old wives' tale
短语荒诞故事, 无稽之谈
发音
CA
/ɔld ˈwaɪvz teɪl/
其它
US
/ɔld ˈwaɪvz teɪl/
词形变化
old wives' tales
复数
old wives' tales
别名
old wise tale
释义与例句
n.
-
1.
A supposed truth that has been passed down by word of mouth
迷信的说法
-
2.
A rumour, myth or superstition; something which is almost certainly untrue, despite acceptance by many.
迷信的说法
词汇关系
上位词 1
词源
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.”
来源：wiktionary