night and you might cut yourself.
Dont put an umbrella up in the house. I think this could be to do with in the old day´s when there were oil lamps and you could knock them and spill the oil out.
Does anyone else know of old wives tales and where they came from.

Answer 1

`Democrat leaders actually care about the 'common' people.

It may have been true decades ago, but since the 1960's (Johnson) all they are interested in is manipulating people so they can get elected.

Answer 2

Masturbation causes blindness

False

This is an attempt to discourage masturbation (usually among young males) by associating it with blindness. In men, it is also associated with hairy palms and mental illness. Masturbation in females is sometimes said to cause infertility; this is equally false. Masturbation by a man may reduce fertility in the immediate future by using up stored sperm, however this is not a long-term effect and not a reliable birth control: the sperm will be replaced naturally over time. Recent studies show that regular ejaculation, including from masturbation, may reduce risk of prostate cancer in men.

The only correlation between the two is semen contains a large amount of zinc (as much as 0.25 milligrams of zinc to 1 mL of seminal fluid), and a deficiency in zinc (although nearly impossible to achieve solely by masturbating) will cause a decline in a person's vision.

Answer 3

Here are some Guyanese ones:


Dont sweep your house after dark you'll sweep out all your money.

If some one 'brooms' your feet with a pointer [ made from coconut branch] broom you'll never get married.

If someone hits your dog with a broom they'll cough, to cure them you must feed them on a broom.

If you leave a pointer broom upturned by the door when you have a guest they feel uneasy and go away.

If sun 'knock' [shine] on you abed you'll get lazy.

If a plate / cup breaks you have an unwanted visitor comming your way.



.....ahh. can't think of anymore.

Answer 4

Walking under a ladder is bad luck?

Seems to me if there is a ladder up, someone is probably doing some work up there. Tools and/or supplies could do some serious damage to a persons skull if the dropped while walking under it.

You can catch a bird by putting salt on its tail?

If your close enough to a bird to put salt on its tail, why not just grab the bird?

Answer 5

"Living over the brush" is not an old wives' tale. Poor couples used to step over a broom together and considered themselves as married.
An apple a day keeps the doctor away is true. (As of any fruit really).
There are too many to record here, but as I do not know of origins, I'll leave it at just the apple.....

Answer 6

How about "dont do that! you will go blind". I haven`t noticed a rise in teenage blindness, have you?
Or "if the wind changes direction your face will stay like that". Why will it? wont it change again when the wind changes direction again?
And "Its bad luck to walk under ladder". Only if someone falls of the ladder or drops something on you! You would have to be prety damn unlucky in the first place if that happened everytime you walked under one!

Answer 7

it somewhat is likely previous different halves thoughts. it somewhat is the kind of announcing that gets exceeded down from one technology to a diverse. some are real and a few at the instant are not. If unclear, discuss with a "clever" guy or woman.

Answer 8

What about, (Living over the brush) meaning man/woman living together, unmarried.?Beats the hell out of me.

Answer 9

NEVER CROSS A KNIFE AND FORK ON A PLATE

NEVER THE TWAIN SHALL MEET

NEVER LOOK A GIFT HORSE IN THE MOUTH

Answer 10

eating carrots will help you see in the dark
think it was something to do with proper gander during the war