Meanings
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.
According to the old wives' tales that are related about this race of genii who inhabit Iceland and its vicinity, they have a political form of government modelled after the same pattern as that which the inhabitants themselves are under.
1828, Thomas Keightley, The Fairy Mythology, volume I, London: William Harrison Ainsworth, page 253Synonyms: anility
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA rumour, myth, or superstition; something which is almost certainly untrue, despite acceptance by many.
Origin
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.”
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Basque atsokeria, atso-ipuin
- atsokeriarumour, myth or superstition
- atso-ipuinrumour, myth or superstition
Chinese Mandarin 迷信的說法 /迷信的说法, 迷信的說法 /迷信的说法
- 迷信的說法 /迷信的说法 (míxìn de shuōfǎ)supposed truth that has been passed down by word of mouth
- 迷信的說法 /迷信的说法 (míxìn de shuōfǎ)rumour, myth or superstition
Danish ammestuehistorie
- ammestuehistorierumour, myth or superstition
Dutch bakerpraatje
- bakerpraatjerumour, myth or superstition
Finnish huhupuhe, akkojen puhe
- huhupuhesupposed truth that has been passed down by word of mouth
- akkojen puhesupposed truth that has been passed down by word of mouth
- harhaluulorumour, myth or superstition
- akkojen puherumour, myth or superstition
French conte de bonne femme, mythe
- conte de bonne femmesupposed truth that has been passed down by word of mouth
- mytherumour, myth or superstition
- conte de bonne femmerumour, myth or superstition
German Ammenmärchen
- Ammenmärchenrumour, myth or superstition
Hebrew סִפּוּרֵי סָבְתָא
- סִפּוּרֵי סָבְתָא (sippuréy savtá)rumour, myth or superstition
Latin anīlis fābula, ava
- anīlis fābulasupposed truth that has been passed down by word of mouth
- avasupposed truth that has been passed down by word of mouth
Norwegian kjerringsnakk
- kjerringsnakkrumour, myth or superstition
Russian бабьи сказки
- бабьи сказки (babʹi skazki)rumour, myth or superstition
Swedish amsaga
- amsagarumour, myth or superstition
Turkish kocakarı hikâyesi, kocakarı masalı
- kocakarı hikâyesisupposed truth that has been passed down by word of mouth
- kocakarı masalısupposed truth that has been passed down by word of mouth
Yiddish באָבע־מעשׂה
- באָבע־מעשׂה (bobe-mayse)rumour, myth or superstition
Cite this entry
old wives' tale. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/old%20wives'%20tale
“old wives' tale.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/old%20wives'%20tale. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “old wives' tale,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/old%20wives'%20tale.
Source: old wives' tale on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.