Old Wives Tales!!

Neadine

A friend of my parents recently told me it was "DANGEROUS" to go to bed/sleep with wet hair, the only danger I can see is the possibility of waking up with bad hair.
Any other strange things that you have been told?
Also, are theses things exclusively Irish?

Vito Corleone

If you make a cross eyed face and someone gives you a fright you'll stay that way forever.

Jen Pigs Fly

Bad luck to walk under a ladder.

If you made a face and the wind changed it would stay like that!

Breaking mirrors, putting brollys up inside the house, hats on the bed, all those things are meant to bring bad luck, and I've done all of them and...

Oh.:(

Kxiii

xxxJennyxxx wrote: »

If you made a face and the wind changed it would stay like that!

Is that what happened to you? :P

Neadine

Candie wrote: »

Breaking mirrors, putting brollys up inside the house, hats on the bed, all those things are meant to bring bad luck, and I've done all of them and...

Oh.:(

Never heard anything about hats on a bed, I'm pretty sure there is at least one on my bed right now.... it explains so much. :rolleyes:

Spunge

eating before going to bed will make you fat
eating fat will make you fat

nocoverart

Neadine wrote: »

A friend of my parents recently told me it was "DANGEROUS" to go to bed/sleep with wet hair, the only danger I can see is the possibility of waking up with bad hair.
Any other strange things that you have been told?
Also, are theses things exclusively Irish?

Old Wives and wet in the one post, I'm in.

Neadine

Neadine wrote: »

Never heard anything about hats on a bed, I'm pretty sure there is at least one on my bed right now.... it explains so much. :rolleyes:

No point in running to get it off, it's too late now. All downhill from here

I've heard that pregnant women shouldn't raise their arms above their heads, but I've never heard the 'logic' behind it.

The magpie one really bugs me, but most of them are just crazy superstitions with no basis in reality at all.

Apart from the salt over your left shoulder to keep the devil at bay. That one's true. :P

IrishExpat

More of an old wives remedy:

I remember my grandmother would use a Bible to thump the wrist if anyone had a ganglion cyst. Absolute senseless, but that didn't stop her.

http://pages.uoregon.edu/esorens1/hphy362.pbwiki.com/f/ganglion%20cyst.jpg

Neadine

Candie wrote: »

No point in running to get it off, it's too late now. All downhill from here

I've heard that pregnant women shouldn't raise their arms above their heads, but I've never heard the 'logic' behind it.

The magpie one really bugs me, but most of them are just crazy superstitions with no basis in reality at all.

Apart from the salt over your left shoulder to keep the devil at bay. That one's true. :P

Course it is, everyone knows that salt makes the devil.... melt or something!

spankysue

Don't wash your hair when having your period, wtf was that one about? Ah sure, ya might as well stay a greasy mess, ya won't be getting the ride anyway! :pac:

Neadine

IrishExpat wrote: »

More of an old wives remedy:

I remember my grandmother would use a Bible to thump the wrist if anyone had a ganglion cyst. Absolute senseless, but that didn't stop her.

http://pages.uoregon.edu/esorens1/hphy362.pbwiki.com/f/ganglion%20cyst.jpg

And how successful was that for your gran?!

I've heard of people doing all sorts of weird and wonderful things to get rid of warts.

IrishExpat

IrishExpat wrote: »

I remember my grandmother would use a Bible to thump the wrist if anyone had a ganglion cyst. Absolute senseless.

Especially if the ganglion was on your knee.:)

humbert

Eating before you swim will give you cramps.

Neadine

humbert wrote: »

Eating before you swim will give you cramps.

I always thought it would cause you to drown, or something equally terrifying!

Neadine

Neadine wrote: »

I always thought it would cause you to drown, or something equally terrifying!

You drowned because you can't swim when you have cramps.


Obviously.;)

IrishExpat

Candie wrote: »

The magpie one really bugs me, but most of them are just crazy superstitions with no basis in reality at all.

I know full well, logically that the number of magpies means nothing, zilch ...

but if I'm alone and I see a single magpie, I'll still say 'hello Mr. Magpie'.

Someone else please admit to it.

Neadine

Candie wrote: »

You drowned because you can't swim when you have cramps.


Obviously.;)

Hmmmmm, so the eating causes cramps, and the cramps hinder my ability to swim, which results in drowning?
How am I doing?:eek:

Neadine

IrishExpat wrote: »

I know full well, logically that the number of magpies means nothing, zilch ...

but if I'm alone and I see a single magpie, I'll still say 'hello Mr. Magpie'.

Someone else please admit to it.

Sorry, you're on your own.

Jen Pigs Fly

Kxiii wrote: »

Is that what happened to you? :P

Yep I made an incredibly attractive and beautiful face and oh deary me it stuck!

I am now cursed and will be forever ridiculously good looking

:pac:

Neadine

Isn't there also something about birds in the house, as in a wild bird flying in, not your pet budgie!

Smidge

Candie wrote: »

You drowned because you can't swim when you have cramps.


Obviously.;)

What's the hat on the bed thing?

Never heard that one before

humbert

Neadine wrote: »

Hmmmmm, so the eating causes cramps, and the cramps hinder my ability to swim, which results in drowning?
How am I doing?:eek:

While I don't think it's impossible for eating to give you stomach cramps, it's not typical. I don't think there's any relationship between eating + exercise and getting cramps. Not claiming to be an expert though.

Smidge

Smidge wrote: »

What's the hat on the bed thing?

Never heard that one before

Its very dangerous. If you put a hat on the bed it means you'll argue with the person you get into the bed with. And their willy will drop off from the stress, or something.

osarusan

**** makkes youo bluinbd. waht s laod of crapp.

dodderangler

When u sneeze you have to say god bless me to put bring the devil back in
Apparently the sneeze is devil escaping

Sitting too close to telly gives you square eyes

IrishExpat

IrishExpat wrote: »

I know full well, logically that the number of magpies means nothing, zilch ...

but if I'm alone and I see a single magpie, I'll still say 'hello Mr. Magpie'.

Someone else please admit to it.

Do you not know you're meant to salute to it too?

You've been doing it wrong! Has your luck been terrible?:eek:

Smidge

Candie wrote: »

Its very dangerous. If you put a hat on the bed it means you'll argue with the person you get into the bed with. And their willy will drop off from the stress, or something.

Jaysus, don't say that.

There will be women all over Ireland right now running to find a hat of any description to put on the bed:D;)

orestes

spankysue wrote: »

Don't wash your hair when having your period, wtf was that one about?

humbert wrote: »

Eating before you swim will give you cramps.

Neadine wrote: »

I always thought it would cause you to drown, or something equally terrifying!

Candie wrote: »

You drowned because you can't swim when you have cramps.

So don't get women wet while they're on their periods? I thought that was mogwais?

zenno

If you pick up a Dandelion AKA (piss in the beds) you will piss in the bed that night

It just goes to show you the mental state of people back in the day, they were all insane and some still are coming up with idiotic sayings like these.

Neadine

Neadine wrote: »

Isn't there also something about birds in the house, as in a wild bird flying in, not your pet budgie!

Thats bad luck because they'll sh!t on everything as they do a fly-by.

There's no putting a positive spin on that one.

nomdeboardie

If you don't 'air' your laundry well you'll get pneumatic arthritis :eek:

(OK, I made that last phrase up, but you get the idea...)

humbert

Neadine wrote: »

Isn't there also something about birds in the house, as in a wild bird flying in, not your pet budgie!

A swallow flew into my house and was panicking against the window so I picked it up and helped it get out.

Was told later that there's an old Korean story about a poor disinherited brother who mends a swallow's broken leg and next season it brings him back seeds that grow into enormous pumpkins full of treasure.

That was last summer, fingers crossed.

Ihatecuddles-old

New shoes on the table brings death in the family.

I'd come home with shopping bags, plonk them on the table and my mam would shout 'hope there's no shoes in there!!'

Neadine

nomdeboardie wrote: »

If you don't 'air' your laundry well you'll get pneumatic arthritis :eek:

(O, I made that last phrase up, but you get the idea...)

How does one adequately, and sufficiently, air ones laundry to prevent such an ailment and affliction?

Neadine

humbert wrote: »

A swallow flew into my house and was panicking against the window so I picked it up and helped it get out.

Was told later that there's an old Korean story about a poor disinherited brother who mends a swallow's broken leg and next season it brings him back seeds that grow into enormous pumpkins full of treasure.

That was last summer, fingers crossed.

That sounds amazing, will tentatively be waiting for updates. (Updates regarding the arrival of summer this year would also be good!)

dodderangler

orestes wrote: »

So don't get women wet while they're on their periods? I thought that was mogwais?

Pretty sure women don't multiply like a mogwais does when they get wet

Neadine

Ihatecuddles wrote: »

New shoes on the table brings death in the family.

I'd come home with shopping bags, plonk them on the table and my mam would shout 'hope there's no shoes in there!!'

Ok, so new shoes are specifically more detrimental to someone's life span.

I feel like I'm learning so much, it's almost like an entirely Irish Fingsui class!

Weevil

Every sperm is Sacred.....?

Smidge

Find a penny...................:D

Neadine

Weevil wrote: »

Every sperm is Sacred.....?

It is?? Really??

Neadine

Smidge wrote: »

Find a penny...................:D

And... then??

KKkitty

The bad luck for breaking a mirror one started centuries ago when if a slave broke a master's mirror it would take roughly 7 years wages to pay for it.

BillyMitchel

Eating cheese before bed will give you nightmares! I used to ear blocks of it to prove the folks wrong and even then they'd insist it was true.

Ihatecuddles-old

Neadine wrote: »

And... then??

Pick it up, later on you'll get a f*ck!

Smidge

Neadine wrote: »

And... then??

I thought everyone knew this one that's why I didn't finish it

You basic make yourself search the ground for lost coins(preferably pennies/cents)and try not to look like a down and out whilst collecting these coins in the hope of having good luck all day.

Neadine

KKkitty wrote: »

The bad luck for breaking a mirror one started centuries ago when if a slave broke a master's mirror it would take roughly 7 years wages to pay for it.

I knew thee had to be at least a little bit of logic behind some of them.

Neadine

Ihatecuddles wrote: »

Pick it up, later on you'll get a f*ck!

Will now to eternity be scanning for discarded pennies!

KKkitty

Neadine wrote: »

I knew thee had to be at least a little bit of logic behind some of them.

Most old wives tales are more lunacy than logic though. They must have been afraid of nearly everything back then.

Neadine

KKkitty wrote: »

Most old wives tales are more lunacy than logic though. They must have been afraid of nearly everything back then.

I agree, but the fear must initially have stemmed from someplace/something.