Urban legend

:Urban Legend is also the name of a 1998 movie.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Urban legends are a kind of folklore consisting of stories often thought to be factual by those circulating them (see rumor). Urban legends are sometimes repeated in news stories and, in recent years, distributed by e-mail. People frequently say such tales happened to a "friend of a friend"—so often, in fact, that FOAF has become a commonly used acronym to describe this sort of story. In the UK, urban legends are sometimes referred to as WTSs (Whale Tumour Stories), from a famous World War II story about whale meat.

Related Topics:
Folklore - Rumor - E-mail - FOAF - Acronym - World War II

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Urban legends are not necessarily untrue, but they are often false, distorted, exaggerated, or sensationalized. Despite the name, urban legends do not necessarily take place in an urban setting. The name is designed to differentiate them from traditional folklore created in preindustrial times.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Some urban legends have survived a very long time, evolving only slightly over the years, as in the case of the story of a woman killed by spiders nesting in her elaborate hairdo. Others are new and reflect modern circumstances, like the story of people being sedated and waking up minus a kidney surgically removed for transplant.

Related Topics:
Surgically removed - Transplant

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Urban legends often are born of fears and insecurities, or specifically designed to prey on such concerns.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~