“Old Wives Tales” Which ones have you found true? Please tell your story…

When I was a kid I had a huge wart on my palm…very painful. We tried everything, and the neighbor lady said, “cut a potato in half, rub it over the wart and bury the other half.” We thought, ‘thats weird.’

But I did it…

It went away for good in a couple of days.

Below is a list of other ‘old wives tales’

Have you had an experience that supports or denies them?

Why did my wart go away? Was it all in OT’s head? Well I guess I was YT back then….


Here's the list of others...

Acorns: If you carry an acorn, you will have continued good luck and a long life.
Bell: It’s been said that the bells provide protection from demons as they are scared of the loud noise.
Calves: If the first baby calf born in the winter is white, it’s a sign that the winter will be very harsh.
Door: It’s believed that leaving a house through any door other than the one that is used to enter the house is bad luck.
Ears: If your right ear itches, someone is saying something nice about you. If it’s the left, someone’s saying something bad about you.
Fingernails: Cutting your nails on Friday or Sunday is bad luck. Fingernail clippings should be saved, burned, or buried to prevent bad luck.
Good Friday: The Friday before Easter is Good Friday. If someone dies on Good Friday, they will go directly to Heaven.
Horseshoes: Hanging a horseshoe above the door to any home will bring good luck to all who live there.
Itchy Nose: It’s still said that if your nose itches, a fool is about to kiss you.
Jogging: You shouldn’t jog. It jumbles up your insides.
Knitting: Placing the needles in the balls of yarn will bring bad luck to anyone who used the item that yarn is used to make.
Leaves: If you catch a falling leaf on the first day of fall, you will not get sick that whole winter.
Milk: When boiling milk, it’s bad luck to let it run over the side of the pot.
Nose: If your nose itches, you will soon get a visitor. Right nostril indicates a female visitor, left nostril indicates male visitor.
Onions: If you make a wish over burning onions, it will come true.
Pencil: Use the same pencil for taking a test as was used for studying for the same test. The pencil will remember the answers.
Robin: Make a wish on the first robin you see in spring and it will come true – if you can finish making the wish before the robin flies away.
Scissors: Dropping a pair of scissors means that your lover is seeing someone behind your back.
Thirteen: Thirteen is just an unlucky number in general.
Umbrella: If an umbrella is dropped on the floor of a house, someone in that house is going to die shortly.
Veil: Bride’s wear veils due to the ancient belief that this will protect them from jealous evil spirits.
Wood: If speaking of good luck, knock on wood three times so evil spirits won’t take it away.
X: The lines on the palm of your right hand that show an “X” represent the number of children you will have.
Yawn: Covering your mouth when you yawn will prevent your soul from leaving your body when you yawn.
Zzzzz: Sorry, we fell asleep.

more: thelongestlistofthelongeststuffatthelongestdomainnameatlonglast.com...

Thx in advance guys

More:

And what of BLACK CATS???

There has long been an old wives tale that says if a black cat walks toward you that it brings good luck. Yet, the old wives tale continues to say that if it walks away it takes all good luck and fortune with it. This is another classic old wives tale that is told many different ways, but the message is usually the same. Most children and even adults are wary when they cross the path of a black cat, yet this is an old wives tale that holds very little weight for most people.

The black cat old wives tales are likely rooted in early Christianity when those who usually had cats, black or not, were those closely associated with witchcraft. Now, most of us know that cats come in all colors, and are owned not just by those who are involved in witchcraft, but also those that simply love cats in a variety of colors! So, choose to come into contact with a black cat, or not, you’ll likely be safe either way!

link: thelongestlistofthelongeststuffatthelongestdomainnameatlonglast.com...

Are they bad?

OT

"That only the most inane drivel is ever paid attention despite proclamation to the contrary."

True. Intelligent threads on ATS go by with hardly a blip but deliberate hoaxes garner multi-page replies. I could give way too many examples.

Have you ever broken a mirror?

We’ve all heard the old wives tale that ways if you break a mirror you’ll have seven years of bad luck. Luckily, those of us who have broken a mirror know that you typically aren’t tainted as a result. The old wives tale goes on though to say that if you bury the broken mirror in the moonlight your luck will be restored instantly. The origination of this old wives tale is unknown and has not proven to be true for anyone. If one does experience bad luck after a breaking mirror, it’s safe to say it is coincidence.

link: thelongestlistofthelongeststuffatthelongestdomainnameatlonglast.com...

Is is bad luck?

OT

reply to post by Ahabstar


Thx O-H-I-O!

You a Browns fan?

Think Shac will help the King?

Back on topic....could you elaborate friend?

OT

Quick one...gotta run

A knife as a gift from a lover means that the love will soon end.

If a friend gives you a knife, you should give him a coin, or your friendship will soon be broken.

I gave my ex a set of knives for his birthday. The saying quickly ran through my mind but I blew it off.

I left him less than a month later...after 37 years.

What about FRIDAY THE 13th?

Is 'jason' coming?

More:

Friday the thirteenth has long been a day that many people think is one for bad luck and misfortune, although there isn’t much to suggest this is more than an old wives tale or superstition. The Friday the thirteenth superstition was started by the Scandinavian who thought that the number thirteen was unlucky because the mythological twelve demigods were once joined by a thirteenth, who was evil and brought pain, and misfortune to humans.

There are also Christian related roots to the Friday the thirteenth old wives tale as Jesus was crucified on a Friday and the number of people at the Last Supper was thirteen! And of course, the thirteenth guest was Judas, who was nothing more than a traitor.

While there are a few small links to Friday the thirteenth, most people go on to live through this famous date again and again will no ill will befalling them or the people that they love. But, because there are two major incidents regarding Friday the thirteenth, it’s an old wives tale that will probably continue to be handed down generation after generation.

link: thelongestlistofthelongeststuffatthelongestdomainnameatlonglast.com...

???

Originally posted by OldThinker
reply to post by Ahabstar

 

Thx O-H-I-O!

UC is making OSU look really bad.

You a Browns fan?

I would say the Bengals made Cleveland look good, but Cincinnati has been pretty lucky so far this year. Next weeks showing at the Ravens should bring out the Bungles of old

Think Shac will help the King?

Couldn't hurt, unless he spends a lot of time on the free throw line

Back on topic....could you elaborate friend?

OT

Specific threads, no. It would be against the T & C to point them out. But there are numerous examples of "I worked at Groom Lake, ask me anything" type of threads. I have seen many good threads that are thought provoking that go nowhere. Heck I have even started one once that received an Applause yet no stars, flags nor replies.

And before you wonder, if I reply to a thread (even with complete sarcasm) the thread was worthwhile and thought provoking, at least in my mind. Which reminds me, I still owe another thread a reply that was a very good thread. I just wanted it to be a very good reply. And sometimes that takes extra effort and focus.

I still keep hearing people talking about not opening umbrellas in a house.
Looks like some people still affected by these superstitions and wive tales.

Originally posted by sphinx551
I still keep hearing people talking about not opening umbrellas in a house.
Looks like some people still affected by these superstitions and wive tales.

Yes, I've heard that one....

Remember also, "don't walk under a ladder!"

Thx for posting friend!

OT

Red Sky At Night
Sheperds Delight

Holds true around 90% of the time in the northeren hemisphere to do with weather, the next morning and day are usually very bright with high pressure and no rain even if cold and windy.

The Opposite

Red sky in the morning sheperds warning

At least in the UK in my experience has been right even if late afternoon a storm or dark clouds and rain will come sometime.

....

IMpersonable experience an old wives or Magic tale or divination tale that

Never trust or believe the words of a new friend or lover on the night of a full moon if commitment/future is spoken to you whilst the moon has been (or just later you) see it in the mirror

Has now 4 times proven to be true...

The only four times this has happened to me to.... but how much was expectation after knowing it, and ignoring it at my peril with love of the heart the first time is unknown.

Trinka Five

is an anciant Romany (original gypsy) saying for attracting good luck into the day if spoken upon first waking before anything else... and believed, and said with the feeling in the heart of all being lucky in the day not just you, those bringing you joy and success to also experience it...

Has at times been very good for me...

However I could have said "teletubbies" and believing such things having the same fortune had the same result... so this leads me strongly onto the following

Be carefull (really truly) what you wish for

As this infers any negative to aspects to what you desire, and also any effects on others that MUST come back to you.

Kind Regards,

Elf

Edir spelling

[edit on 8-10-2009 by MischeviousElf]

reply to post by MischeviousElf


Star for you!!!!

Now thats a great reply folks!!!!!

Thx for the effort and time MischeviousElf


OT

An Old Wives Tales... how bout an old grandma tail? growing up my grandma always said silver drove away bad spirits... you had the throw a silver coin in the well and she would never let us eat with anything other then real silverware... this was a common mith among the old folks...

Guss what.. she was right... turns out sliver kills bacteria in fact they now put it in water filters... who knew? well grandma knew...

There is an old Japanese saying that in a long marriage, whichever parter truly "holds the power" at the beginning of the relationship, the other one will at the end.

Not always true, but eerily enough, seems to be the case often.

reply to post by DaddyBare



Apreciate your post daddybare, more for your service to our country!

God bless you and grandma huh?

OT

Originally posted by silent thunder
There is an old Japanese saying that in a long marriage, whichever parter truly "holds the power" at the beginning of the relationship, the other one will at the end.

Not always true, but eerily enough, seems to be the case often.

hmm?

I was cocky in the beginning....


now I'm either RIGHT or HAPPY, but not BOTH...

I'll stay

Thx!

OT

what about WISHBONES?

Good luck?

OT

see:

Many of the best old wives tales are centered around the holidays, or holiday meals. One of the oldest and most fun is the wishbone. After the Thanksgiving turkey has been cooked and served, many families dry the breastbone for a couple days. Then, when the bone becomes dry enough to break, two people will pull on either half until it breaks. The person with the longer half is said to have his or her wish come true.

This is an old wives tale that has been around for a long time, and while there is no explanation as to why a wish would come true, many families still observe this practice year after year. Do the wishes come true because of the wishbone? Probably not, but it’s a fun tradition to observe and one that children typically look forward to year after year!
Of course this old wives tale isn’t just observed after the Thanksgiving turkey, but any time that a turkey is eaten!

source: thelongestlistofthelongeststuffatthelongestdomainnameatlonglast.com...

Now I'm not sure if this qualifies as a "wives tale" or not, but you may find it funny none the less.

When I was young, my mom told me that if you pick up a skunk by its tail, it can't spray you.

Well, my sister and I were playing in the back yard one day, down by the horse corral, and decided to go swimming. As we walked up toward the house, we spotted a baby skunk under a large fig tree.

Remembering what mom had said, only a few weeks earlier, I decided to go pick up the little guy. (being so long ago now, it's a bit cloudy, but my sister probably dared me to)

Sure enough, I gently lifted him off the ground by the tail and started talking to him. Nothing happened, and he didn't seem to mind at all.

After a couple minutes, we thought we'd walk up to the house and show mom our new friend. Again, no problems, and we walked the couple hundred feet up the hill as proud as lion tamers.

Once we got up by the pool, there was mom leaning out the kitchen window, on the phone, talking to her friend. When she looked up, her eyes got as big as golf balls and she said "I was kidding!", as she started laughing uncontrollably.

Of course, being nine, I immediately thought the best thing to do at the time was to panic. If I could just toss it a few feet away before it got me I'd be in the clear... WRONG!

Apparently, the momentum I needed to actually get him to a reasonable distance gave him a startle, and he let loose the second I let go.

I spent the rest of the afternoon, and into the evening in the bathtub, soaking in tomato juice.

Looking back, I'm sure if I had just slowly set him on the ground and let him scamper off he wouldn't have felt threatened enough to ruin my week.

To this day, I still don't know if he was unable to spray me while I held him by the tail, or just didn't want to... but I'm ok with that.