old wives' tale
From Wiktionary, the free dictionary
Etymology
In this context, the word “wives” means “women” and not “married women,” retaining the original sense of Old English wīf, which meant “woman” as well as “wife”. The phrase could be a reformation of Old English ealdra cwēna spell or a calque of Latin anīlis fābula, both literally “old women’s story.”
Pronunciation
Noun
old wives' tale (plural old wives' tales)
- A supposed truth that has been passed down by word of mouth
- A rumour, myth or superstition; something which is almost certainly untrue, despite acceptance by many.
Translations
supposed truth that has been passed down by word of mouth
rumour, myth or superstition
|
See also
Wikiwand in your browser!
Seamless Wikipedia browsing. On steroids.
Every time you click a link to Wikipedia, Wiktionary or Wikiquote in your browser's search results, it will show the modern Wikiwand interface.
Wikiwand extension is a five stars, simple, with minimum permission required to keep your browsing private, safe and transparent.
