Does anyone know a legitimate old wives' tale?

Question

I know one- that if a bird flies into a glass window where you live, then within a few days someone there will die. This happened at my apartment building, I saw the bird, and within a couple of days, two friends died- murder/suicide. My grandmother had it happen to her also, a bird flew into a window (she saw it) and a couple of days later her husband had died in a motorcycle crash. Please answer seriously. Thank you!

Answer 1

There are some; my mother used to put a tea bag on my eye when i got a sty in it, it does work, it was considered and old wives tale but some doctors actually recommend it today. I know that when children had chicken pox they used to cover the windows and keep the child in darkness and even though it is an old wives tale, light does actually have some effect on them. The bird thing has happened to me on more than one occasion so I am not even going there cause it scares me. I know it sounds absurd but when my father died (in the hospital-miles away from us) at 2 am in the morning, our clock literally fell off the wall onto the floor, woke us all up and to this day the hand has never moved from 2 am.

Answer 2

I think that's more of a superstition than an old wives tale. Old wives tales are things made up to either make you do it more or less (or give you grounds for dong it at all).
I hope you don't get scared by the fact this has happened twice but here are some from around the traps -

* Chewing gum, if swallowed, remains inside your body for seven years. False. Chewing gum is excreted like any other undigested piece of food or stray object swallowed. In very rare cases, chewing gum (and many other substances) may form bezoars in those susceptible.

* Eating the crust of bread makes your hair curl. False.

* Habitual knuckle-cracking causes arthritis. False.

* Eating carrots improves your night vision
Half-truth
Carrots do contain Beta-carotene, which is converted to vitamin A in the liver. Vitamin A helps to maintain healthy vision, but the carrots do not contain enough Beta-carotene to make any significant difference. This tale started in the Second World War when the British spread a rumour that their plane spotters were eating carrots to give them improved vision, concealing the truth about the invention of radar. Also the night fighter ace John Cunningham (21 kills) who was an early proponent of airborne radar in his Bristol Beaufighter, was nicknamed "Cat's Eyes" and alluded to have exceptional night vision because of his carrot eating.

* Don't cross your eyes; they might stay that way. It is conceivable that the ocular muscles may become cramped or strained while crossing the eyes, but the probability is very low.

Answer 3

Do Blue Bedsheets Bring Babies?: The Truth Behind Old Wives' Tales

This book has a ton of them with the research behind them whether they are true or false.

Answer 4

I heard of an old wives tale that you can mark your child while they are inside of you, just by imaging what you want them to look like. Now the person, I heard this from was a pothead, and so...I am not sure if it is a wives tale or she was just high as a kite when she said it and claims she marked her kids.

Answer 5

if you sweep after dark you,l never be rich, and if you sweep trash out something bad will happen,it is true, a bird flue in to a church and touched a man on the head ,as he flew over him ,a month later he was dead of a heart attach,the church does not leave the door open anymore.

Answer 6

Don't eat before swimming. Is that even a Wives' Tale?

Answer 7

If the palm of your hand itches you will get money, Don't exit through the same door you entered (bad luck), drinking milk while you have a feaver will make it worse, gum will stay in your stomach for seven years if you swallow it, I have heard more, but I can't think of them right now.

Answer 8

If the fetal heart rate is under 140 beats per minute (BPM), it's a boy.
False. A baby girl's heart rate is usually faster than a boy's, but only after the onset of labor. There's no difference between fetal heart rates for boys and girls, but the rate does vary with the age of the fetus. By approximately the fifth week of pregnancy, the fetal heart rate is near the mother's - around 80 to 85 BPM. It continues to accelerate until early in the ninth week, when it reaches 170 to 200 BPM and then decelerates to an average of 120 to 160 BPM by the middle of the pregnancy. Normal fetal heart rate during labor ranges from 120 to 160 BPM for boys and girls.

Extra weight out front means a girl; weight around the hips and bottom indicates a boy.
False. If a woman has a short torso, there's no place for the baby to grow but out. A long torso may mean roomier accommodations for a baby, making it less likely for a woman's belly to bulge outward. And a wide belly may just mean that the baby is sideways.

If a woman's carrying low, it's a boy; if a woman's carrying high, it's a girl.
False. If a woman's carrying high, this may be her first pregnancy or her body's in good shape. Stomach muscles have a tendency to become more elastic with each pregnancy, so a belly that's seen more than one pregnancy may hang a little low.

Dark nipples indicate a boy.
False. This color change has nothing to do with the sex of the child - an increase in progesterone (a steroid hormone secreted by the placenta and ovaries) and the melanocyte-stimulating hormone (which regulates skin pigmentation) causes dark areas of the body to become more pronounced in most pregnant women. Nipples, birthmarks, moles, or beauty marks may appear darker during pregnancy. A dark line also may appear down the middle of the belly. Called the linea nigra (black line), it runs from above the navel to the pubic area. Darkened areas usually fade soon after childbirth.

Don't breastfeed a toddler during pregnancy because the new baby needs all the nourishment it can get.
False. If a woman is healthy, breastfeeding during pregnancy won't harm her, the fetus, or her toddler. (A doctor may recommend that a pregnant woman not breastfeed, though, if she has a nutritional deficiency, is underweight, or is at risk for pre-term labor.)

Tales About Caring for Babies and Toddlers
Wearing shoes will help a baby learn to walk sooner.
False. Just the opposite is true in this case. Keeping a baby barefoot can help strengthen his or her foot muscles and help the child learn to walk earlier. Once a toddler is walking, though, he or she needs comfortable shoes that fit well - they shouldn't be rigid. Shoes should conform to the shape of a child's feet and provide a little extra room for growth.

An infant walker will help a baby learn to walk sooner.
False. Babies who spend their active hours in walkers may learn to sit, crawl, and walk later than children who have to learn these skills on their own if they want to get around. Sitting in an infant walker, with its wide tray and small leg openings, blocks the visual feedback so important to a baby learning about muscle coordination. More significantly, baby walkers are dangerous. Nearly 14,000 injuries are treated in emergency rooms every year as a result of walkers. And thirty-four children have died since 1973 because of baby walkers. Stairway falls in walkers can be especially severe. In a policy statement, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommended a ban on the manufacture and sale of mobile infant walkers in the United States.

Cats can steal the air from a baby's mouth.
False. This tale goes back hundreds of years to a time when cats were associated with witchcraft and evil spirits. Cat-lovers, rest easy - it's anatomically impossible for a cat or other animal to suffocate a baby by sealing the baby's mouth with its own. Even so, cats and other pets should be supervised around small children and introduced to a baby gradually. You should also keep cats (just as you should keep other items, like blankets and plush toys) out of your baby's crib or bassinet.

Tales About Foods and Drinks
Feed a cold, starve a fever.
False. Both high fevers and colds can cause fluid loss. Drinking plenty of liquids such as water, fruit juice, and vegetable juice can help prevent dehydration. And with both fevers and colds, it's fine to eat regular meals - missing nutrients may only make a person sicker.

Wait an hour after eating before swimming.
False. According to the American Red Cross, it's usually not necessary for you or your child to wait an hour before going in the water. However, it is recommended that you wait until digestion has begun, especially if you've had a big fatty meal and you plan to swim strenuously. The Red Cross also advises against chewing gum or eating while in the water, both of which could cause choking.

Coffee stunts your growth.
False. Coffee won't affect a child's growth, but too much caffeine doesn't belong in a child's diet. Excess caffeine can prevent the absorption of calcium and other nutrients.

Fish is brain food.
True. Fish is a good source of omega-3 fatty acids that have been found to be very important for brain function. Certain fish, however, have significant levels of mercury. Therefore, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), suggests that pregnant women and women of child bearing age decrease their exposure to mercury by either avoiding eating swordfish, shark, and tuna, or limiting their consumption to these fish to once per month.

Chocolate causes acne.
True ... and false. Studies show that no specific food has been proven to cause acne. However, some people may notice their breakouts are worse after eating certain foods - and these foods are different depending on the person. For example, some people may notice breakouts after eating chocolate, while others are fine with chocolate but notice they get breakouts after drinking too much coffee. If that's the case for your child, it may help to have him or her cut back on that food and see if it makes a difference.

Spicy foods can cause ulcers.
False. Spicy foods may aggravate ulcer symptoms in some people, but they don't bring about ulcers. A bacterial infection or overuse of pain medications such as aspirin or anti-inflammatory drugs is the usual cause.

Eating carrots will improve your eyesight.
False. This tale may have started during World War II, when British intelligence spread a rumor that their pilots had remarkable night vision because they ate lots of carrots. They didn't want the Germans to know they were using radar. Carrots - and many other vegetables high in vitamin A - do help maintain healthy eyesight, but eating more than the recommended daily allowance won't improve vision.

Tales About Health and Medical Conditions
If you go outside with wet hair, you'll catch a cold.
False. Cold weather, wet hair, and chills don't cause colds. Viruses do. People tend to catch colds more often in the winter because these viruses are spread more easily indoors, where there may be more contact with dry air and people with colds. Dry air - indoors or out - can lower a person's resistance to infection.

Reading in dim light will damage your eyes.
False. Although reading in a dimly lit room won't do any harm, good lighting can help prevent eye fatigue and make reading easier.

Too much TV is bad for your eyes.
False. Watching television won't hurt your eyes (no matter how close to the TV you sit), although too much TV can be a bad idea for kids. Research shows that children who consistently spend more than 10 hours a week watching TV are more likely to be overweight, aggressive, and slower to learn in school.

If you cross your eyes, they'll stay that way.
False. Only about 4% of the children in the United States have strabismus, a disorder in which the eyes are misaligned, giving the appearance that they're looking in different directions. Eye crossing does not lead to strabismus.

Thumb sucking causes buck teeth.
True ... and false. Thumb sucking often begins before birth and generally continues until age 5. If a child stops around the ages of 4 to 5, no harm will be done to his or her jaws and teeth. However, parents should discourage thumb sucking after the age of 4, when the gums, jaw, and permanent teeth begin their most significant growth. It is, therefore, after this age that there is a possibility that thumb, finger, or pacifier sucking will contribute to buck teeth.

Cracking knuckles causes arthritis.
False. However, habitual knuckle cracking tends to cause hand swelling, decreased grip strength, and can result in functional hand impairment.

Too much loud noise can cause hearing loss.
True. Just 15 minutes of listening to loud, pounding music; machinery; or other noises can cause temporary loss of hearing and tinnitus, a ringing in the ears. Loud noise causes the eardrum to vibrate excessively and can damage the tiny hairs in the cochlea, a cone-shaped tube in the inner ear that converts sound into electrical signals for the brain to process. Although temporary hearing loss usually disappears within a day or 2, continuous exposure to extreme noise can result in permanent hearing loss. For example, if a child is wearing headphones - and those around him or her can hear the music - the volume is too high.