Old wives' tales really are old. Way before people invented paper and pen to write down their thoughts and teach others, they told old wives' tales and passed them along from person to person as stories.

The term “old wives' tales" was well-known hundreds of years ago. In the King James Bible, published in 1611, the term was used in the translated letter of apostle Paul to his follower Timothy: “Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives' tales; rather, train yourself to be godly" (1 Timothy 4:7).

The name “old wives' tale" probably comes from the fact that older women would often pass down their advice to the younger generation in the form of sayings that were easy to remember.

The “wives" don't refer only to married women, though. The term came from the Old English word wif, which means “woman."

Old wives' tales are a type of superstition. Often taking the form of short, clever sayings meant to pass along wise advice, most old wives' tales contain exaggerated or simply false claims.

You'll find a few old wives' tales with a bit of truth to them, but these tales are exceptions to the general rule and most likely are simple coincidences.

Let's take a look at some common old wives' tales to see whether they're true or false.

Feed a cold, starve a fever.

Ever heard this one? The advice being passed along is to eat normally if you have a cold, but don't eat if you have a fever.

Doctors will tell you, though, that it's important to eat and drink whether you have a cold or a fever so that your body will receive the fluids and nutrition it needs.

After you finish eating, you have to wait an hour before swimming.

This old wives' tale has been hated by generations of children for hundreds of years. Intended to keep children safe from cramps, there's actually little, if any, merit to this advice.

The American Red Cross notes that it's usually not necessary for anyone to wait an hour after eating before swimming, although you may want to wait at least a few minutes to make sure digestion has begun before plunging back into the pool.

Watching too much television is bad for your eyes.

It's easy to see why parents might want to pass along this relatively new old wives' tale to keep their children from spending too much time watching television. However, watching television — no matter how close to the television you sit — won't hurt your eyes.

Watching too much television might hurt your health, though, if it prevents you from getting enough daily exercise!

On a similar note, however, tests have shown that blue violet light --the kind that lights up smartphone displays-- can cause damage to eyes.

Eating carrots improves your eyesight.

While it's true that you won't see any rabbits wearing glasses, eating carrots won't improve your vision. Carrots and other vegetables that contain vitamin A do help maintain healthy eyesight, but eating tons of veggies won't help you get rid of glasses if you need them.

Fish is brain food.

Does eating fish make you smarter? This old wives' tale actually has more than a grain of truth to it! Fish contains omega-3 fatty acids that are very important for brain function.

If most old wives' tales are false, why have they stuck around for so long? Some people believe it's because they are harmless but can still serve a valuable purpose by discouraging unwanted behavior, especially in children.

Others think they survive because they offer comforting advice about common experiences that we worry about, yet have little control over.

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