Author Topic: What Myths were we told when we were Children......  (Read 35057 times)

Offline Jeff Wrangler

  • BetterMost Supporter!
  • The BetterMost 10,000 Post Club
  • *****
  • Posts: 31,165
  • "He somebody you cowboy'd with?"
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

  • BetterMost Supporter!
  • The BetterMost 10,000 Post Club
  • *****
  • Posts: 31,165
  • "He somebody you cowboy'd with?"
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

  • BetterMost Supporter
  • BetterMost Moderator
  • BetterMost 5000+ Posts Club
  • *****
  • Posts: 9,291
  • "The world's always ending." --Ianto Jones
    • Elizabeth Warren for Massachusetts
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

  • BetterMost Supporter!
  • The BetterMost 10,000 Post Club
  • *****
  • Posts: 31,165
  • "He somebody you cowboy'd with?"
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

  • BetterMost Supporter!
  • The BetterMost 10,000 Post Club
  • *****
  • Posts: 31,165
  • "He somebody you cowboy'd with?"
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

  • BetterMost Supporter!
  • The BetterMost 10,000 Post Club
  • *****
  • Posts: 31,165
  • "He somebody you cowboy'd with?"
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

  • Bettermost Supporter!
  • BetterMost Moderator
  • The BetterMost 10,000 Post Club
  • *****
  • Posts: 14,042
  • Stay the course...
    • Bristlecone Pine Press
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 »
Taming Groomzilla<-- support equality for same-sex marriage in Maine by clicking this link!

Offline CellarDweller

  • The BetterMost 10,000 Post Club
  • ********
  • Posts: 38,301
  • A city boy's mentality, with a cowboy's soul.
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

  • BetterMost 5000+ Posts Club
  • *******
  • Posts: 8,049
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

  • Bettermost Supporter!
  • BetterMost Moderator
  • The BetterMost 10,000 Post Club
  • *****
  • Posts: 14,042
  • Stay the course...
    • Bristlecone Pine Press
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
Taming Groomzilla<-- support equality for same-sex marriage in Maine by clicking this link!