# Is There Any Truth To Urban Legends? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 22, 2000, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-truth-to-urban-legends/34152 "2000-09-22T15:51:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Wildest\_Bill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Wildest\_Bill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wildest_Bill)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2000, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-truth-to-urban-legends/34152/1 "2000-09-22T15:51:03Z")
Since this is the "staight"dope message board I couldn’t think of place better than this to ask about Urban Legends. Well here they are… Did anybody ever get ran down and killed by a gang for the headlight thing? Did anyone ever get killed by a guy with a hook for a hand in otherwords a handy hook? 😃 Did anyone ever get a kidney stolen by a good looking girl they met at a bar? The reason I ask this is because of the old saying that there is always some truth in any rumor. Oh I almost forgot, what about the gerbal thing and Richard Geere ?(I gotta know the “straight dope” on this one.? ---
**Author:** ![Tymp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Tymp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tymp)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2000, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-truth-to-urban-legends/34152/2 "2000-09-22T15:59:03Z")
> **[Snopes.com](https://www.snopes.com)** > > The definitive Internet reference source for urban legends, folklore, myths, rumors, and misinformation. ---
**Author:** ![Keeve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f07891/32.png) [@Keeve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keeve)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2000, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-truth-to-urban-legends/34152/3 "2000-09-22T16:03:13Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Tymp \* > \*\*[http://www.snopes.com](http://www.snopes.com) \*\* ditto ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2000, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-truth-to-urban-legends/34152/4 "2000-09-22T16:11:20Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Keeve \* > \*\* > > > [@](#): > > > > \*Originally posted by Tymp \* > > \*\*[http://www.snopes.com](http://www.snopes.com) \*\* > > ditto \*\* I agree ---
**Author:** ![Wildest\_Bill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Wildest\_Bill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wildest_Bill)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2000, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-truth-to-urban-legends/34152/5 "2000-09-22T16:12:19Z")
Thanks that is a neat site. And it definetely covers everything. ---
**Author:** ![Tymp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Tymp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tymp)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2000, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-truth-to-urban-legends/34152/6 "2000-09-22T16:15:52Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by lissener \* > \*\* > > > [@](#): > > > > \*Originally posted by Keeve \* > > \*\* > > > > > [@](#): > > > > > > \*Originally posted by Tymp \* > > > \*\*[http://www.snopes.com](http://www.snopes.com) \*\* > > > > ditto \*\* > > I agree \*\* Well, there’s no danger of _this_ thread getting tossed over to GD. ---
**Author:** ![Phobos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Phobos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phobos)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2000, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-truth-to-urban-legends/34152/7 "2000-09-22T16:59:06Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Tymp \* > \*\* > Well, there’s no danger of _this_ thread getting tossed over to GD. > \*\* I agree. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![whitetho](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whitetho/32/1059_2.png) [@whitetho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whitetho)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2000, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-truth-to-urban-legends/34152/8 "2000-09-22T16:59:10Z")
For completeness sake, I’d also like to point out that Unca Cece has also covered a couple of these topics, to wit: [Have guys awakened after a party to find their kidneys stolen?"](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a5_255.html) from _Triumph of the Straight Dope_ and [Is it true what they say about gerbils?](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2_216b.html) from _More of the Straight Dope_. ---
**Author:** ![Edward\_The\_Head](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ce73a5/32.png) [@Edward\_The\_Head](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Edward_The_Head)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2000, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-truth-to-urban-legends/34152/9 "2000-09-22T18:31:38Z")
about the gerbil thing, I got sent a picture of a woman and a mouse. actally it was 4 pictures of a woman and a mouse with the mouse slowly dissapering. but then we all know that pics can be doctored up. as for the stolen kidney’s maybe it started out as some sort of fingernail transplant ring and got embellished from there. ---
**Author:** ![RM\_Mentock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e274bd/32.png) [@RM\_Mentock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RM_Mentock)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2000, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-truth-to-urban-legends/34152/10 "2000-09-22T18:48:12Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Tymp \* > **Well, there’s no danger of _this_ thread getting tossed over to GD.** Gotta add [http://www.urbanlegends.com/](http://www.urbanlegends.com/) though, and then there’s this [neat little site](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/index.html). ---
**Author:** ![iampunha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/74df32/32.png) [@iampunha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iampunha)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2000, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-truth-to-urban-legends/34152/11 "2000-09-22T19:32:20Z")
If they are Urban Legends, odds are they are false. ---
**Author:** ![SuaSponte](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/67e7ee/32.png) [@SuaSponte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SuaSponte)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2000, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-truth-to-urban-legends/34152/12 "2000-09-22T19:48:35Z")
However, the _Newlywed Game_ UL is TRUE!!! ::GD&R:: ---
**Author:** ![Cartooniverse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cartooniverse/32/3084_2.png) [@Cartooniverse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartooniverse)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2000, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-truth-to-urban-legends/34152/13 "2000-09-22T20:11:50Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by iampunha \* > \*\*If they are Urban Legends, odds are they are false. \*\* Well, most are. I was delighted to learn that the author of “Peter Pan” DID INDEED create the girl’s name, “Wendy”. Cartooniverse ---
**Author:** ![iampunha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/74df32/32.png) [@iampunha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iampunha)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2000, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-truth-to-urban-legends/34152/14 "2000-09-22T21:59:36Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by SuaSponte \* > \*\*However, the _Newlywed Game_ UL is TRUE!!! > \*\* _sound of statement flying over my head_ Huh? Cartooniverse . . . as I don’t think many of my friends would believe me of I said “My friend Cartooniverse said so” care to give us all a site for that assertation? ---
**Author:** ![wring](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/838e76/32.png) [@wring](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wring)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2000, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-truth-to-urban-legends/34152/15 "2000-09-22T22:07:26Z")
“point of order” iampuna - that was Sua Sponte who made that assertion, then followed it with a duck and cover. Cartooniverse asserted that the name “Wendy” came from the story Peter Pan. I’d always understood it to be a diminuative of the name “Gwendolyn” or “Wendolyn”. So, wouldn’t mind a cite on that, either. ---
**Author:** ![Avumede](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/avumede/32/7235_2.png) [@Avumede](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Avumede)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2000, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-truth-to-urban-legends/34152/16 "2000-09-22T23:10:42Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by SuaSponte \* > However, the _Newlywed Game_ UL is TRUE!!! > > ::GD&R:: Yep, it appears so, even though the alt.folklore.urban FAQ has for years maintained that it is false. In fact, it **still** says it’s false. Someone really needs to update that thing… ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2000, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-truth-to-urban-legends/34152/17 "2000-09-23T00:52:57Z")
[Snopes, on the Newlywed Game comment](http://www.snopes.com/radiotv/tv/newlywed.htm) To sum up, the parts of the story which make it interesting are true, but the details differ from most of the common UL versions.