Author Topic: What Myths were we told when we were Children......  (Read 35052 times)

Offline Katie77

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What Myths were we told when we were Children......
« on: December 12, 2007, 08:46:25 pm »
Been so long since i started a thread I had to work out how to do it....

Reading stories about Santa in the Polling thread, and a few other things I have read not connected to Christmas.....I got to thinking and wondering about the different "Myths" or "little white lies" we were told when we were children.

Most times they were told to us by our parents, to either keep us believing in something, or to make us feel better, or even to bluff us into being good...or they were stories that kids told us in the playground to scare us, intrigue us, or to simply exagerate something that needed a little more imagaination....

Please share yours, whether they are about Santa, the Easter Bunny, The Tooth Fairy, or about anything else that intrigued you as a child....oh, and of course, also ones that we ourselves have told our own children....


(Gee, I hope I am not repeating a subject that has all ready been discussed, please tell me if I am).......
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injest

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Re: What Myths were we told when we were Children......
« Reply #1 on: December 12, 2007, 10:36:30 pm »
how about the whole: "touching certain parts of your body caused blindness"?

 :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:


injest

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Re: What Myths were we told when we were Children......
« Reply #2 on: December 12, 2007, 10:37:39 pm »
My personal favorite....don't pick it or it wont' get well!

If you cross your eyes their gonna stick that way!


Offline Katie77

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Re: What Myths were we told when we were Children......
« Reply #3 on: December 12, 2007, 10:58:25 pm »
This is one I thought of recently.....

If your eyes dont close when you sneeze.....your eyeballs will fly out of their sockets....


Apparently thats why your eyes always close automatically when you sneeze...
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Offline Katie77

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Re: What Myths were we told when we were Children......
« Reply #4 on: December 12, 2007, 11:02:03 pm »
Oh this is one I remember, from sex education classes in the school playground.....


If a woman does NOT have an orgasm during sex.....she cannot fall pregnant....



(i realize now, it should be the other way around)
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Offline Brown Eyes

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Re: What Myths were we told when we were Children......
« Reply #5 on: December 12, 2007, 11:03:51 pm »

If you cross your eyes their gonna stick that way!



Yes, I very clearly remember believing that if I made a funny face it would freeze that way... but only if someone slapped me on the back while I was making the face.  I don't know where I came up with the second part of that.

I also believed that while riding in the car... if we drove over a bridge everyone in the car need to pick their feet up off the floorboards for the car to reach the other side.

And...  I think I'm realizing that I was quite a superstitious child...  I believed that when we drove past a cemetery I needed to hold my breath the whole time we were passing it and I couldn't let that breath out until we came to a white house.  Again, I have no idea where I came up with that idea.  And, I'm also not exactly sure what I thought would happen if I didn't follow this ritual when going past cemeteries.  I think it may have been something about worrying that ghosts from the cemetery might follow the car.  Again, I think I must have been very superstitious... with an over active imagination.

I don't think my parents had anything to do with any of these three kooky beliefs and rituals of mine.  I think I made them up or perhaps components of them came from friends.

the world was asleep to our latent fuss - bowie

Offline Katie77

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Re: What Myths were we told when we were Children......
« Reply #6 on: December 12, 2007, 11:12:20 pm »
Oh the minds of children, Atz.......very imaginative and superstitious......

If we pulled a funny face, we were told it would stay that way IF THE WIND CHANGED.......


(Huh !!..)
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Offline tampatalon

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Re: What Myths were we told when we were Children......
« Reply #7 on: December 14, 2007, 03:04:52 am »
I was always told children should not play outside after dark
because the boggie (boggy) man would come and take you.
I never knew what this gentleman looked like but I was in
definate fear of him.

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Offline Katie77

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Re: What Myths were we told when we were Children......
« Reply #8 on: December 14, 2007, 04:17:43 am »
The BOOOOGY man.....oh yeah.....

He was the one who made all those noises you heard when you couldn't get to sleep, as well as the one who hid outside ready to grab you if you if you went outside at night.....
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Offline Katie77

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Re: What Myths were we told when we were Children......
« Reply #9 on: December 14, 2007, 04:21:51 am »
What about all those things we were told not to swallow.......

If we swallowed a watermelon seed, a big watermelon would grow in our stomach....

If we swallowed our chewing gum, it would wind around our stomach....

If we didnt chew our food properly, it would end up in a big ball in the bottom of our stomach...

If we didnt eat our crusts, our hair would not go curly.....
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Offline tampatalon

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Re: What Myths were we told when we were Children......
« Reply #10 on: December 14, 2007, 04:31:29 am »
The BOOOOGY man.....oh yeah.....

He was the one who made all those noises you heard when you couldn't get to sleep, as well as the one who hid outside ready to grab you if you if you went outside at night.....

Thats him! And we also had a local legend. He was called the "green man". The green man, it was
rumored was to have climbed aloft a high-tension wire tower and touched the electric lines which
caused him to turn green. He was rumored to walk about the local roads during the early evening
hours. We would beg our parents to take us for a car ride to see if we could spot the green man.

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« Last Edit: December 14, 2007, 07:22:53 am by tampatalon »
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Offline MaineWriter

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Re: What Myths were we told when we were Children......
« Reply #11 on: December 14, 2007, 08:20:27 am »


And...  I think I'm realizing that I was quite a superstitious child...  I believed that when we drove past a cemetery I needed to hold my breath the whole time we were passing it and I couldn't let that breath out until we came to a white house.  Again, I have no idea where I came up with that idea.  And, I'm also not exactly sure what I thought would happen if I didn't follow this ritual when going past cemeteries.  I think it may have been something about worrying that ghosts from the cemetery might follow the car.  Again, I think I must have been very superstitious... with an over active imagination.



I remember holding my breath as we drove past cemeteries, but didn't have the "white house" at the end. So it wasn't entirely your imagination, Amanda! We also played a game, "cemetery swats." Everytime you drove past a cemetery, the first person to see it got to swat another person. Usually this involved me swatting my (younger) sister. She got swatted for years before she even understood what the game was!

L
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Offline tampatalon

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Re: What Myths were we told when we were Children......
« Reply #12 on: December 14, 2007, 05:27:37 pm »
I remember holding my breath as we drove past cemeteries, but didn't have the "white house" at the end. So it wasn't entirely your imagination, Amanda! We also played a game, "cemetery swats." Everytime you drove past a cemetery, the first person to see it got to swat another person. Usually this involved me swatting my (younger) sister. She got swatted for years before she even understood what the game was!

L

This is one myth I think I was not told for a practical reason. We lived next to a cemetary  :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

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Offline MaineWriter

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Re: What Myths were we told when we were Children......
« Reply #13 on: December 14, 2007, 05:38:50 pm »
This isn't something I was told, but something I told my kids...

I always said that triscuits (the crackers) were made by ancient tribes of triscuit weavers in the dark jungles of South America. Since both of my children could easily gobble up a box of triscuits in one sitting, I told them this to stress that triscuits were rare and should be savored, not eaten willy-nilly all at once. Over the years, our descriptions of the ancient tribes of triscuit weavers have gotten more and more elaborate. It is a fun family joke.

We were at my parent's house for dinner last week and my mother put out cheese and triscuits. I made some comment about the ancient tribes and my mom had no idea what I was talking about (and asked me if it was true, no less!!). That's when I realized it was something I had made up and was not passing on from my childhood.

L
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Offline louisev

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Re: What Myths were we told when we were Children......
« Reply #14 on: December 14, 2007, 05:43:37 pm »
The myth we all believed in childhood was that there were millions of children starving in Biafra, and that kids who weren't eating their vegetables were somehow required to donate them to the kids in Biafra, who only got a real boost of nutrition after Halloween when all the UNICEF trick or treat money went to buy them non fat dry milk and rice.

"Trick or treat for UNICEF!"
“Mr. Coyote always gets me good, boy,”  Ellery said, winking.  “Almost forgot what life was like before I got me my own personal coyote.”


Offline Katie77

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Re: What Myths were we told when we were Children......
« Reply #15 on: December 14, 2007, 05:52:21 pm »
Love your story about the triskets, Leslie, and the reason for it......it does show how parents can use their own imaginations for a cause......

The one I always used for my kids......was if we saw a train or truck carrying cattle  or sheep......when my kids asked me where they were going....I would say that they were being taken out to a country property where they could laze around all day and eat plenty of grass and have a happy life.....
I could never bring myself to tell them they were on the way to the abatoir (slaughter yards).....

Even as my kids got older, and  knew where they really were going, they would still ask me, "where are those cows going, Mum"...and I would still tell them the same old story.

I guess it made them feel good, just as it made me feel....
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Offline jstephens9

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Re: What Myths were we told when we were Children......
« Reply #16 on: December 15, 2007, 08:52:16 pm »
This relates to the cemetary idea. You would get points for every herd of cows you passed on your side of the car while riding in the car. However, if you went past a cemetary you lost all your points if they were on your side of the car. I have no idea what a cemetary had to do with a cow, but I didn't question it at the time.

Offline Katie77

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Re: What Myths were we told when we were Children......
« Reply #17 on: December 15, 2007, 10:46:46 pm »
My friend told me this one the other day.....

Apparently her little son was being naughty, so she got some cotton wool and dropped a few pieces of it near the window..........

Then she told her son, it was probably off Santa's beard while he was watching him being naughty through the window........
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Offline tampatalon

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Re: What Myths were we told when we were Children......
« Reply #18 on: December 16, 2007, 12:07:09 am »
My friend told me this one the other day.....

Apparently her little son was being naughty, so she got some cotton wool and dropped a few pieces of it near the window..........

Then she told her son, it was probably off Santa's beard while he was watching him being naughty through the window........

I would have been mortified!   LOL

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« Last Edit: December 16, 2007, 02:23:26 am by tampatalon »
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Offline Katie77

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Re: What Myths were we told when we were Children......
« Reply #19 on: December 16, 2007, 12:11:01 am »
I would have be mortified!   LOL

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hahhaa...he wasn't being that kind of "naughty", Steve....... ::) ::) ::) ::) ::)
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Offline Katie77

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Re: What Myths were we told when we were Children......
« Reply #20 on: December 16, 2007, 12:18:07 am »
I just thought of another funny one, that my husband's mother told me.......it shows that children had their own little white lies to tell their parents......

When Bob was a youngster, she sent him to the baker to buy a half loaf of bread.....(you used to be able to buy a half loaf of uncut bread, and where the bread was broken in half, it was usually still warm and fresh)....anyway, on the way home, he picked at, and ate a big hole in the bread.....

When he got home and his mother asked, "what happened to the bread".....

he said very innocently....."The ants crawled up my leg and ate it".......
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Offline jstephens9

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Re: What Myths were we told when we were Children......
« Reply #21 on: December 16, 2007, 01:02:50 am »
I just thought of another big one. When I was little my parents told me if I opened my eyes Santa would not come. That turned out to be because they used to do everything on Christmas Eve so I would make sure I did not even think about opening my eyes. If I did, Santa would go away and not leave me anything.

Offline tampatalon

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Re: What Myths were we told when we were Children......
« Reply #22 on: December 16, 2007, 02:27:10 am »
One day my grandmother caught me trying on my grandfather's dress hat.
He was bald and she told me I would go bald if I did not take the hat off.

Funny thing. She turned out to be right  :o :o :o

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Offline Jeff Wrangler

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Re: What Myths were we told when we were Children......
« Reply #23 on: December 18, 2007, 12:32:09 pm »
Tell you what, here's something I wasn't taught as a child, but it's a superstition--I guess you'd call it that--that holds me under its spell today.

I have no idea where I picked up this notion, but I never turn over the page of a calendar until the first day of the new month, or hang up a new calendar until the first day of a new year. I feel that if I turn the calendar on, say, the evening of the last day of the month, instead of waiting till the next morning, I'm somehow "tempting fate."

 :-\
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Offline MaineWriter

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Re: What Myths were we told when we were Children......
« Reply #24 on: December 21, 2007, 04:40:51 pm »
Tell you what, here's something I wasn't taught as a child, but it's a superstition--I guess you'd call it that--that holds me under its spell today.

I have no idea where I picked up this notion, but I never turn over the page of a calendar until the first day of the new month, or hang up a new calendar until the first day of a new year. I feel that if I turn the calendar on, say, the evening of the last day of the month, instead of waiting till the next morning, I'm somehow "tempting fate."

 :-\

I actually know quite a few people who believe that. My birthday is on July 2nd and over the years, I have gotten birthday cards from people that have arrived late. They have written, "Sorry this is late, but I won't change the calendar til the first day of the month and by the time I realize it's your birthday, I am already late sending the card." Seriously, this has happened quite a few times in my life...

L
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Offline Shasta542

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Re: What Myths were we told when we were Children......
« Reply #25 on: December 21, 2007, 04:45:50 pm »
Tell you what, here's something I wasn't taught as a child, but it's a superstition--I guess you'd call it that--that holds me under its spell today.

I have no idea where I picked up this notion, but I never turn over the page of a calendar until the first day of the new month, or hang up a new calendar until the first day of a new year. I feel that if I turn the calendar on, say, the evening of the last day of the month, instead of waiting till the next morning, I'm somehow "tempting fate."

 :-\

That is interesting and something I've never heard about. I'm usually late rather than early when changing months!
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Offline CellarDweller

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Re: What Myths were we told when we were Children......
« Reply #26 on: December 21, 2007, 09:55:27 pm »
I'm not sure if this would fall under the title of "myth" or outright "lie".....



 :laugh:


I remember being very young, and asking my mother about "the statue with no arms".






I asked why the statue had no arms, and my mother told me that the woman was a thief who had been caught stealing, and her arms were cut off as punishment.


My younger brother asked what her name was, and before mom could answer, I said "Greedy Greta".

my dad almost crashed the car, he was laughing so hard.


Tell him when l come up to him and ask to play the record, l'm gonna say: ''Voulez-vous jouer ce disque?''
'Voulez-vous, will you kiss my dick?'
Will you play my record? One-track mind!

Offline ifyoucantfixit

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Re: What Myths were we told when we were Children......
« Reply #27 on: December 22, 2007, 12:01:47 am »


       So thats how it all started Chuck.  A young comedy mind in transition.     :laugh:    :laugh:



     Beautiful mind

Offline Katie77

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Re: What Myths were we told when we were Children......
« Reply #28 on: December 22, 2007, 12:02:11 am »
 :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
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Offline Katie77

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Re: What Myths were we told when we were Children......
« Reply #29 on: December 22, 2007, 12:05:47 am »
Another one I was told as a child, and still abide by it......

Is not to put shoes on the table.......supposed to be bad luck
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Offline tampatalon

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Re: What Myths were we told when we were Children......
« Reply #30 on: December 22, 2007, 01:42:09 am »
Another one I was told as a child, and still abide by it......

Is not to put shoes on the table.......supposed to be bad luck

I never heared this but it makes perfect hygenic sense.

TampaTalon^">
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Offline MaineWriter

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Re: What Myths were we told when we were Children......
« Reply #31 on: December 22, 2007, 09:20:53 am »
I posted this on my blog but I'll re-post here, since it seems to be apropos to the discussion...



Seven Cherished Medical Beliefs: All Called Myths
By Crystal Phend, Staff Writer, MedPage Today
Published: December 21, 2007

INDIANAPOLIS, Dec. 21 -- As most physicians know, the evidence underpinning many medical beliefs is flimsy at best, but the backing for some common wisdom is downright ethereal.

Take the conviction that patients need to drink at least eight glasses of water a day, for instance. A myth, said Rachel C. Vreeman, M.D., of Indiana University here. No bona fide evidence.

"Most of us have probably heard that myth somewhere if not from our own doctors even," Dr. Vreeman said.

She and a colleague, Aaron E. Carroll, M.D., M.S., of the Regenstrief Institute here, debunked that and six other deeply entrenched medical beliefs in a review published in the end-of-year issue of the BMJ. This issue is traditionally devoted to off-beat or humorous, albeit legitimate, research results.

"The medical myths we give here are a light-hearted reminder that we can be wrong and need to question what other falsehoods we unwittingly propagate as we practice medicine," they wrote.

Advice to drink 64 oz of water per day likely stemmed from a 1945 recommendation that "a suitable allowance of water for adults is 2.5 liters daily in most instances," they said.

However, much like a game of telephone, Dr. Vreeman said, the message eventually got lost that "most of this quantity is contained in prepared foods."

Other studies have since shown that the typical diet with accompanying intake of juice, milk, coffee, and caffeinated drinks usually meets the body's fluid requirements, the investigators noted.

"There's not a number amount," Dr. Vreeman added. "It's more that you just need to pay attention to what your body wants."

Although no harm would be expected from drinking an extra eight glasses of water beyond fluid intake from other sources in the diet, excessive amounts could lead to water intoxication, hyponatremia, and death in the most extreme cases.

Another common belief -- that we use only 10% of our brains--has persisted for over a century, the researchers said. Some have attributed its origin to Albert Einstein but no records support this. Another source may have been self-improvement experts advocating tapping into latent abilities.

However, brain-imaging studies have shown no area of the brain that is completely inactive, the researchers said. Damage to almost any area of the brain causes specific, long-term deficits in mental, vegetative, and behavioral capabilities.

"Even micro-level localization, isolating the response of single neurons, reveals no gaps or inactive areas," they wrote. "Metabolic studies, tracking differential rates of cellular metabolism in the brain, show no dormant areas."

One myth from the grave is the belief that hair and fingernails continue to grow after death. This is an illusion on the basis of increased prominence from retraction of the skin around hair and nails as the body dehydrates after death.

"The actual growth of hair and nails, however, requires a complex hormonal regulation not sustained after death," the researchers said.

Other unproven and untrue myths in the review included:

  • "Reading in dim light ruins your eyesight," a belief that probably stems from the sensation of difficulty focusing and drying because of a decreased blinking rate, which, although uncomfortable, do not persist.
  • "Shaving causes hair to grow back faster or coarser," another illusion, as trimmed hair lacks the finer taper seen at the ends of unshaven hair and has not yet been lightened by sun or chemical exposures.
  • "Mobile phones are dangerous in hospitals," which was disproved by a 2005 Mayo Clinic study that found only a 1.2% rate of clinically important interference. Also, rigorous testing in Europe that revealed minimal interference only at distances less than 1 m.
  • "Eating turkey makes people especially drowsy," which although popularly attributed to tryptophan is more likely the result of reduced blood flow to the brain from a heavy holiday meal. Turkey has no more tryptophan per gram than chicken or ground beef and less than pork and cheese.

Belief in these statements is unlikely to cause harm, the researchers emphasized.

In a homily to physicians, the authors pointed out that "speaking from a position of authority, as physicians do, requires constant evaluation of the validity of our knowledge."

Other myths that the researchers hope to explore in the future include whether swallowed chewing gum stays in the body for seven years, how colds are acquired and treated, and especially, whether sugar makes kids hyperactive.

"That's one that none of my friends with kids are going to believe me when I tell them that it's not true," Dr. Vreeman said.

Likewise, she acknowledged that the report is unlikely to make much of a dent in propagation of these medical myths.

"These things are incredibly hard to get rid of," she said. "Other people besides us have pointed these out, but still the myths persist."

The authors reported no conflicts of interest.

Primary source: BMJ
Source reference:
Vreeman RC, Carroll AE, "Medical myths" BMJ 2007; 335: 1288-89.
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Offline ifyoucantfixit

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Re: What Myths were we told when we were Children......
« Reply #32 on: December 22, 2007, 01:38:01 pm »




      Excellent article Leslie...and humorous also.



     Beautiful mind

Offline tampatalon

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Re: What Myths were we told when we were Children......
« Reply #33 on: December 23, 2007, 12:29:19 am »
Did anyone else hear that opening an umbrella inside the house is bad luck?

TampaTalon^">
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Offline Katie77

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Re: What Myths were we told when we were Children......
« Reply #34 on: December 23, 2007, 12:38:11 am »
Did anyone else hear that opening an umbrella inside the house is bad luck?

TampaTalon^">

oh yes.......definately a no no.........and why would you anyway.......??
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Offline jstephens9

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Re: What Myths were we told when we were Children......
« Reply #35 on: December 23, 2007, 12:41:28 am »
Did anyone else hear that opening an umbrella inside the house is bad luck?

TampaTalon^">

Oh yes, definitely, and walking under a ladder is bad luck too in case nobody has mentioned that yet.

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Re: What Myths were we told when we were Children......
« Reply #36 on: December 23, 2007, 12:44:14 am »
If a black cat crosses your path you will have bad luck, but I have heard lately that if you own a black cat it will bring you good luck.

Offline tampatalon

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Re: What Myths were we told when we were Children......
« Reply #37 on: December 23, 2007, 12:48:58 am »
If a black cat crosses your path you will have bad luck, but I have heard lately that if you own a black cat it will bring you good luck.

No offense to cat owners please! My mother told me to keep the cat away from the
baby because if it sleep on the baby, the baby would smother to death!

TampaTalon^">
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Offline jstephens9

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Re: What Myths were we told when we were Children......
« Reply #38 on: December 23, 2007, 12:50:55 am »
Yes, I have heard that one too. Supposedly it had something to do with that a cat would jump in the crib and suck all of the air out of the baby. The thing is I have no idea why a cat would want to do that.

Offline tampatalon

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Re: What Myths were we told when we were Children......
« Reply #39 on: December 23, 2007, 12:51:14 am »
oh yes.......definately a no no.........and why would you anyway.......??

Umbrellas had a bad rap at my house. When we went shopping downtown on a rainy
day my mother told me be very careful because a lot of people get there eyes poked out
because of all the umbrellas.

TampaTalon^">
"Lean on me, Let our hearts beat in time, Feel strength from the hands that have held you so long. Who cares where we go on this rutted old road, In a world that may say that we're wrong."--EmmyLou Harris

Offline tampatalon

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Re: What Myths were we told when we were Children......
« Reply #40 on: December 23, 2007, 12:53:47 am »
Yes, I have heard that one too. Supposedly it had something to do with that a cat would jump in the crib and suck all of the air out of the baby. The thing is I have no idea why a cat would want to do that.

My goodness! This type of cat tale did exist into the late 80's at my house.

TampaTalon^">
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Offline Katie77

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Re: What Myths were we told when we were Children......
« Reply #41 on: December 23, 2007, 02:43:28 am »
Yes, I have heard that one too. Supposedly it had something to do with that a cat would jump in the crib and suck all of the air out of the baby. The thing is I have no idea why a cat would want to do that.

Apparently the cat would jump in the cot because it could smell milk on the baby..........
Being happy doesn't mean everything is perfect.

It means you've decided to see beyond the imperfection

Offline David In Indy

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Re: What Myths were we told when we were Children......
« Reply #42 on: December 23, 2007, 04:03:55 am »
My Mother had all kinds of myths....

AN upside down broom left on the porch will ward away evil.

Acorns on the window sill will prevent lightening strikes.

A boiling pot of salted water will scare away house haints.

If you touch "it" you will stunt your growth. :laugh: She didn't succeed with that one! I'm 6 foot 2!! ;)

I remember Mom telling me Christmas is the most haunted time of the year; even more so than Halloween. Christmas is the time when our deceased loved ones come back to check up on us.

This is a good thread Sue!!





Dogs have owners. Cats have staff.

Offline tampatalon

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Re: What Myths were we told when we were Children......
« Reply #43 on: December 23, 2007, 07:10:35 am »
When I was around 5 or 6 and we would eat at the luncheon counter at the
Woolworth's downtown, my mother would tell me not to eat the chewing gum
people discarded by sticking the gum on the underside of the counter because it
had disease and I would die. After a few moments of thought I asked her if the
gum under the luncheon counter at Kresge's was any better.

TampaTalon^">
"Lean on me, Let our hearts beat in time, Feel strength from the hands that have held you so long. Who cares where we go on this rutted old road, In a world that may say that we're wrong."--EmmyLou Harris

Offline Katie77

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Re: What Myths were we told when we were Children......
« Reply #44 on: December 23, 2007, 08:13:39 am »
When I was around 5 or 6 and we would eat at the luncheon counter at the
Woolworth's downtown, my mother would tell me not to eat the chewing gum
people discarded by sticking the gum on the underside of the counter because it
had disease and I would die. After a few moments of thought I asked her if the
gum under the luncheon counter at Kresge's was any better.

TampaTalon^">

Oh Steve.....you actually thought of  eating someone else's chewing gum??????........UGH !!!!
Being happy doesn't mean everything is perfect.

It means you've decided to see beyond the imperfection

Offline MaineWriter

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Re: What Myths were we told when we were Children......
« Reply #45 on: December 23, 2007, 09:32:03 am »
If you stepped on a crack in the sidewalk, you'd break your mother's back. I actually knew that wasn't true since I stepped on plenty of cracks, but I still tried to avoid them, just for fun.

If you break a mirror, it will bring you seven years bad luck. I actually did break a mirror when I was 7 and lived with dread for 7 long years. I was so happy when my 14th birthday came.

Public toilet seats were vectors of horrible diseases. My grandmother taught me to sort of hunch over the toilet seat and not sit down, so I wouldn't touch it. If I actually had to sit, then she taught me to put toilet paper all along the seat. Now, of course, they have paper covers you can use. I guess my grandmother was right! LOL

L
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Offline Shasta542

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Re: What Myths were we told when we were Children......
« Reply #46 on: December 23, 2007, 09:53:29 am »
I lived with my grandmother and grandfather as I grew up. There were always things that she warned me not to do, but which I basically scoffed at because I didn't believe.

She did not want me to whistle: "A whistling woman and a crowing hen, always come to some bad end."  I whistled anyway, but when she caught me she recited the warning!  :P

I couldn't open an umbrella in the house, or walk through the house with a rake or a shovel. Some kind of bad luck.  :-\

She told me not to kiss boys on the lips -- that one didn't take. I don't know if that was a myth or just to ward off unwanted pregnancy. :D

She hated for me to have black cats, but I had those many times.

OMG--walking under ladders was akin to death.

I never paid much attention -- she probably thought I was the spawn of the devil, but we actually loved each other very much. I was her wild child and I wasn't even wild as far as doing regular teenage -- getting in trouble -- kinda stuff. I just didn't always conform to her instruction.  ;)
"Gettin' tired of your dumbass missin'!"

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Offline CellarDweller

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Re: What Myths were we told when we were Children......
« Reply #47 on: December 23, 2007, 02:00:42 pm »
well, let's see,

I've walked under ladders, and broke mirrors, and stepped on cracks, and opened umbrellas in houses, so those myths are all debunked.

I've heard about cats "stealing" babies breath before.........that goes back to olden days when people believed in vampires.  Vampires could transform themselves not only into bats, but cats as well.  Cats naturally like warmth, and baby cribs are filled with stuffed animals, pillows, blankets, and cats would snuggle in to get warm, and I suppose a few babies were accidentally smothered in the process.  Between that and the vampire lore, that's where that story came from.


Tell him when l come up to him and ask to play the record, l'm gonna say: ''Voulez-vous jouer ce disque?''
'Voulez-vous, will you kiss my dick?'
Will you play my record? One-track mind!

Offline jstephens9

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Re: What Myths were we told when we were Children......
« Reply #48 on: December 23, 2007, 02:03:40 pm »
We used to go to the beach every year. The hotels we would stay in had this piece of paper around them. I asked my father why they did that. He said that it meant the toilet had been cleaned and we would not have to worry about getting crabs. Well, I was very little and I had no idea what types of crabs he meant. I thought he meant those that crawled around on the beach. I mean we were at the beach after all. I was quite glad that I didn't have to worry about any of them jumping up from the toilet while I was on it or at any other time.

Offline louisev

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Re: What Myths were we told when we were Children......
« Reply #49 on: December 23, 2007, 02:41:50 pm »
I'm not sure if this would fall under the title of "myth" or outright "lie".....



 :laugh:


I remember being very young, and asking my mother about "the statue with no arms".






I asked why the statue had no arms, and my mother told me that the woman was a thief who had been caught stealing, and her arms were cut off as punishment.


My younger brother asked what her name was, and before mom could answer, I said "Greedy Greta".

my dad almost crashed the car, he was laughing so hard.

my mother wasn't quite so creative in explaining the Venus de Milo - she said that they ran out of marble.
“Mr. Coyote always gets me good, boy,”  Ellery said, winking.  “Almost forgot what life was like before I got me my own personal coyote.”


Offline louisev

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Re: What Myths were we told when we were Children......
« Reply #50 on: December 23, 2007, 02:45:15 pm »
Yes, I have heard that one too. Supposedly it had something to do with that a cat would jump in the crib and suck all of the air out of the baby. The thing is I have no idea why a cat would want to do that.

That was actually portrayed in a film of a Stephen King story, 'Cat's Eye' with Drew Barrymore.
“Mr. Coyote always gets me good, boy,”  Ellery said, winking.  “Almost forgot what life was like before I got me my own personal coyote.”


Offline jstephens9

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Re: What Myths were we told when we were Children......
« Reply #51 on: December 23, 2007, 03:38:00 pm »
When I was around 5 or 6 and we would eat at the luncheon counter at the
Woolworth's downtown, my mother would tell me not to eat the chewing gum
people discarded by sticking the gum on the underside of the counter because it
had disease and I would die. After a few moments of thought I asked her if the
gum under the luncheon counter at Kresge's was any better.

TampaTalon^">

Did you have Kress? Their gum under the counter was the best. It had a spicier flavor than that at Woolworths. And they had two lunch counters. One was upstairs and the other downstairs. Later on I found out why there were two lunch counters. Does anyone have any idea why there were two? We never had a Kresge that I know of. We went straight to K Mart. And no I didn't actually eat the gum under the counter at any of the places  ;D

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Re: What Myths were we told when we were Children......
« Reply #52 on: December 23, 2007, 03:39:49 pm »
Did you have Kress? Their gum under the counter was the best. It had a spicier flavor than that at Woolworths. And they had two lunch counters. One was upstairs and the other downstairs. Later on I found out why there were two lunch counters. Does anyone have any idea why there were two? We never had a Kresge that I know of. We went straight to K Mart. And no I didn't actually eat the gum under the counter at any of the places  ;D


that's good....remember the song? "My gum loses its flavor on the bedpost over night"?

preeettttyy sure it would be the same for the gum under the counter...

Offline David In Indy

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Re: What Myths were we told when we were Children......
« Reply #53 on: December 23, 2007, 05:15:40 pm »
I remember Kresge's! I remember it always smelled of popcorn when I first walked in there. Their popcorn machine was always running and people would carry little bags of it around as they shopped. They also made reall good submarine sandwiches. My dad would stop by there on a Saturday and bring several of them home to us for lunch. We also had Woolworth but I didn't go there very often. It was at Glendale; too far away to ride my bike. Kresge's was at Devington shopping center, and I could ride there on my bike in about 5 minutes.

Then there was Topp's. They had a large delta shaped canopy over their entrance studded with lights. Topps was a bit like Wal-Mart or Ayr-Way (Ayr-Way is no longer here. Target bought them out in the early 1980's). Woolco was very similar to J.C. Penney.

It's a shame all those stores are gone now, especially the dime stores like Kresge's and Woolworth. Now we have Dollar stores, but they aren't nearly as interesting or fun.

Dogs have owners. Cats have staff.

Offline jstephens9

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Re: What Myths were we told when we were Children......
« Reply #54 on: December 23, 2007, 05:20:56 pm »
You did know that Kresges is what became K Mart? Although it was quite a different store than the five and dime store it was the same company. For several years both existed, but the K Marts were pulling in more money so sadly Kresge went the way that Woolworth would later go. The same happened with Kress.

Offline tampatalon

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Re: What Myths were we told when we were Children......
« Reply #55 on: December 23, 2007, 07:32:15 pm »
You did know that Kresges is what became K Mart? Although it was quite a different store than the five and dime store it was the same company. For several years both existed, but the K Marts were pulling in more money so sadly Kresge went the way that Woolworth would later go. The same happened with Kress.

Speaking of lunch, did anyone mention this one? If you were at the beach and ate you had to wait 30 minutes before going in the water or you would automatically drown.

TampaTalon^">
"Lean on me, Let our hearts beat in time, Feel strength from the hands that have held you so long. Who cares where we go on this rutted old road, In a world that may say that we're wrong."--EmmyLou Harris

Offline David In Indy

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Re: What Myths were we told when we were Children......
« Reply #56 on: December 23, 2007, 07:46:16 pm »
Speaking of lunch, did anyone mention this one? If you were at the beach and ate you had to wait 30 minutes before going in the water or you would automatically drown.

TampaTalon^">

Yes! My parents told me that one! Something about getting stomach cramps and then we'd drown.



Dogs have owners. Cats have staff.

Offline MaineWriter

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Re: What Myths were we told when we were Children......
« Reply #57 on: December 23, 2007, 07:51:24 pm »
Speaking of lunch, did anyone mention this one? If you were at the beach and ate you had to wait 30 minutes before going in the water or you would automatically drown.

TampaTalon^">

Beach or swimming pool, it didn't matter. You had to wait 30 minutes after eating....sometimes 60 ...before going back in the water. God, I hated that rule.

L
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Offline delalluvia

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Re: What Myths were we told when we were Children......
« Reply #58 on: December 23, 2007, 07:56:42 pm »
Religion.

It was told to me as fact, but I've found out it's more about faith than fact.

Offline tampatalon

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Re: What Myths were we told when we were Children......
« Reply #59 on: December 23, 2007, 09:07:43 pm »
Did you have Kress? Their gum under the counter was the best. It had a spicier flavor than that at Woolworths. And they had two lunch counters. One was upstairs and the other downstairs. Later on I found out why there were two lunch counters. Does anyone have any idea why there were two? We never had a Kresge that I know of. We went straight to K Mart. And no I didn't actually eat the gum under the counter at any of the places  ;D


What Luck! There an old boarded up Kress. designated as a protected historic landmark, downtown Tampa. I bet the luncheon counter and the gum is still there and even the gum is historic by now!

TampaTalon^">
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Offline jstephens9

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Re: What Myths were we told when we were Children......
« Reply #60 on: December 23, 2007, 09:15:26 pm »
I think I may actually have a postcard of that Kress in Tampa. I'm not sure. If you ever get a chance will you take a picture of it for me. I know that sounds weird, but I collect postcards and pictures of old architectural buildings. Kress was very particular with their buildings. Each town they had one it had to be completely different and somehow match the city. The one here has been restored and is now a place where artists show their work. The same thing that has been done with the Woolworth building here. Ok, sorry for getting a bit off topic there  :) Yes, the gum would be quite historical too, but I don't need a picture of that  ;D

As for the swimming rule, yes I know that one and I actually never questioned its truth believe it or not.

Offline tampatalon

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Re: What Myths were we told when we were Children......
« Reply #61 on: December 23, 2007, 09:31:08 pm »
I think I may actually have a postcard of that Kress in Tampa. I'm not sure. If you ever get a chance will you take a picture of it for me. I know that sounds weird, but I collect postcards and pictures of old architectural buildings. Kress was very particular with their buildings. Each town they had one it had to be completely different and somehow match the city. The one here has been restored and is now a place where artists show their work. The same thing that has been done with the Woolworth building here. Ok, sorry for getting a bit off topic there  :) Yes, the gum would be quite historical too, but I don't need a picture of that  ;D

As for the swimming rule, yes I know that one and I actually never questioned its truth believe it or not.

Next time I am downtown I will be most happy to.

TampaTalon^">
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Offline jstephens9

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Re: What Myths were we told when we were Children......
« Reply #62 on: December 23, 2007, 11:57:38 pm »
Next time I am downtown I will be most happy to.

TampaTalon^">

Thanks! I appreciate that!!!

Offline tampatalon

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Re: What Myths were we told when we were Children......
« Reply #63 on: December 24, 2007, 04:48:29 am »
Foods have superstitions too. Don't pork and kraut bring good luck if ya eat them
on New Year's day or eve? My family believed this worked even though we were
all Italian in a little Italy section of town. I thought this was a German custom?

TampaTalon^">
« Last Edit: December 24, 2007, 11:58:23 am by tampatalon »
"Lean on me, Let our hearts beat in time, Feel strength from the hands that have held you so long. Who cares where we go on this rutted old road, In a world that may say that we're wrong."--EmmyLou Harris

Offline MaineWriter

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Re: What Myths were we told when we were Children......
« Reply #64 on: December 24, 2007, 11:07:24 am »
Yes! My parents told me that one! Something about getting stomach cramps and then we'd drown.


Not just drown. You'd sink like a stone to the bottom of the pool and be dead, dead, dead. Lifeguards made no difference. You couldn't be saved.

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Offline MaineWriter

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Re: What Myths were we told when we were Children......
« Reply #65 on: December 24, 2007, 11:08:00 am »
Foods have superstitions too. Don't pork and kraut bring good luck if ya eat them
on New Year's day or eve? My family believed this worked even though we were
all Italian in a Little Italy section of town. I thought this was a German custom?

TampaTalon^">

Yes, I've heard that. I also think rice and beans on New Year's Day are supposed to bring good luck.

L
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Offline Shasta542

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Re: What Myths were we told when we were Children......
« Reply #66 on: December 24, 2007, 11:17:31 am »
In Arkansas it's black-eyed peas and hog jowl. We had it every New Year's Day when I was growing up, and I haven't gotten rich yet -- not in $$$ anyway, but it's been a pretty sweet life all in all!!
"Gettin' tired of your dumbass missin'!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Offline tampatalon

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Re: What Myths were we told when we were Children......
« Reply #67 on: December 24, 2007, 11:57:25 am »
In Arkansas it's black-eyed peas and hog jowl. We had it every New Year's Day when I was growing up, and I haven't gotten rich yet -- not in $$$ anyway, but it's been a pretty sweet life all in all!!
Amen Shasta. Life has been rich with good people. Sometimes when I start loosing my faith in humanity another great person pops into my life.

TampaTalon^">
"Lean on me, Let our hearts beat in time, Feel strength from the hands that have held you so long. Who cares where we go on this rutted old road, In a world that may say that we're wrong."--EmmyLou Harris

Offline tampatalon

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Re: What Myths were we told when we were Children......
« Reply #68 on: December 24, 2007, 12:27:32 pm »
I almost fergot this very important one. If a bird flies into yer window glass someone you know will die. If a bird falls down yer chimney lookout, someone in the house is gonna die.

TampaTalon">
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Offline jstephens9

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Re: What Myths were we told when we were Children......
« Reply #69 on: December 24, 2007, 01:03:11 pm »
Foods have superstitions too. Don't pork and kraut bring good luck if ya eat them
on New Year's day or eve? My family believed this worked even though we were
all Italian in a little Italy section of town. I thought this was a German custom?

TampaTalon^">

Here in western NC it is black-eyed peas, hog jowls, collard greens and pork roast on New Years Day. Each stands for something and I can't remember what stands for what, but Shasta here is your problem. The collard greens mean money so if you haven't been having those that is why you are not rich with money. Of course, I have had them every year I have been alive and I haven't found the money yet either  :) I've never heard of the rice, beans or kraut though  ;)

Offline MaineWriter

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Re: What Myths were we told when we were Children......
« Reply #70 on: December 24, 2007, 04:16:11 pm »
I almost fergot this very important one. If a bird flies into yer window glass someone you know will die. If a bird falls down yer chimney lookout, someone in the house is gonna die.

TampaTalon">

I hate the dying superstitions. I never heard those about the birds. I have heard that if a knife falls into the floor, point down (ie, sticking in the floor), someone will die.

L
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Offline tampatalon

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Re: What Myths were we told when we were Children......
« Reply #71 on: December 24, 2007, 04:40:05 pm »
I hate the dying superstitions. I never heard those about the birds. I have heard that if a knife falls into the floor, point down (ie, sticking in the floor), someone will die.

L

The knife is a new one on me.

TampaTalon^">
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Offline delalluvia

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Re: What Myths were we told when we were Children......
« Reply #72 on: December 24, 2007, 05:14:32 pm »
Here in western NC it is black-eyed peas, hog jowls, collard greens and pork roast on New Years Day. Each stands for something and I can't remember what stands for what, but Shasta here is your problem. The collard greens mean money so if you haven't been having those that is why you are not rich with money. Of course, I have had them every year I have been alive and I haven't found the money yet either  :) I've never heard of the rice, beans or kraut though

Same in Texas, except for the pork roast and we add cornbread.  But I'm not fond of jowls or collard greens or tripe, so I just get sausage.  I bought my cans of black-eye peas six weeks ago.  Because while you can always find cornbread mix and sausages, the stores sometimes run out of black-eye peas.  :)


Offline Shasta542

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Re: What Myths were we told when we were Children......
« Reply #73 on: December 24, 2007, 05:17:04 pm »
Hog jowl, fried to a crispy crunch, is delicious! It probably clogs up an artery as soon as you swallow it, but it is still delicious.
"Gettin' tired of your dumbass missin'!"

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Offline jstephens9

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Re: What Myths were we told when we were Children......
« Reply #74 on: December 24, 2007, 09:07:22 pm »
Same in Texas, except for the pork roast and we add cornbread.  But I'm not fond of jowls or collard greens or tripe, so I just get sausage.  I bought my cans of black-eye peas six weeks ago.  Because while you can always find cornbread mix and sausages, the stores sometimes run out of black-eye peas.  :)



I forgot the cornbread. Yes, we have the cornbread here too. It sounds like Texas and North Carolina have similar New Years Day traditions  :) And sometimes people put what they call chitlins in the cornbread.

Offline CellarDweller

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Re: What Myths were we told when we were Children......
« Reply #75 on: December 24, 2007, 11:17:29 pm »
I hate the dying superstitions. I never heard those about the birds. I have heard that if a knife falls into the floor, point down (ie, sticking in the floor), someone will die.


That's new to me, too.  I do know that for as long as I can remember, whenever mom would drop a fork to the floor, she would say that means that company is coming over.

To this day, if a fork hits the floor, she shouts out "Company's coming!"


Tell him when l come up to him and ask to play the record, l'm gonna say: ''Voulez-vous jouer ce disque?''
'Voulez-vous, will you kiss my dick?'
Will you play my record? One-track mind!

Offline delalluvia

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Re: What Myths were we told when we were Children......
« Reply #76 on: December 25, 2007, 12:27:17 am »
Hog jowl, fried to a crispy crunch, is delicious! It probably clogs up an artery as soon as you swallow it, but it is still delicious.

Wow, I bet it is good that way.  Any kind of fried pork fat - aka Pork Rinds - is always a treat.  ;D

Offline Shasta542

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Re: What Myths were we told when we were Children......
« Reply #77 on: December 25, 2007, 12:44:21 am »
Wow, I bet it is good that way.  Any kind of fried pork fat - aka Pork Rinds - is always a treat.  ;D

My grandmother always boiled it and I didn't like it very much. I'd eat one bite just to say I'd had it for New Year's Day, but that's it! Then I started having NYD dinner with my cousin, and she fried it. MUCH better that way. I wanted more! It's kinda like a really salty bacon.   ;D
"Gettin' tired of your dumbass missin'!"

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Offline David In Indy

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Re: What Myths were we told when we were Children......
« Reply #78 on: December 25, 2007, 01:00:16 am »
If you swallow your gum it will take 10 years to digest. Has anyone mentioned that one yet?

Or if you swallow seeds, a plant will grow in your stomach.


Shasta, boiled pork sounds TERRIBLE!! I don't blame you for not wanting to eat it. My Mother sometimes boiled fish. It was awful. And I don't like fish anyway, so you can just imagine...

We call baked or fried pork fat cracklins around here. Very popular during New Year's. Also black eyed peas. Up in the northern part of the state they will eat sauerkraut on NYD, but in the central and southern parts pork, cracklins and black eye peas are popular.

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Offline Katie77

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Re: What Myths were we told when we were Children......
« Reply #79 on: December 25, 2007, 03:09:38 am »
Heres a couple more about spilling or dropping things....

If you spill sugar, it is supposed to mean  joy to you

and if you spill salt, you have to throw a little bit over your shoulder for luck
Being happy doesn't mean everything is perfect.

It means you've decided to see beyond the imperfection

Offline MaineWriter

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Re: What Myths were we told when we were Children......
« Reply #80 on: December 25, 2007, 08:45:21 am »
Since it is Christmas and a day for giving presents...

It is bad luck to give someone a knife for a present, since it will sever the friendship. If you do insist on giving a knife, then you should tape a penny to the blade to counteract the bad luck.

L
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Offline Shasta542

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Re: What Myths were we told when we were Children......
« Reply #81 on: December 25, 2007, 10:36:23 am »
Since it is Christmas and a day for giving presents...

It is bad luck to give someone a knife for a present, since it will sever the friendship. If you do insist on giving a knife, then you should tape a penny to the blade to counteract the bad luck.

L

Oh--that reminds me of the one brought up at wedding showers. The bride-to-be has to remove any ribbons without cutting or breaking them or it's bad luck for the marriage.
"Gettin' tired of your dumbass missin'!"

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Offline delalluvia

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Re: What Myths were we told when we were Children......
« Reply #82 on: December 25, 2007, 01:52:32 pm »
Oh--that reminds me of the one brought up at wedding showers. The bride-to-be has to remove any ribbons without cutting or breaking them or it's bad luck for the marriage.

Really?  OMGs how long traditions last!  I'm sure it's even older than this, but ancient Roman brides wore a girdle tied with a Hercules knot.  The groom had to untie it, not cut or break it.  It was meant to symbolize the strength of their union.

Offline Katie77

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Re: What Myths were we told when we were Children......
« Reply #83 on: December 25, 2007, 06:33:54 pm »
Another present one.......

If you give someone a purse or a handbag, you should put a coin or some money in it..........if you give it empty, the presumption is it will always be empty.......

I can remember when I was a kid, even if you bought a  new purse or handbag, there was usually a penny coin inside.
Being happy doesn't mean everything is perfect.

It means you've decided to see beyond the imperfection

Offline ifyoucantfixit

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Re: What Myths were we told when we were Children......
« Reply #84 on: December 26, 2007, 02:45:42 am »



       Wow I have never been a superstitious person.  But hearing all these things makes me wonder..I have
probably been on the wrong end of every one of them.
        My mothers father was superstitious about a ton of things.. but it was always just silly to me.  But you
are making me wonder.



     Beautiful mind

Offline Lynne

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Re: What Myths were we told when we were Children......
« Reply #85 on: December 26, 2007, 05:30:11 am »
This is a great thread!  What a good idea!

My Grandma Mamie told me the one about 'A whistling girl and a crowing hen - both will come to some bad end.'

And in Tennessee it's black-eyed peas, turnip greens, and cornbread on New Year's Day for good luck and prosperity - never had the pork or hog jowls, tho - maybe some corned beef?  which I don't care for either.

What else?  If your ears are burning, someone is talking about you.

If you raise your feet for someone to sweep under them, you'll never get married.  ::)

"Laß sein. Laß sein."

Offline jstephens9

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Re: What Myths were we told when we were Children......
« Reply #86 on: December 27, 2007, 12:11:13 am »
If your nose is itching, it means somebody is coming to see you.

Offline MaineWriter

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Re: What Myths were we told when we were Children......
« Reply #87 on: December 27, 2007, 09:59:39 am »
Itchy palms....

Itchy left palm, you are going to receive some money. Itchy right palm, you are going to lose some money.

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Offline Jeff Wrangler

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Re: What Myths were we told when we were Children......
« Reply #88 on: December 27, 2007, 10:08:35 am »
Oh yes, definitely, and walking under a ladder is bad luck too in case nobody has mentioned that yet.

Ah, but there is a sort of historical basis in the notion of it being bad luck to walk under a ladder. Once upon a time, before trap-door gallows were invented, people were executed by hanging by being pushed off a ladder. The rope was attached to a beam, or sturdy tree limb, or something, and the condemned had a noose placed around the neck, and was pushed off a ladder by the executioner.

If memory serves, you can see a dramatization of this in Three Sovereigns for Sarah, a very good fact-based film about the Salem witch trials.
"It is required of every man that the spirit within him should walk abroad among his fellow-men, and travel far and wide."--Charles Dickens.

Offline Jeff Wrangler

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Re: What Myths were we told when we were Children......
« Reply #89 on: December 27, 2007, 10:10:20 am »
Another one I was told as a child, and still abide by it......

Is not to put shoes on the table.......supposed to be bad luck

I was told the same thing--it's bad luck--if you put a hat on the table.
"It is required of every man that the spirit within him should walk abroad among his fellow-men, and travel far and wide."--Charles Dickens.

Offline Jeff Wrangler

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Re: What Myths were we told when we were Children......
« Reply #90 on: December 27, 2007, 10:13:05 am »
Yes, I have heard that one too. Supposedly it had something to do with that a cat would jump in the crib and suck all of the air out of the baby. The thing is I have no idea why a cat would want to do that.

Probably because cats were suspected of being demons--witches' "familiars"--in disguise.
"It is required of every man that the spirit within him should walk abroad among his fellow-men, and travel far and wide."--Charles Dickens.

Offline Jeff Wrangler

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Re: What Myths were we told when we were Children......
« Reply #91 on: December 27, 2007, 10:15:52 am »
A boiling pot of salted water will scare away house haints.

What's a "house haint"?  ???
"It is required of every man that the spirit within him should walk abroad among his fellow-men, and travel far and wide."--Charles Dickens.

Offline Lynne

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Re: What Myths were we told when we were Children......
« Reply #92 on: December 27, 2007, 10:19:21 am »
a ghost?
"Laß sein. Laß sein."

Offline Jeff Wrangler

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Re: What Myths were we told when we were Children......
« Reply #93 on: December 27, 2007, 10:19:59 am »
Public toilet seats were vectors of horrible diseases. My grandmother taught me to sort of hunch over the toilet seat and not sit down, so I wouldn't touch it. If I actually had to sit, then she taught me to put toilet paper all along the seat. Now, of course, they have paper covers you can use. I guess my grandmother was right! LOL

My dad taught me that one, shortly before I reached adolescence (funny that I remember exactly when and where!).

Actually, there is one STD that you can--theoretically, at least--catch from toilet seats--crabs!  :P

I would guess, though, that you would have to use that toilet seat immediately after someone who has them.  :P
"It is required of every man that the spirit within him should walk abroad among his fellow-men, and travel far and wide."--Charles Dickens.

Offline Jeff Wrangler

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Re: What Myths were we told when we were Children......
« Reply #94 on: December 27, 2007, 10:25:49 am »
Another present one.......

If you give someone a purse or a handbag, you should put a coin or some money in it..........if you give it empty, the presumption is it will always be empty.......

I can remember when I was a kid, even if you bought a  new purse or handbag, there was usually a penny coin inside.

Same deal for a man's wallet. I was told if you give someone a wallet for a present, always put some money in it so they will always have money in it.  :)
"It is required of every man that the spirit within him should walk abroad among his fellow-men, and travel far and wide."--Charles Dickens.

Offline Jeff Wrangler

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Re: What Myths were we told when we were Children......
« Reply #95 on: December 27, 2007, 10:28:19 am »
New Year's Day: Roast pork and sauerkraut for the Pennsylvania Germans. Never, under any circumstances, eat chicken on New Year's Day. Why? Chickens scratch backward, but hogs root forward. ...  ;D

When I moved to Philadelphia, I was told that it's an Italian custom to eat lentils on New Year's Day.
"It is required of every man that the spirit within him should walk abroad among his fellow-men, and travel far and wide."--Charles Dickens.

Offline MaineWriter

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Re: What Myths were we told when we were Children......
« Reply #96 on: December 27, 2007, 10:57:24 am »
I reminded everyone of this last year, but I'll bring it up again this year...

New Year's Eve in Germany, Austria, Norway, and who knows how many other countries (but not the US or Britain), the tradition is to sit down and watch "Dinner for One," a very silly British skit filmed in 1963. Here's an interesting article with links to places you can watch the video. I will be watching it on New Year's Eve, as I have for the last two years....

http://www.slate.com/id/2133551

"Same procedure as last year, Miss Sophie?"

"Same procedure as every year, James!"

« Last Edit: December 27, 2007, 11:36:56 pm by MaineWriter »
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Offline CellarDweller

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Re: What Myths were we told when we were Children......
« Reply #97 on: December 27, 2007, 11:02:57 pm »
A boiling pot of salted water will scare away house haints.

What's a "house haint"?  ???

a ghost?


A Haint is an angry ancestral spirit. Charms, spells + rituals are practiced to keep them away, such as painting a house Haint blue because it resembles water + Haints won't travel over water





Tell him when l come up to him and ask to play the record, l'm gonna say: ''Voulez-vous jouer ce disque?''
'Voulez-vous, will you kiss my dick?'
Will you play my record? One-track mind!

Offline ifyoucantfixit

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Re: What Myths were we told when we were Children......
« Reply #98 on: December 27, 2007, 11:21:29 pm »



        Man oh man where do you get all that information...   :D  ?



     Beautiful mind

Offline MaineWriter

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Re: What Myths were we told when we were Children......
« Reply #99 on: December 27, 2007, 11:39:53 pm »


        Man oh man where do you get all that information...   :D  ?

The amazing trivia that resides in my brain....LOL
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Offline David In Indy

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Re: What Myths were we told when we were Children......
« Reply #100 on: December 27, 2007, 11:48:46 pm »
What's a "house haint"?  ???

Hey Jeff! What Chuck said. Around here a haint is a bothersome ghost. Mom always said a pot of salted water will get rid of them, especially if you allow it to boil.
Dogs have owners. Cats have staff.

Offline Jeff Wrangler

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Re: What Myths were we told when we were Children......
« Reply #101 on: December 28, 2007, 12:01:57 am »
Hey Jeff! What Chuck said. Around here a haint is a bothersome ghost. Mom always said a pot of salted water will get rid of them, especially if you allow it to boil.

Thanks, David! I'll remember that tip if ever I'm troubled with haints.  ;D

Now, if Chuckie can tell me what on earth color is "haint blue" I'll be all set!  ;D
"It is required of every man that the spirit within him should walk abroad among his fellow-men, and travel far and wide."--Charles Dickens.

Offline CellarDweller

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Re: What Myths were we told when we were Children......
« Reply #102 on: December 28, 2007, 07:59:01 am »
Now, if Chuckie can tell me what on earth color is "haint blue" I'll be all set!  ;D




Tell him when l come up to him and ask to play the record, l'm gonna say: ''Voulez-vous jouer ce disque?''
'Voulez-vous, will you kiss my dick?'
Will you play my record? One-track mind!

Offline MaineWriter

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Re: What Myths were we told when we were Children......
« Reply #103 on: December 28, 2007, 09:29:41 am »
I thought of two more superstitions that my mother repeated regularly:

Sing before breakfast, cry before night.


I always wondered how my Catholic friends finagled this on Sunday, since I knew they fasted before going to Mass, and then would be singing hymns during the service. Did every Catholic kid I know cry on Sunday evening? Probably.

Don't tell a dream before breakfast, otherwise it will come true.

I still subscribe to this belief, actually.
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Offline Lynne

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Re: What Myths were we told when we were Children......
« Reply #104 on: December 28, 2007, 11:15:44 am »
Red sky in morning, sailors' warning; red sky at night, sailors' delight.
"Laß sein. Laß sein."