Superstitions, health warnings, and bits of inherited wisdom, fact-checked and honestly rated. Not "where does this phrase come from," but "is this actually true, and where did people start believing it."
48 tales so far
"The belief that a dog's mouth carries fewer or less harmful germs than a human's, often used to justify letting a dog lick a wound or your face."
Partly True"The old promise that eating an apple daily will keep you healthy and out of the doctor's care."
Busted"The belief, reflected in the phrase 'blind as a bat,' that bats cannot see and rely entirely on hearing to get around."
Unprovable Folklore"The superstition that shattering a mirror curses the person responsible with seven years of misfortune."
Busted"The belief that bulls become aggressive specifically because they see the colour red, as in a bullfighter's cape."
Busted"The claim that eating lots of carrots significantly improves your night vision."
Actually True"The old remedy of eating chicken soup to help you recover from a cold."
Partly True"The belief that regularly finishing your shower with cold water strengthens your immune system and helps you avoid getting sick."
Busted"The warning that habitually cracking your knuckles will give you arthritis later in life."
Busted"The claim that daddy long legs have the deadliest venom of any spider, but are harmless to humans because their fangs are too small or weak to pierce skin."
Partly True"The old advice to eat well if you have a cold, but cut back on food if you have a fever."
Actually True"The old claim that eating fish makes you smarter or improves brain function."
Unprovable Folklore"The superstition that Friday the 13th specifically is a day prone to bad luck or misfortune."
Actually True"The old home remedy of gargling warm water mixed with salt to relieve a sore throat."
Actually True"The old remedy of eating raw or crushed garlic to help ward off or fight infections."
Busted"The warning that leaving the house with wet hair, especially in cold weather, will make you sick."
Unprovable Folklore"A sudden, unexplained shiver or goosebumps means someone is walking over the spot where you'll eventually be buried."
Actually True"The old remedy of taking a spoonful of honey, often in warm water or tea, to ease a cough or sore throat."
Unprovable Folklore"A sudden burning or tingling sensation in your ear means someone, somewhere, is talking about you."
Unprovable Folklore"The superstition of touching or knocking on a wooden surface to avoid bad luck, especially after mentioning good fortune out loud."
Busted"The claim, based on a widely reported 1991 study, that left-handed people have significantly shorter average lifespans than right-handed people."
Busted"The reassurance that once lightning has struck somewhere, that spot is now safe from being hit again."
Unprovable Folklore"The old wedding superstition that getting married in the month of May brings bad luck to the marriage."
Actually True"The old folk practice of pressing mould-covered bread onto a cut or wound to help it heal."
Busted"The warning that waking someone mid-sleepwalk can cause them serious harm, even a heart attack."
Unprovable Folklore"The superstition that opening an umbrella inside a building will bring misfortune."
Busted"The belief that poinsettia plants are dangerously toxic if eaten, especially by children or pets."
Busted"The warning that reading in poor light will permanently damage your eyes."
Actually True"A red sky at sunset predicts fine weather the next day; a red sky at sunrise warns of bad weather coming."
Unprovable Folklore"The belief that finding and picking up a stray penny brings good luck for the rest of the day."
Busted"The belief that shaving causes hair to regrow darker, coarser, and thicker than before."
Partly True"The old belief that eating something spicy will unblock your nose and clear your sinuses."
Partly True"The old practice of pressing a spider's web against a cut to stop the bleeding and help it heal."
Unprovable Folklore"The childhood superstition and sidewalk game that stepping on a pavement crack will bring your mother harm."
Actually True"The old belief that a period of intense stress can cause your hair to turn grey, sometimes seemingly overnight."
Busted"The common belief that eating sugary food or drinks causes children to become wild, restless, or unable to concentrate."
Busted"The warning that swallowed chewing gum takes seven years to pass through your digestive system."
Busted"The warning to wait roughly an hour after eating before swimming, or risk a cramp severe enough to cause you to drown."
Busted"The belief that a full moon leads to a measurable rise in crime, accidents, hospital visits, or erratic behaviour."
Busted"The claim that the Coriolis effect makes water swirl clockwise down drains in the Southern Hemisphere and counterclockwise in the Northern Hemisphere."
Busted"The warning that handling a toad or frog will cause warts to grow on your skin."
Busted"The belief that eating turkey causes drowsiness because of its tryptophan content, especially associated with big Thanksgiving dinners."
Partly True"The popular belief that taking vitamin C, especially at the first sign of a cold, will stop you from getting sick."
Actually True"The old folk remedy of chewing or brewing willow bark to ease pain and bring down a fever."
Busted"The widely believed rule that police won't accept a missing person report until the person has been gone for a full day."
Busted"The belief that a large share, often cited as 40-45%, of your body's heat escapes through an uncovered head."
Busted"The widely repeated health rule that everyone should drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water daily."
Busted"The claim that the average person unknowingly swallows several live spiders annually while sleeping."