| a traditional belief, story, or idea that is often of a superstitious nature. |
| old wives' tale n. A superstitious belief or story belonging to traditional folklore. |
old wives' tale
A superstition, as in Toads cause warts? That's an old wives' tale. This expression was already known in ancient Greece, and a version in English was recorded in 1387. Despite invoking bigoted stereotypes of women and old people, it survives.