| Subject | Date Asked |
|
| In the water | 10/2/2009 |
Q: Would you please tell me what the origin is of the saying "there must be something in the water"? ...
A: Spyder, Sorry, that's outside my expertise. (The original question was, but I figured I'd help ...
|
| "Something In the Water" | 9/29/2009 |
Q: Would you please tell me what the origin is of the saying "there must be something in the water"?
A: Not really an urban legend, rather just a folk saying. When a group of people that live or work ...
|
| bloody mary | 6/24/2009 |
Q: is it true that mary and candyman stick together
A: I'm not sure what you're referring to, but yes, the legend of Bloody Mary is similar to, and was ...
|
| 2012 | 6/9/2009 |
Q: What r u saying? I am not going to forward any of this to anyone or watever u call it...i have no ...
A: I'm not sure what the message sent to you said, it's the auto response I can choose from AllExperts ...
|
| Marthy Kone? | 2/2/2009 |
Q: Hey there, Cassandra! I recently recieved this email into my personal school email address about ...
A: Ray, You were quite right not to reply. This letter/email is a very old type of scam, commonly ...
|
| Doctors vs Guns | 1/30/2009 |
Q: Rec'd an email with interesting statistics about accidental death by gun vs medical error. Decided ...
A: I haven't researched it fully, but I did reply to a questioner on this subject a few years ago. ...
|
| Baby Orajel | 1/6/2009 |
Q: There is a rumor going around about baby orajel numbing the throat and causing babies to choke or ...
A: Sheila, I hadn't seen this one before, so I did a bit of looking. The site http://www.snopes.com ...
|
| lucky coins | 12/29/2008 |
Q: To sell our home in 2004, I buried a lucky coin in the ground. It seemed to work. We are now selling ...
A: I have to confess, I have no idea. Given the sites I found below, I wouldn't be a bit surprised ...
|
| I tried it... | 10/9/2008 |
Q: I am responding to your comments about "legal" chain letters. I received many of the forementioned ...
A: I have no idea what you're referring to, as none of my responses would EVER indicate that chain ...
|
| Chain mail: VERY IMPORTANT: The danger of Microwaved water | 8/5/2008 |
Q: Can you pl. tell me if this is true.. -regards ----------------------------- THIS INFORMATION NEEDS ...
A: Yes, it's true that this can happen, but it's a fairly rare occurrence. For more info you can ...
|
| plastic water bottle | 3/1/2008 |
Q: is it safe to drink out of a plastic bottol left in a car
A: That's a rather vague question. It depends quite a lot, I expect, whether the bottle is still ...
|
| are you 2% or 98%? "red hammer" email | 2/23/2008 |
Q: Couldn't find a good category to really find an appropriate expert for this. so let's see if you can ...
A: Lorraine, I can see why you'd have a hard time finding a category :-) I hadn't seen this one ...
|
| chain letter | 2/18/2008 |
Q: Rcvd a chain letter that gaurentees that is perfectly legal that when I respond with a dollar in ...
A: Whether it's legal depends on the laws of the country you live in, but I'm going to guess that you ...
|
| Criss Angel | 12/31/2007 |
Q: I was wondering if you know anything about this magician "Criss Angel" He seems to read minds, ...
A: Not really my area, but I did a bit of research. 1) Apparently he himself has stated on Penn and ...
|
| New Years Day Superstition | 12/29/2007 |
Q: I was wondering if it is "good" luck or "Bad" luck to take the Christmas tree down before or after ...
A: Well, this is slightly outside my area, but I'll take a stab anyway. First, let me say that whether ...
|
| folk lore | 12/20/2007 |
Q: Besides owning everything, What is meant by the term -lock,stock and barrel?
A: Not really my area of expertise, but I'll point you to the answer anyway. It's one of the phrases ...
|
| Pope | 8/20/2007 |
Q: Is it true that there is a family in Italy who have been preserving the hearts of Popes for like a ...
A: This is outside my expertise, you will probably do better asking an expert in Catholicism. A quick ...
|
| How do I get rid of those MORONS?! | 8/14/2007 |
Q: I keep receiving these mails from people from Africa or Asia, saying that they want my bank account ...
A: First, congrats on seeing them for what they are, morons. The reason they keep sending them is that ...
|
| Common Sense Plus | 8/6/2007 |
Q: I received a two-page letter from Dr. John Polanski saying that mailing programs and gifting plans ...
A: First, let me say this is outside my expertise, but I'll try to answer anyway. In addition, I can't ...
|
| doctor vs gun deaths | 7/13/2007 |
Q: What is the ratio? Are doctors responsible for 900 times more accidental deaths than guns?
A: The first thing to spring into my mind was the quote by Benjamin Disraeli, 'There are three kinds of ...
|
| Microwave Ovens | 4/12/2007 |
Q: I am hoping that you can help me out. I have read so much information about the dangers of microwave ...
A: A difficult, but well asked question. First, let me begin by saying that this is really outside my ...
|
| Worms in Wendy's Hamburgers?? | 4/2/2007 |
Q: I heard from my father-in-law that the Wendy's restaurant puts worms in their hamburgers. Is that ...
A: No, it's not. This legend is historically told about McDonalds, but like most Urban Legends, the ...
|
| bloody mary | 3/3/2007 |
Q: good day!i would just like to ask you about bloody mary!if how that story started?or anything else ...
A: Here is a good page with some of the history of the legend: ...
|
| anarchist cookbook william powell | 1/4/2007 |
Q: in reading on wikipedia some say that it could have been edited by the government so certain things ...
A: (Corrected Minor Error. Sorry!) This is outside my area of expertise, but I'll try to point you in ...
|
| email about 9-11 | 12/27/2006 |
Q: i got this email is there any truth to this? here is a copy of it pasted on here: 1) New York City ...
A: This page has answers to each of the claims in that chain e-mail. For the most part, the claims are ...
|
| exorcism | 12/22/2006 |
Q: the story of the exorcist is it true i heard it was but it was a boy it happened to can you tell me ...
A: Well, this would be better asked of a film expert, but I did some quick internet research and here's ...
|
| Have you see Matrix the movie? | 12/18/2006 |
Q: "Hi!I have some questions I wanted to ask to you. 1.Do you believe in Matrix?Is it just a fiction or ...
A: This is really outside my area of expertise, but since you're only asking for my opinion, I'm happy ...
|
| Lights Out Hoax | 6/8/2006 |
Q: Is this real, before I pass it on? Thank you DON'T FLASH HEADLIGHTS AT CAR WITH LIGHTS NOT ON!! ...
A: Nope. This story/warning has been around in various forms since the 1980s. A lady even got ...
|
| Loch Ness Monster | 12/11/2005 |
Q: I am currently writing a paper on the Loch Ness Monster and would like to ask an expert on Urban ...
A: While I'm flattered by the request, I'm not in any way an expert in the Loch Ness monster. The ...
|
| Rambo | 12/1/2005 |
Q: A rumor is going around that Sylvester Stallone fled to Canada during the Vietnam War in order to ...
A: Sorry about the delay. I typed up a response, and *thought* I'd sent it, but I must not have ...
|
| candy man | 10/23/2005 |
Q: Is the Candy Man movie based on a true story.
A: Wow. So many levels to answer. The basic answer is no. There was no series of murders by a man ...
|
| single resident mayor | 10/6/2005 |
Q: I heard once of a city that had exactly one resident left living. I believe it was in texas, but ...
A: Here's *a* city with exactly one resident. I'd not heard of any such legends but a websearch turned ...
|
| KFC | 3/12/2005 |
Q: I was wondering if you could clear up the myth of the name change from Kentucy Fried Chicken to KFC. ...
A: Actually, it was solved. The answer is very boring. In an increasingly health conscious society, ...
|
| DRACUL | 3/5/2005 |
Q: THIS IS A QUESTION THAT I CAN NOT EVER GET A ANSWER TO. I WANT TO KNOW, IF THERE WERE ANYTHING OF ...
A: Well, That depends on which "real" Dracul you're going to use. In order to answer the question, ...
|
| Gerber Baby | 2/25/2005 |
Q: Did Jane Seymour ever appear on the Gerber Baby Food label?
A: I believe the answer to the question your asking is no. But let me be more specific. 1) Jane ...
|
| urban legends | 11/30/2004 |
Q: Do you know anything at all about a person called "Hugging Molly"? Please send me any references you ...
A: Did an internet search and turned up a few references. But, of course, as with any Urban Legend ...
|
| Sources | 10/29/2004 |
Q: Can you tell me where I can go to learn more about Urban Legends? I want to learn a lot but I'm not ...
A: You came to the right place! My favourite resource is http://www.snopes.com You can spend HOURS ...
|
| Starbuck Coffee | 10/19/2004 |
Q: I just received this email and do not believe it to be true. If you confirm it one way or the other ...
A: You're right to be skeptical. It isn't true. It is true that Howard Wright wrote the piece above, ...
|
| Research | 9/7/2004 |
Q: Respected Sir I am going to write a science fiction / fantasy story about a man who can ...
A: Unfortunately, this is outside my realm of expertise. As there is no known instance of a creature ...
|
| sites | 7/14/2004 |
Q: What are some good sites to find urban legends on?
A: First, let me apologize for taking so long to answer. I've been very busy and stressed in real life ...
|
| chain letter | 6/10/2004 |
Q: Cassandra, I received a 3 page letter, stating that it's not a chain letter and is perfectly legal. ...
A: Short answers: 1) Yep, it's a scam. 2) No, it isn't legal. Long answer: Pyramid schemes like this ...
|
| psychology tale | 5/8/2004 |
Q: Hey Cassandra, Psychology students often describe a class that was able to amusingly influence ...
A: Yep, I know that one. ;-) Supposedly, the students paid more attention during class whenever the ...
|
| Urban legends about coins | 2/17/2004 |
Q: writing a story about legends associated with money and coins. Would you be interested in helping me ...
A: Unfortunately, I'm not really a good source for that type of info. One of the best websites for ...
|
| email validity | 3/16/2003 |
Q: I got this email, is it legit, should I pass it on? If you are concerned about a possible terrorist ...
A: It is "legit" in that it was written by someone who should know most of the information in the ...
|
| Man-eating flies | 3/13/2003 |
Q: Received this email, urban legend? TUXTLA GUTIERREZ, Mexico, Feb 21 (Reuters) - Tucked away in ...
A: It certainly does not seem to be an urban legend. 1) cochliomyia hominivorax is a real insect. ...
|
| Dell Dude | 2/11/2003 |
Q: I've heard a rumor that the Dell dude (the spokesman for Dell computers) has been arrested on ...
A: Yep, unfortunately it's true. Here are some links to web-coverage by trustworthy news sites: MSNBC ...
|
| new 'Budweiser frogs' virus | 1/23/2003 |
Q: I just got word this morning there is a new virus which appears to be a screensaver of the ...
A: Nope, this is a hoax, which dates back about 4 years. It started in 1999, and as you show, it's ...
|
| al-azif??? | 10/19/2002 |
Q: Do you know anything about the original "katib al azif" ala the supposed book of the dead (names of ...
A: Pawar, First let me warn you that this is outside my expertise, but I'm going to try my best ...
|
| urban legends | 7/28/2002 |
Q: where can i find an large encyclopedia or database of lots of urban legends?
A: There are many online resources: http://urbanlegends.about.com/ http://www.urbanlegends.com/ But ...
|
| fakes sites? | 6/8/2002 |
Q: i found this at ubranlegends.com, tell me what you think Dear Friend: Many of you have probably ...
A: I think this is one of the most entertaining "letters" I've seen in a long time. Thank you for ...
|
| internet photo | 12/31/2001 |
Q: Someone sent me a photo today of a sand castle in the shape of the World Trade Center with a plane ...
A: You aren't far from where I used to live. I lived in Lafayette for 5 years before moving to Germany ...
|
| Alexander Fleming and Winston churchill | 8/13/2001 |
Q: I've seen this story twice but can't verify or disprove it. Can you comment? His name was Fleming, ...
A: For more info on this legend, visit: http://www.snopes.com/glurge/fleming.htm Thanks for writing! ...
|
| Paul Harvey quiz | 8/10/2001 |
Q: Paul Harvey When asked this riddle, 80% of kindergarten kids got the answer, compared to 17% of ...
A: You didnŽt really tell me what you wanted to know, so IŽll answer both possible questions 1) I ...
|
| Timothy McVeigh | 6/7/2001 |
Q: There is an e-mail I received encouraging me to forward. It is from a "Donna Prather" who supposely ...
A: Rob, I hunted down a copy of the letter on the web, and have no reason to believe that Donna ...
|
| Gel Candles Cause Fires? | 6/6/2001 |
Q: I received the following email and was wondering if the contents were true before I forwarded it on ...
A: Nichelle, Sigh. One has to wonder why ANYONE would leave a candle (of any type) burning ...
|
| chainletter that has gone too far | 6/6/2001 |
Q: Below is the chainletter that I received today. What upsets me the most is the indication of "horrid ...
A: Noami, You are right that if someone makes a specific threat against you, you can go to the police. ...
|
| Bonsai Kitty | 6/6/2001 |
Q: I am receiving petitions from South Africa and South America opposing this website: ...
A: Jennifer, This is sort of a hoax, but more a humor site than anything. You are correct in saying ...
|
| Tax Refunds | 6/6/2001 |
Q: I have had 3 people send this to me already today. I know that the refund itself is not a hoax, but ...
A: Bronwyn, Well, so far I have verified the following: 1) Yes, the refunds will be scheduled based ...
|
| Recall of Phenylpropanolamine | 6/6/2001 |
Q: I was sent this email and asked to forward it to everyone I know. It sounds serious. Can't find ...
A: KC, Yes, the FDA has put out a recommendation that everyone stop using PPA (I can't spell it). ...
|
| Petition to save Christianity on TV | 6/5/2001 |
Q: I received this recently, and it is not on URBAN LEGENDS. By any chance, is it real? Paul ...
A: Paul, Nice to know that they have at least updated this false information to include the (true) ...
|
| Flesh Eating Bacteria | 6/5/2001 |
Q: Is this for real? By Don Shoopman A Lafayette outdoorsman never had a chance, really, to save the ...
A: Matt, Well, impression number one was that this was a well written article, and I have no reason to ...
|
| deaths caused by physicians | 6/4/2001 |
Q: I received the following and it has all the earmarks of being trumped up, but I can't find it ...
A: Lizbeth, Ummm, ok, how about if we look at the statistics for accidental choking deaths. Are we ...
|
| NAVDX.EXE | 6/2/2001 |
Q: Do you know what the NAVDX.EXE is? On boot this is the error message that comes on the screen. The ...
A: Linda, Well I found out what the file is. Navdx.exe is a Symantec Norton Anti-Virus program. Ummm ...
|
| Jamie Bulger e-mail | 6/2/2001 |
Q: What is the deal with the Jamie Bulger e-mail? It says to post your name and then forward it to ...
A: Kelly, The situation is real, but my firm position is that e-mail petitions aren't worth the paper ...
|
| Crowd Control Ray | 5/31/2001 |
Q: One morning as I was awakening to my clock radio, I caught the tail of a news story about a new ...
A: Robert, Seems it's legit, but as far as "the potential to be used against American citizens"... It ...
|
| Just received this email -- is it true or legend? | 5/30/2001 |
Q: I just received this rather heart-warming story entitled "57 Cents", and can't find it listed on ...
A: Peg, Well, yes and no. Some details are correct, but it has been "souped up". I agree with ...
|
| Virus hoax or not? | 5/29/2001 |
Q: Cassandra, do you know anything about an e-mail titled "SULFNBK.EXE" that is suppose to be a virus ...
A: Wow, I just got deluged with requests for information on this, so please accept my apology that ...
|
| email petitions | 5/29/2001 |
Q: I keep getting the same petition about urging the U.S. president to reconsider his decision to ...
A: Marianna, You've pretty much nailed it. The situation is true, as far as I have read, but the ...
|
| The attached question reeks of being a hoax. . . | 5/29/2001 |
Q: > It has come to our attention that many of you may have a VIRUS on your > computer that has not ...
A: Wow, I just got deluged with requests for information on this, so please accept my apology that ...
|
| Reknown Geneticist, Gary VonJesdanum | 5/25/2001 |
Q: I recieved an e-mail about Reknown Geneticist, Gary VonJesdanum. Says he was doing testing on plants ...
A: Sherri, Hmmmm. New story, still a hoax. Actually, the mystery of this picture has been solved. ...
|
| Poem by terminally ill child | 5/24/2001 |
Q: (extraneous headers from forwards removed) Is this for real? ----- Original Message ----- From: ...
A: Michael, The ACS raises money for cancer research etc, and if you wanted to get technical I guess ...
|
| Possible Hoax | 5/23/2001 |
Q: Just recieved this as an email. Usually can find reference to them somewhere, but cant find this ...
A: Pat, Ooooh, oooh, I know the answer to this one (waving hand wildly) Sorry, nice to get an easy ...
|
| new computer virus | 5/23/2001 |
Q: I just got this e-mail from a friend. Is there anything to it? (see below) ======== John ...
A: Stuart, Boy, this is a fun one to answer. Caught by their own lies. In FACT, McAfee, one of the ...
|
| Is this article true ? | 5/22/2001 |
Q: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Weekend News Today ...
A: Carl, Yes, ABCnews did have an article similar to the one described. You can find it at: ...
|
| bonsaikitten | 5/21/2001 |
Q: I have received this email on english and spanish... It is about the bonsai kitten maker... I have ...
A: Milagros, The website that was intended to be humorous. There are no cats actually being bonzaied ...
|
| tracking email | 5/20/2001 |
Q: I rec'd a letter or poem that was supposedly written by a young girl who is dying of cancer. It was ...
A: Ginger, I have seen this one so many times it makes my blood boil. You see, this hoax, rather than ...
|
| WHAT TO DO IF YOUR PURSE/WALLET IS LOST/STOLEN | 5/18/2001 |
Q: I've received the following twice -- any validity to it? >WHAT TO DO IF YOUR PURSE/WALLET IS ...
A: Mercedes, 1) The three mentioned are the three big credit reporting agencies 2) All of the phone ...
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| RE: American Cancer Society | 5/18/2001 |
Q: I received the following email from a friend. Would you check out the claim at the end of the poem ...
A: Sherry, Don't need to check it out. I have seen this one so many times it makes my blood boil. ...
|
