General Chat

Just thought of another strange one, my Granny used to tell me not to pick dandelions 'cos the juice makes you wet the bed. Anyone else heard of that one?

This is becoming interesting.We still need a scientific connection between crusts and curls though!

Good old Google!
The myth probably emerged about 300 years ago in Europe when food was limited and starvation was a real possibility. People can and do lose their hair when they are very sick and/or starving. Healthy people were more likely to have enough to eat, and bread was the dietary staple before potatoes became widely available. At the time it was also believed that curly hair was a sign of health. People developed the belief that bread crusts promoted health and so promoted curly hair. In addition, it was a common practice well into the 19th century for poor people to sell their hair to wig makers. The expression, "to sell one's hair for a crust", may have contributed to the myth that eating the crust had an affect on hair growth

Thanks Julia, see i wasn't just being daft yesterday when i asked the question was I ??

The story about carrots making you see in the dark is a bit of a myth. It was, as someone explained a bit earlier, to do with some chap testing radar equipment in planes. By telling everyone that he could see in the dark because he ate lots of carrots made all the children want to be able to see in the dark so they ate their carrots. Because it was war time carrots were available so it also made sure they were eaten.

The fish one is interesting 'cos yes the oils make you brainy - but there is an old Greek myth about the salmon that lived in a pool outside the cave of one of those fortune-telling/seer women ... The salmon lived off the nuts that fell off the almond tree growing next to the pool. Apparently it was the nuts that made you brainy but eating the salmon that had eaten the nuts would do the same ... weird how things turn out to have some truth in them!

Oh and I used to say to my son - at certain moments - "Don't pick your nose or your head will cave in!" LOL

Jill

Julia, I suppose that's where the the saying "Upper crusts" comes from?

Teresa - definately not daft!
Taff - you're probably right!
Thank-you Jill, lovely stories.

I have another one, what about - if you swallow chewing gum it'll get tangled around your insides - who was told that one?

I was told the chewing gum one! Didn't stop me chewing it though - and I don't know how much of it I swallowed over the years!

Jill

So,is Father Christmas really up the chimney checking up to see if I am being good?