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old wives' tale

noun [C]
 
 
/ˌəʊldˈwaɪvzˌteɪl/ US  /ˌoʊld-/

Definition

a piece of advice or a theory, often related to matters of health, that was believed in the past but is now known to be wrongGiving advice
(Definition of old wives' tale noun from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)

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