old-wives' tale

An old-wives' tale says that eating carrots improves your eyesight.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A superstitious belief or traditional story: An "old-wives' tale" is a widely held but often false or unscientific belief, typically passed down through generations, especially by older women. It is often based on folklore rather than fact.

Usage Examples

• (A false traditional belief about food.)
• (A superstitious belief without evidence.)
• (A common but medically unfounded claim.)

Advanced Usage

• "to dismiss something as an old-wives' tale": to reject a belief or story as false or superstitious.

  • The scientist dismissed the notion that a full moon causes madness as an old-wives' tale. (Rejected it as unscientific folklore.)

• "to perpetuate an old-wives' tale": to continue spreading a false belief.

  • Despite modern medicine, some people still perpetuate the old-wives' tale that cold weather causes colds. (Keep spreading the false idea.)

Variants and Related Words

• Old wives' tale (alternate spelling): same meaning, often written without hyphens.

  • That's just an old wives' tale about hair growing thicker after shaving. (A false belief.)

• Folklore (n): the traditional beliefs, customs, and stories of a community, passed through generations.

  • Many old-wives' tales are part of local folklore. (Traditional stories.)

Synonyms

• Superstition: a belief or practice resulting from ignorance, fear of the unknown, or trust in magic or chance.

  • The idea that breaking a mirror brings seven years of bad luck is a common superstition. (A superstitious belief.)

• Myth: a widely held but false belief or idea.

  • The myth that you need to drink eight glasses of water a day is not scientifically proven. (A false but popular idea.)

• Folk belief: a traditional belief held by a community, often without scientific basis.

  • A folk belief says that planting crops during a full moon yields better harvests. (A traditional but unverified notion.)

Related Idioms

• A tall tale: an exaggerated or improbable story, often told as if true.

  • He told a tall tale about catching a fish as big as a boat. (An exaggerated story.)
  • Note: Unlike an "old-wives' tale," a "tall tale" is usually humorous and not necessarily superstitious.

• An old saw: a well-known but often overused saying or piece of advice.

  • "A stitch in time saves nine" is an old saw, not an old-wives' tale. (A common proverb, not a superstition.)