# Urban Legends
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/urban-legends/25392
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [July 13, 2000, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/urban-legends/25392 "2000-07-13T03:29:47Z")
**Posts on this page:** 13
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@zebbmx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zebbmx)
#### Post date: [July 13, 2000, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/urban-legends/25392/1 "2000-07-13T03:29:47Z")
Just wonder where the Urban in “urban legends” came from it might be obvious to you all…but i dont get it
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### Author:  [@Tark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tark)
#### Post date: [July 13, 2000, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/urban-legends/25392/2 "2000-07-13T03:39:37Z")
Most of the stories circulated occur in or near a city. Secondly, they aren’t true. Thirdly, a lot of people believe they are. Thus, the title Urband Legends.
That’s the way I see it.
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### Author:  [@Hedgemeister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hedgemeister)
#### Post date: [July 13, 2000, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/urban-legends/25392/3 "2000-07-13T03:45:28Z")
My guess is that these legends describe events taking place in our modern world, in which the bulk of the population is located in urban areas. This is to distinguish them from older legends, which describe magical beings who live in forests or under the sea.
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### Author:  [@MinkMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MinkMan)
#### Post date: [July 13, 2000, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/urban-legends/25392/4 "2000-07-13T04:07:59Z")
From [http://www.urbanlegends.com/afu.faq/intro.html](http://www.urbanlegends.com/afu.faq/intro.html)
> [@](#):
>
> Urban folklore is not restricted to events that supposedly happened
> in urban areas. As Jan Brunvand notes in The Baby Train, “… these
> stories reflect urban life and attitudes, even if they’re not told told
> exclusively about things that supposedly happened in big cities.”
>
> As far as etymology is concerned, Jan Brunvand credits the noted
> folklorist Richard Dorson with coining the term “urban legend” (after
> initially referring to them as “urban belief tales”). The first use of the
> term (by Dorson) that Brunvand has found was in a book of essays
> edited by Tristram Potter Coffin entitled Our Living Tradition
Lots of other good info at that site.
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### Author:  [@Homer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Homer)
#### Post date: [July 13, 2000, 9:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/urban-legends/25392/5 "2000-07-13T09:17:55Z")
No, no. The entymology is clear.
Dead monkeys on a stick—\>Urban Legends.
I think it speaks for itself.
Good night.
–Tim
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### Author:  [@SPOOFE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SPOOFE)
#### Post date: [July 13, 2000, 9:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/urban-legends/25392/6 "2000-07-13T09:51:25Z")
Another possibility (I know that it couldn’t POSSIBLY compare to Homer’s well-thought-out response, but here goes)…
In urban areas, you have lots of people living close together. Once a wacky story gets started, it spreads through the urban area like wildfire.
Huh? Huh?? How do you like THEM apples? (Note: I just came up with that out of nowhere… seems plausible, I guess).
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### Author:  [@JBurton99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JBurton99)
#### Post date: [July 13, 2000, 11:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/urban-legends/25392/7 "2000-07-13T11:28:28Z")
Ok, here’s my WAG!
Starts out in the Urban area. Billy Jo Jim Bob cuts his finger with a hack-saw. His neighbor re-tells the story as BJJB was using a chain-saw. His brother’s sister’s cousin, now re-tells the story as BJJB was using a chain-saw while squiking a rat. And so-on and so-on and now POOF, Urban Legend Billy Jo Jim Bob was using a wood chipper while felching a goat and squicking a mouse.
:: hands head in shame, i can’t believe it just posted this :: 😃
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### Author:  [@zebbmx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zebbmx)
#### Post date: [July 13, 2000, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/urban-legends/25392/8 "2000-07-13T16:10:25Z")
sounds good enough but why was billy jo using a hack saw in the first place?
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### Author:  [@rundogrun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rundogrun)
#### Post date: [July 13, 2000, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/urban-legends/25392/9 "2000-07-13T16:42:28Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by zebbmx \*
> \*\*sounds good enough but why was billy jo using a hack saw in the first place? \*\*
Oh wait…I know! Cuttin’ up squirrel for dinner?
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### Author:  [@Lance\_Turbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lance_Turbo)
#### Post date: [July 13, 2000, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/urban-legends/25392/10 "2000-07-13T18:51:54Z")
I am often annoyed by the term “Urban Legend”. I don’t live in an urban area and we have tons of them about this area. I prefer the term “Modern Myth”. I’ve been trying to get that tocatch on for a few years. No success.
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### Author:  [@JBurton99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JBurton99)
#### Post date: [July 14, 2000, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/urban-legends/25392/11 "2000-07-14T00:15:21Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by rundogrun \*
> \*\*
>
> > [@](#):
> >
> > \*Originally posted by zebbmx \*
> > \*\*sounds good enough but why was billy jo using a hack saw in the first place? \*\*
>
> Oh wait…I know! Cuttin’ up squirrel for dinner? \*\*
Hmmm, shouldn’t that be “cuttin up squaral fer dina”? Geez, i gotta teach you guys everything about being a Redneck? 😃
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### Author:  [@manhattan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/manhattan)
#### Post date: [July 14, 2000, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/urban-legends/25392/12 "2000-07-14T00:23:26Z")
No offense, and I love the Exide car, but if I’m gonna git me some redneck lessons, I think I’ll look up ol’ Daryl Waltrip.
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### Author:  [@JBurton99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JBurton99)
#### Post date: [July 14, 2000, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/urban-legends/25392/13 "2000-07-14T00:53:45Z")
Hot damn, lookit dat! Anutter Nascar fan. Cool deal.
Yeah i have to agree with you there Manhattan. Good ole’ DW would be my first choice too.