old wives' tale
C1Informal, sometimes derogatory
Definition
Meaning
A widely held but false or superstitious belief, often passed down through generations.
A piece of folklore or traditional wisdom, especially regarding health, luck, or the natural world, that is considered unscientific or unfounded.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Implies the tale is told by or originates from uneducated (often older) women. Modern usage is more gender-neutral, focusing on the tale's lack of credibility rather than the gender of its source.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Spelling and pronunciation of the possessive apostrophe can vary ('old wives' tale' vs. occasional 'old wife's tale'). Concept and usage are identical.
Connotations
Both carry the same connotations of superstition and unscientific belief. Slightly more common in UK English due to richer folkloric tradition, but the difference is minimal.
Frequency
Moderate and comparable frequency in both varieties.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
That's an old wives' tale.It's just an old wives' tale that...According to an old wives' tale,...Don't believe that old wives' tale.Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Rarely used. Might appear metaphorically to dismiss outdated business practices ("That strategy is just an old wives' tale").
Academic
Used in anthropology, sociology, and history to classify a type of folk narrative. In hard sciences, used pejoratively to dismiss pseudoscience.
Everyday
Common when discussing home remedies, pregnancy, weather predictions, or childhood warnings (e.g., don't swim after eating).
Technical
Not used in technical manuals. May appear in public health communications to debunk myths.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- to debunk an old wives' tale
- to dismiss something as an old wives' tale
American English
- to disprove an old wives' tale
- to reject an old wives' tale
Examples
By CEFR Level
- My grandma says carrots help you see in the dark, but I think it's an old wives' tale.
- Don't go outside with wet hair, you'll catch a cold! That's just an old wives' tale.
- The idea that you must wait an hour after eating before swimming is a classic old wives' tale.
- She believed the old wives' tale about spilling salt bringing bad luck.
- Modern medicine has debunked many old wives' tales surrounding pregnancy and childbirth.
- Despite scientific evidence to the contrary, the old wives' tale about cracking your knuckles causing arthritis persists.
- The researcher's paper aimed to trace the historical epidemiology behind a persistent medical old wives' tale.
- Policymakers must distinguish between evidence-based public health advice and culturally ingrained old wives' tales.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine three OLD WIVES sitting together, telling a TALE that's more fiction than fact.
Conceptual Metaphor
TRADITIONAL WISDOM IS UNEDUCATED / KNOWLEDGE IS FEMALE AND ANCIENT (pejorative)
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid literal translation like 'сказка старых жён'. The closest equivalent is 'бабушкины сказки' or 'предрассудок'.
- Do not confuse with 'folk tale' ('народная сказка'), which is neutral. 'Old wives' tale' is specifically skeptical.
Common Mistakes
- Misspelling the plural possessive: 'old wives tale' (missing apostrophe) or 'old wife's tale' (incorrect singular).
- Using it to describe any traditional story without the implication of falsehood.
Practice
Quiz
What is the primary connotation of 'old wives' tale' in modern usage?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It can be, as it historically stereotypes older women as sources of ignorance. Modern usage focuses more on the tale's falsity than its tellers, but some consider it sexist and prefer terms like 'superstition' or 'myth'.
Rarely, and only by coincidence. By definition, it is an uncritical belief not based on evidence. Some folk remedies may have incidental efficacy, but they are not reliable through the mechanism traditionally claimed.
An old wives' tale is typically older, often rural or domestic, and concerns health, luck, or nature. An urban legend is a modern, often sensational story presented as true, involving specific (though fabricated) contemporary events.
The standard and correct form is 'old wives' tale' (plural possessive: the tale of old wives). The apostrophe comes after the 's' in 'wives'. Avoid 'old wife's tale'.