INDEX
abandonment, 126
abduction:
attempted, 206–8
of brides, 85–86
of children, 16 , 207 , 263
of garden ornaments, 305–10
Aberdeen University, 256
academic legends, 275–317
accidents, 167–94
alcohol-related, 80 , 90 , 92–95 , 101–3 , 135
amusement-park, 37–39 , 130
anesthesia-caused, 68–69
animals involved in, 44 , 45 , 127–28 , 132–41 , 149–50 , 163–65
automobile, 67–68 , 89–103 , 117 , 118–20 , 164 , 238
chain-reaction, 76–78 , 167–72
construction, 180–88
faulty assumptions and, 117 , 139–41
golfing, 65–66 , 67–68
hit-and-run, 94 , 118–20
machine-caused, 71–72 , 189–91
plant-caused, 44–46
poisoning, 37–39 , 51–54 , 65–68 , 76–78 , 138
tanning salon, 14 , 29–36
welding, 33
Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), 14 , 195–205
actors, 47
Adams, Cindy, 267
Adamson, Joe, 21
“Aggie” stories, 160
“AIDS CLUB,” 196
“AIDS Mary,” 195–202 , 204–5
Air Canada, 230
airplanes, 47–50
firefighting, 47–48
Akron Beacon-Journal , 161 , 261
“Alfred Hitchcock Presents,” 43
Allen, Fred, 184
alligators, 129
“All New True Facts, 1986,” 185
Allred, Claytor W., 109–10
aluminum-can collections, 229
Aman, Reinhold, 145
American Bar Association, 221
American Folklore course (University of Utah), 171–72
American Philatelist , 228
American Revolution, 186–88
American Telephone and Telegraph (AT&T), 234
“Am I Spreading Blue Star Acid?” 58–61
amusement parks, 37–39 , 130
“Analysis of Behavior” course (Northern Arizona University), 312
Anderson, Jack, 12
Anderson, Rick, 4 9
anesthesia, 68–69
animals, 129–65
accidents involving, 44 , 45 , 127–28 , 132–41 , 149–50 , 163–65
blaming of, 132–34
domestic versus wild, 138–41
eating of, 130–31 , 138
explosives tied to, 45
faulty assumptions involving, 139–41 , 146–48 , 151–61 , 203
killing of, 33 , 65 , 138 , 163–65 , 203 , 204 , 314
labeling of, 139
microwaving of, 33 , 65 , 138 , 314
pampered, 129–34
tricks involving, 270–72
see also specific animals
“Animal’s Revenge, The,” 44 , 45
Annals of Mathematical Statistics , 283
Anne of Green Gables (Montgomery), 146
Ann-Margaret, 233
antilitter bumper stickers, 266
ants, 42
apples, razor blades in, 53
appliances, 33 , 189–90
architectural legends, 253–58
Arizona Republic , 44 , 45–46
armed forces, 22 , 201
Armstrong, Dorthe, 245–46
Armstrong, Louis, 114
“ARPANET,” 32
“Arrest, The,” 101–3 , 162
Associated Press (AP), 41 , 42 , 44 , 127–28 , 177–78 , 229 , 231
Athens Banner-Herald , 225–26
“Attempted Abduction, The,” 16 , 207
attorneys, 267 , 268
Auckland Harbor Bridge, 301
Auckland Herald , 143
Auckland University, 303
Audubon , 66
Augustana College, 29
August House, 154
Austin Lounge Lizards, 44 , 46
Australia, urban legends of, 48 , 70 , 130 , 142 , 143–44 , 159–60 , 250–51 , 305–6 , 307
Australian Folklore (Scott), 305
Autobahn, 89
automatic teller machines (ATMs), 189
automobiles, 89–128
accidents involving, 67–68 , 89–103 , 117 , 118–20 , 164 , 238
buried, 99–100
burning of, 96–98
buying and selling of, 121 , 123–25
concrete in, 14 , 17
corpses on and in, 14–15 , 89–90 , 92–95 , 96–98 , 99–100
crimes involving, 92–95 , 101–13 , 118–20
disabled, 112–13 , 114–20 , 121–22
entrapment in, 96–98
faulty assumptions and, 101–3 , 108–13 , 117 , 127–28
notes left on, 104–7 , 118–20
racing of, 117
starting of, 117 , 121–22
stripping of, 111–13 , 116
threatened thefts of, 104–7
value of, 104–6 , 123–25
women drivers and, 111 , 113–15 , 117 , 126 , 127–28
Automotive Engineering , 122
babies:
devouring of, 84
microwaving of, 33 , 53
snakes and, 82–84
baggage handlers, 156–58
Baker, Holly Cutting, 159
ballads, 183
Baltimore Evening Sun , 57 , 178
“Bargain Sports Car, The,” 123–25
Barlow, O. V., 128
“Barrel of Bricks, The,” 180–88
Barrett, Eileen, 83–84
Barrick, Mac, 184–85
“Batter-fried Rat, The,” 11 , 53
bear, stuffed, 310
Beck, Heidi, 309
Beck, Marilyn, 176
“Bed No. 29 ” (Maupassant), 198
behaviorism, 311–13
Bell, Michael, 44
bells, marking of, 271–72
Bernhardson, Wayne, 144–45
Bert and I Stem Inflation , 18 3
Best, Joel, 51–52
Best of American Jewish Humor, The (Spalding), 185–88
Best of Marj, The (Heyduck), 170–71
Bethke, Robert, 85
Bible, 204–5 , 240 , 289–90
“Bible Student’s Exam, The,” 289–91
Bielema, Ross, 32
Bigelow, Julian, 147–48
birdbaths, 305 , 307
“Bird-Foot Exam, The,” 275–77
birds, 273
identification of, 277
pets carried off by, 130
thefts of, 271
Bishoff, Don, 127
Black Death, 100
Blankenbaker, Ron, 155–56
“Blind Man, The,” 213–15
Block, Howard M., 182–83
blood, messages written in, 203–4
blotter acid, 55–64
blow driers, 151 , 152 , 153 , 154 , 159–60
“Bluebook Legends,” 275–77
“Blue Star Acid,” 55–64
“Blue Star Alert,” 60
boats, 38
“Bob Levey’s Washington,” 102 , 162
Boccaccio, Giovanni, 210
“Body on the Car, The,” 92–95
Bonaparte, Napoleon, 312
Book of Strange Facts Useless Information (Morris), 184
Books in Print , 18
boots, venom in, 76–78
“bosom serpent” legend, 82–83 , 84
“Boss, The,” 183
Boston Business Journal , 175
“Bothered Bride, The,” 71
bottles, water, 142–45
Boxmeyer, Don, 139–40
“Boy Wonder” (Weschler), 21
brains, 41–43
Brandeis University, 297
bricklaying, 260
bricks, 180–188 , 260
bridegrooms, 71 , 85–86
brides, 71
death of, 39
ineptitude of, 191–92
kidnaping of, 85–86
mishaps involving, 34–35 , 167–68 , 171
mutilation of, 85–87
bridesmaids, 30 , 97 , 167
Brigham Young University, 31
Law School of, 312
Brisbane Courier Mail , 130
British Airways, 230
Brokaw, Tom, 173
Brunvand, Dana, 296
Brunvand, Jan Harold, 12–19 , 31 , 58–61 , 63 , 70 , 127 , 203 , 207 , 275
Bryant, Robert, 183
“Bug in the Ear, A,” 40–43
buildings, design flaws in, 253–57
bulls, 138–41
bumper stickers, 266
bums, 108–10
“Bungled Rescue of the Cat, The,” 163–65
bureaucratic jargon, 237 , 239
Bureau of Research for the State of New York Division of Substance Abuse Services, 61
burglar alarms, 106 , 107
burglars, 70
burial, live, 79 , 80 , 152
Burns, Robert, 258
buses, 23
business legends, 219–73
Cabbage Patch dolls, funerals for, 11
Caen, Herb, 118–19 , 178
cakes, chocolate, 221 , 223–24 , 226
California, University of, 279–80 , 300 , 310
California Highway Patrol, 301
California State University, 51
Campbell, B. J., 96
camping trips, 210–12
Camrose Lutheran College, 99
Canada, urban legends of, 99–100 , 102–3 , 112–13 , 114 , 147
cancer, 33 , 227 , 231 , 296
“Candyman murder,” 54
Canton Repository , 153
Cape Town, University of, 80–81
capital letters, 55 , 195 , 196 , 246 , 261
“capping” traditions, 302– 4
cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), 68
carnival rides, 37–38
Carroll, Jon, 159–60
Carson, Johnny, 148 , 233–35
Carson Productions, 234
cartoon characters, 55–56 , 57 , 62 , 269–71
“catch tales,” 249–51
“Caterpillar, The,” 43
catfish, giant, 138
cats, 138 , 233–34
corpses of, 21 , 153 , 155 , 163–65
devouring of, 129–30
rescue of, 162–65
transport of, 158
Celebration of American Family Folklore, A (Zeitlin, Kotkin, and Baker), 159
celebrities, 20
black, 22 , 71 , 114–16
disabled automobiles and, 114–16
embarrassing incidents and, 22 , 173–76
stories told by, 233–35
“Celebrity’s Car Breakdown, The,” 114–16
cemeteries, 79–81 , 268
Center for Scientific Computing (University of Utah), 232
Centers for Disease Control (Atlanta), 196–97 , 200
Cerf, Bennett, 290
Chain Bridge, 257
“Chain Reaction,” 168
Chamberlain, Von del, 289
Charleston Gazette , 153
Chase, Philander D., 187–88
Chaucer, Geoffrey, 210
Chicago, University of, 279 , 297
“Chicago Daily News —Post Dispatch Special Dispatch,” 180
Chicago Sun-Times , 60 , 197
Chicago Tribune , 52 , 153 , 201
children, 211
abduction of, 16 , 207 , 263
appeals on behalf of, 55–64 , 227–32
death of, 15 , 37–38 , 51–54 , 57 , 79–80 , 82–84 , 90 , 92–95 , 164 , 227–28
illnesses of, 227–32
microwaving of, 33 , 53
sexual initiation of, 199
threats to, 51–54 , 55–64 , 82–84
Children of the Frost (London), 272–73
chimneys, 260
Chin, Raymond, 255
“Choking Doberman, The,” 70
Choking Doberman, The (Brunvand), 12 n, 63 , 70 , 203 , 207
Christiansen, Reidar Th., 100
“chunder mile,” 303
“Church Found in the Woods, The,” 100
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 258 , 292–93 , 294
circuses, 86
citizens-band radio (CB), 227–29
Clancy Brothers/Live with Robbie O’Connell, The , 183
clergymen, 171 , 261 , 268 , 281–82 , 290
clichés, 113
clothing:
costumes and disguises with, 209–10 , 303–4
entrapment by, 79–81
snakes in, 66 , 138
“Clothing Caught in Graveyard,” 79–80
Cobb, Irwin S., 74
cockpits, 46 , 48–50
cock-under-the-pot trick, 272–73
coffins, 304
“cold cocked,” 110
Cole, Mrs. Nat King, 114
college customs, 11 , 203–4 , 295–98 , 308
college handbooks, 295–98
College Mathematics Journal , 279
Colorado, University of, 44
Columbia Record , 56
comic books, 94
comic monologues, 182–84
comic strips, 269–71 , 273
Community Liaison Office (CLO), Budapest, 225
Como, Mrs. Perry, 114
Como, Perry, 114
Complete Plain Words, The (Cowers), 237
computers, 32 , 189 , 200–1 , 230–32
concrete, 14 , 17 , 25 4
“Concrete Car, The,” 17
Congress, U.S., 187 , 261
Connecticut Thruway, 300
consultants, business, 259–60
contact lenses, eyes fused with, 33
convents, 230
cookies, chocolate-chip, 219–23 , 225–26
corpses, 80–81
animal, 21 , 136–37 , 151–61 , 163–65 , 203 , 204
automobiles and, 14–15 , 89–90 , 92–95 , 96–98 , 99–100
discovery of, 47–48 , 87 , 89–90 , 92–95 , 99–100 , 159–60 , 203–4 , 267
disposal of, 136–37 , 151–56 , 159–61
mutilation of, 81 , 87 , 89–90 , 299–301
pranks with, 21 , 299–301
reviving of, 67–68
theft of, 21 , 156–57
transport of, 14–15 , 67–68 , 156–57
costume parties, 209–10
cowboys, 76–78 , 138
cows, 139–40
Cox, Joann, 31
coyotes, 45
Crawford, Byron, 188
Cray computers, 231–32
“Creatures from the Black Saloon,” 44
credit card numbers, telephone, 234–35
Crèvecoeur, St. Jean de, 78
crime, hitchhikers and, 108–10
Crime Resistance Unit, Baltimore, Md., 249
crimes:
attempted, 16 , 207
automobiles involved in, 92–95 , 101–13 , 118–20
of fraud, 247–52 , 259–64
intentional spread of disease as, 195–202 , 204–5
of murder, 54 , 87 , 189 , 197 , 203–5 , 296
organized, 104–7
suspicion of, 177–79
see also thefts
crosses, 80
cruise control, 150
“Crushed Dog, The,” 135–37
Crystal Cathedral, 281
“Curses! Broiled Again!” 31 , 32–33 , 35–36
Curtin University of Technology, 250
cyanide, 52 , 54
Daconil, 66
Daeger, Giles, 140
Daily Campus , 297
Daily Mirror (London), 118
Dale, Rodney, 182
“Dallas,” 122
Dallas, University of, 295
Dallas Times Herald , 153
Danbury Fair Mall, 253
Danbury News-Times , 210 , 253
Daniel (prophet), 204–5
Dantzig, George B., 279–83
“Dave’s Behind,” 233 , 235
Davis, Jim, 232
Davis, Mickey, 171
Davis, Sammy. Jr., 234
Day, Doris, 14 , 171–72
Dayton Journal-Herald . 169–70
Dead Milkmen, 43
“Dear Abby” column, 31 , 32 , 236 , 237
“Death and Dying” courses, 67
“Death Car, The,” 123–25
“Death in the Funhouse,” 37–39
death sentences, 30 , 35 , 41
Decameron (Boccaccio), 210
Delaware, University of, 85
Dennis, William A., 83
Dent, James, 153
“Dental Death,” 68–69
Deseret News , 30 , 31 , 241
Desert Island Decameron (Smith), 184
dialects, 183 , 184 , 185
dialysis machines, 229
diets, 23
Dillenburg, Eugene W., 16
diseases, 33 , 296
children and, 227–32
deliberate spread of, 195–202
“Dishonest Note, The,” 118–20
dishwashing machines, 189–90
Disney, Walt, 1 9
Disneyland, 293 , 310
Diver , 48
Dixon, Jeane, 254
doctors, 29 , 30 , 32 , 35 , 40–41 , 84 , 196 , 300–1
Dodge, Marshall, 183
dogs:
commands to, 22 , 71 , 115
corpses of, 156 , 203 , 204
death of, 135–37 , 138 , 149–50 , 314
devouring of, 130–31
fingers bitten off by, 70
microwaving of, 138 , 314
other animals and, 151–53 , 155–56
ownership of, 146–48
repelling of, 142–45
transporting of, 158–59
dolls, 272
“Don’t Mess with Texas,” 265–66
“Doomed by Their Seat Belts,” 96–98
doors, 150 , 191–92
breaking down of, 48–50
dormitories, 203–4 , 295–98 , 308
double entendres, 233 , 236
drowning, 97
drug addiction, 197 , 200
drug enforcement, 55–64
Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), 56
drug lore, 11 , 19–20 , 55–64
drunkenness, 303
accidents caused by, 80 , 90 , 92–95 , 101–3 , 135
Dubuque Telegraph-Herald , 32 , 60
Dumas, Jerry, 175
Dundes, Alan, 211–12
d’Ursin, Philomene, 152
dying wishes, 227 , 229 , 231–32
ears, 40–43
earthworms, 291
“Earwig,” 43
earwigs, 40–43
Edmonton Journal , 99
eggs, laying of, 41 , 42 , 82
Ehmann, James, 310
“Ehmann’s People,” 310
Einstein, Albert, 278 , 280 , 282
elders, Mormon, 292–93
electrocution, 37 , 190
elephants, 291
“Elevator Incident, The,” 21–22 , 71 , 115
elevators, 21–22 , 71 , 115 , 189
Elie, Paul, 13
“Embarrassing Dads” contest, 152
embarrassing incidents, 135–37 , 146–48 , 177–79
celebrities and, 22 , 173–76
nudity and, 15–16 , 126 , 150 , 193–94 , 213–15
Emily Climbs (Montgomery), 146–47 , 148
employment, rules of, 240–46
Encyclopaedia Britannica , 40
England, urban legends of, 102 , 111 , 118–19 , 128 , 136–37 , 140–41 , 152 , 153–54 , 158 , 163–65 , 178 , 182 , 183 , 229–30 , 306–7
English, Lewis S., 73–74
environmental pollution, 65–66 , 67–68
epidemics, 100 , 195–202 , 204–5
“Errant Bear,” 310
etiquette, 146–48
Eugene Register-Guard , 126 , 127 , 128
Europe, urban legends of, 12 , 15 , 70 , 77 , 80 , 83 , 100 , 178 , 196 , 206 , 271
evangelism, 292–93
Eves, Howard, 271
examinations, academic, 275–91 , 302
“Examples of Unclear Writing,” 237
Exit Laughing (Cobb), 74
expenses, business, 259–60
explosives, 45
exterminators, 190
eyes, 31 , 33
fainting, 92 , 93
fake memos, photocopied, 11 , 55–64 , 261–64
Fallis, Chuck, 196–97
Family Folklore project (Smithsonian), 159
Far Eastern legends, 85–86 , 271–72
“Fatal Boot, The,” 76–78
“Fatal Tattoo,” 60
“Fatal Tee, The,” 65–66 , 67–6 8
Fate Worse Than Death (Radley), 306–7
fear, 33 , 37 , 52 , 54 , 65 , 96–98
of abduction, 207–8
death caused by, 79–81
spread of AIDS and, 198–202 , 204–5
“Fear of Frying,” 96–98
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), 198
Festival at Sandpoint, 291 , 312
Fields, Debbi, 45 , 219–26
Fields, Mrs., secret recipe of, 45 , 219–26
“Fifi Spills the Paint,” 132–34
films:
humor, 150 , 171–72 , 184
“slasher,” 53
vampire, 80
“Find the Hat,” 260
Fine, Gary Alan, 201 , 202
fingers:
crossing of, 142–43
loss of, 70
fire, 96–98 , 298
firearms, 44 , 45 , 108–10 , 189
fire axes, 48–50
Fire Brigade Union, 163
fire engines, 163–64
first aid, 38
flamingos, plastic, 305 , 308–9
Fleming, Willard, 300–1
“Flying Kitten, The,” 162
FOAF, see friend of a friend
folklore, 11 , 13 , 16 , 18 , 21 , 77–78 , 79–80 , 85 , 97 , 113 , 133 , 142 , 186 , 216 , 233 , 292
Folklore Society (University College, London), 5
Folktales of Norway (Christiansen), 100
Food and Drug Administration (FDA), 52
foods:
contamination of, 51–54 , 65 , 303
fast, 189
preparation of, 23 , 45 , 191 , 219–26
shoplifting of, 178
football helmets, 15 , 193
Ford, Whitey, 140
foreigners, 86–87
Fort George, 256
Foster, Hal, 269–71
Four Seasons Town Centre, 253–54
Fox, William S., 296–97
foxes, 45
Franco-Prussian War, 198
Franks, Isaac, 185–88
Franks of Philadelphia, The (Mendes), 186–87
fraud, 247–52 , 259–64
freak shows, 86
Freud, Sigmund, 176
friend of a friend (FOAF), 23–24 .49, 82 , 94 , 99 , 105 , 129 , 132 , 146 , 153 , 175 , 182 , 226
Frith, Carl, 76
frontier legends, 76–78
funeral homes, 267–68
funerals, 11 , 267–68
funhouses, 37–38
Gabor, Zsa Zsa, 233
Gallup polls, 98
Games , 181
garden ornaments, 305–10
Gardner, C. Ray, 160
Garisto, Robert, 279
Garoutte, Michael A., 81
“Gazetteer, The,” 153
Gentry, Tom, 290
Georgia, University of, 226
Gestapo, 74
Giblin, Patrick, 310
Glamour , 34
Glasgow Exhibition of 1901, 256
Glasgow Herald , 255–56
Glasgow Marathon, 255
glass, 53 , 260
Glass Bottom Boat, The , 171–72
Gnome Liberation Organization (GLO), 307
gnomes, garden, 305–10
Godfrey, Arthur, 171
“Going by the Old-fashioned Rules,” 24 , 240–42
golfers, 65–68 , 234
Good Samaritans, 114–16
“Gossip,” 19
Governors Island Gazette , 60
Gowers, Ernest, 237
graduation traditions, 302–4
Graham, Billy, 20 0
“Grandma’s Washday,” 24 , 243–46
grandmothers, 14–15 , 24 , 243–46
Granger, Adam, 180
Grannon, Caroline, 19
“Graveyard Wager, The,” 79–81
gravity, laws of, 279
Green Goddesses, 163–64
Greensboro News & Record , 254
Greenwich News , 175
Grider, Sylvia, 54
Griffin, George B., 262–63
Griffin Daily News , 60
“Grocery Scam, The,” 247–52
Grouch, Harpo, Chico and Sometimes Zeppo (Adamson), 21
Grundman, David, 44–46
guilt, 267 , 270–73
Guinness Book of World Records , 227 , 228 , 231
Guthrie, Cindy, 261–62
hackers, computer, 230–32
Haile Selassie, 316–17
hairdos, spiders in, 11
hakas , 303
Halloween, 51–54 , 209–10 , 211–12
Halloween , 53
Halloween II , 53
Halloween III: Season of the Witch , 53
“Halloween Sadists,” 51–54
Hampton, Natalie E" 289–90
ham-radio operators, 227
“Handwriting on the Wall (or Mirror), The,” 203–5
Hanover College, 169–70
Hanover College Choir, 169–71
“Hare Drier, The,” 151–56 , 159–61
Hartford Courant , 175
Harvard University, 286 , 287 , 290 , 293–94 , 297 , 315
Harvey, Laurence, 42
Harvey, Paul, 119 , 127–28 , 213
Hatch, Mrs. Randall B., 224
Hayes, C, 279
Hazzard, B. Grace, 97
headlines, 18 , 19 , 31 , 142 , 174 , 199 , 206 , 229 , 231 , 266
heads, severed, 87
health, concerns about, 29–36 , 40–43 , 263
hearses, 67 , 303–4
heart attacks, 81
“Heel in the Grate, The,” 14 , 167–72
Henderson Daily Dispatch , 83
Hendin, David, 12 , 13
Henley, Betsy, 122
Henry, O. (William Sidney Porter), 67
Herrmann, Dorothy, 235
Hertz, Martha, 225–26
Heyduck, Marj, 170–71
high heels, 14 , 167–72
Highway Safety Research Center, 96
Hille, Judy, 45
History of the Jews of Philadelphia (Wolf), 187
hit-and-run cases, 94 , 118–20
hitchhikers, 108–10 , 115
hoaxes, 52 , 62 , 187–88 , 230–32 , 261–64
Hoaxes (MacDougall), 237–38
Hoffnung, Gerard, 182–83
Hogan, Gordon, 288
“Holiday for Sadists,” 53
“Homemade Lie Detector, The,” 269–273
homework, 280
homosexuality, 197 , 200 , 234
Hopkins, William, 61–62
Horiuchi, Gerald T., 51–52
horror stories, 29–87 , 189 , 195–205
horses, 139–40
hospitals, 22 , 51
“Hour of Power,” 281
housewives:
ineptitude of, 191–92
nudity of, 15–16 , 193–94 , 214
Hulls, David S., 250 , 305
humanitarian organizations, 231
Hume, Lydia Paley, 224–25
Hunt, Lester J., 312–13
Hunt, Timothy, 291 , 312
hunters, 100 , 138–41
Hyman, James E., 259–60
hysteria, mass, 52
ice-cream, 121–22 , 173–76
“Ice-Cream Car, The,” 121–22
“Ice-Cream-Cone Caper, The,” 173–76
Iceman Cometh, The (O’Neill), 193
Illustrated London News , 230
Indianapolis News , 63–6 4
Indianapolis Police Department narcotics division, 63
Indiana University, 257
infidelity, 17 , 71 , 123 , 209–11
inheritances, 267–68
injections, hypodermic, 207
Inland Steel Company, 105–6
insects, 11 , 40–43 , 91 , 190 , 192 , 206
Institute of Dialect and Folk Life Studies (University of Leeds), 5
insurance companies, 238–39 , 261–64
Interlibrary Loan, 186
International Development Agency, U.S. (Lima), 63
Introduction to the History of Mathematics, An (Eves), 271
Iowa State University, 34 , 161
Iran-Contra hearings, 156
Ives, Edward D., 184
jackrabbits, 45
Jackson, Reggie, 22 , 71
Jahn, Helmut, 254
James, Betsy, 129–30
Japan, urban legends of, 85–86 , 272
Jews of the United States, 1790–1840, The , 188
Joe, the Wounded Tennis Player (Thompson), 140
Johansen, John, 99
joke books, 181 , 185
Jones, Woodfin “Woody,” 169–70 , 171
Junken, Bert, 133
Justin Herman Plaza, 310
Kalgoorlie Miner , 307
Kansas City Star , 229
Katherine Briggs Lectures, 5
Kehoe, Joyce, 168
Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, 255–56
Kentucky Fried Chicken, 309
Kestell, Bill, 34
Key, Chris, 152–53
kidnaping, see abduction
kidney disease, 229
Kimball, Edward L., 312–13
Kings of Israel, 290
Kings of Judah, 290
Kitchener-Waterloo Record , 168
Klauber, Laurence M., 77–78
Klintberg, Bengt af, 12 , 196
“Klintbergers,” 12
Knievel, Evel, 115–16
Knowles, Jeremy H., 290
Kotkin, Amy J., 159
Krajik, Kevin, 13
Kraykowski, Susan Levin, 132
Lacitis, Erik, 108
Lakes District Centennial Museum, 243–44
lampblack, 271
Landers, Ann, 92–95 , 199 , 214–15
“Last Kiss, The,” 70 , 72
“Late Night with David Letterman,” 12 , 140 , 235
Latter-day Saints (LDS), 258 , 292–93 , 294
“Laughter, the Best Medicine,” 210
“Lawn Order in New Zealand (and Elsewhere),” 142–45
lawsuits, 177 , 233
“Leashed Dogs,” 149–50
legend, definitions of, 14 , 24
Lehman, Christine A., 34–35
Letterman, David, 12 , 140 , 235
Letters from an American Farmer (Crèvecoeur), 78
leukemia, 227
Levey, Bob, 102 , 162
libraries, 22 , 97 , 186–87 , 230
“Licked Hand, The,” 203–5
Life Hammer, 98
limbs, amputation of, 29 , 73–74 , 299–301
linear programming, 279
lipstick messages, 195 , 196 , 198 , 201 , 202 , 204
Listener , 142 , 143
lists, circulation of, 236–46
“Lit 29 , Le” (Maupassant), 198
Liverpool Town Hall, 256
“Locked-out Pilot, The,” 48–50
log flume rides, 38
London, Jack, 272–73
Long Island, Battle of, 186
Loras College, 32
Lore and Language of Schoolchildren, The (Opie and Opie), 229–30
Lorenz, Brenna E., 311–1 2
Los Angeles Daily News , 187
Los Angeles Times , 52 , 176
“Lost Wreck, The,” 99–100
lottery tickets, 19 , 20
Louisiana State University, 94
Louisville Courier-Journal , 188
Lovell, Clint, 133
“Lover’s Telephone Revenge, The,” 216–17
LSD, 55–64
Lufkin Daily News , 160
Lutheran , 168
lying, 269–73
McCulloch, Gordon, 255–56
MacDougall, Curtis D., 237–38
Mcllveen, Rose, 257
McKiernan, Susan P., 123–24
Maclean, G. L., 80–81
McNulty, Henry, 175
McQueen, Steve, 234
Madison Capitol Times , 264
“magic sticks,” 272
“Mail for Tots,” 231
Maine, University of, 184
“Make a Wish Foundation,” 231
Mallon, Mary, 197–98
maniacs, 53
Manitoba, University of, 284–85
Mannweiler, David, 63–64
Mantle, Mickey, 140
Maori ceremonial dances, 303
marijuana, 19–20
Marineland, 130
Marischal College (Aberdeen University), 256
Marquette University, 140 , 298
Marshall Fields, 225
Martin, Billy, 140
Martin, Dick, 171–72
Marvin, Lee, 81
Marx, Groucho, 233
Maryland, University of, 275
Massachusetts Cooking Rules, Old and New , 223–24
Masterlocks, 106
mathematics problems, solving of, 278–83
Maupassant, Guy de, 198
Maurice J. Tobin Memorial Bridge, 299 , 300
May fair , 306
media, 11–12 , 20 , 53 , 197 , 233–35 , 314
see also radio; television
medical students, 41 , 80–81 , 299–301
Memory’s Milestones (Smith), 185
memos, government, 261–64
Mendes, Joseph, 186–87
merry-go-rounds, 38
messages:
on automobiles, 104–7 , 118–20
in blood, 203–4
experiments with, 315–17
hidden, 73–75
in lipstick, 195 , 196 , 198 , 201 , 202 , 204
ransom, 306–7 , 308
threatening, 189 , 195 , 196 , 198 , 199 , 201 , 202 , 203–5
“Message under the Stamp, The,” 73–75
Metropolitan Life Insurance Company, 239
“Mexican Pet, The,” 158–59
Mexican Pel, The (Brunvand), 12 , 127 , 275
Michigan State University, 18
“Mickey Mouse acid,” 57 , 62 n
“Microwaved Baby, The,” 33 , 53
microwaves, 33 , 34 , 150 , 189
animals and, 33 , 65 , 138 , 314
babies and, 33 , 53
radar speed-checking devices and, 111
ultraviolet waves vs., 33
Middle Ages, 40 , 80 , 100
Middle Eastern legends, 272
“Miette Skeleton Mystery as Real as Mountain Mist,” 99
Milgram, Stanley, 314–16
milk, 82–84
Miller, B. T., 127
Miller, James S., 300–1
Milwaukee Journal , 58 , 97 , 106 , 298
Minnesota, University of, 201
Minson, Elizabeth H., 241–42
missionaries, 292–93 , 294
Miss Manners, 12–13
mistaken identities, 23 , 209–12
Mobile College, 279
“Modern Folklorist Tracks Our Subconscious,” 1 3
“Modern Urban Legend, The” (Sanderson), 5
mononucleosis, 296
Montgomery, Lucy Maud, 146–47
Montreal Botanical Garden, 39
Montreal Gazette , 39
Moon, Michelle, 152
Morison, Samuel Eliot, 294
Mormons, 258 , 292–93 , 294
Morris, Scot, 184
Morse, Rob, 196
mortuaries, 67 , 80–81
Mothers against Drunk Driving (MADD), 93
“Mountain Justice,” 184
“Mrs. Fields Cookie Recipe, The,” 219–26
Mrs. Stevens Fudge Recipe, 224
murder, 54 , 87 , 189 , 197 , 203–5 , 296
Murray, Joe, 160–61
Museum of Geoscience, 94
“Mutilated Bride, The,” 85–87
“My Turn,” 160–61
Nai-Tung Ting, 271–72
name-calling, 127–28
Napier, Felicity, 216–17
Napier, John, 271
Nason, Donna, 281–82
Nason, Michael, 281–82
Nassau County Department of Drug and Alcohol Addiction, 56
Natal, University of, 80
“Natasha Says” (Napier), 216–17
National Archives, U.S., 186 , 187
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 97
National Lampoon , 180 , 185
National Lampoon’s Vacation , 150
National Retired Teacher’s Association Journal , 237
National Safety Council, 98
National Transportation Safety Board, 97
Native American mythology, 293
Nauman, Art, 173
needles, 51 , 53 , 207
neighbors, nasty, 51
New Jersey State Police Narcotic Bureau, 56
New London Day , 174
Newman, Paul, 173–76 , 234
New Statesman , 216
Newsweek , 53 , 56
Newton, Sir Isaac, 279
New York, City University of, 314
New York, State University of (Buffalo), 312
New York, State University of (Potsdam), 296
New Yorker , 21
New York Post , 231 , 267
New York Times , 52 , 63 , 197 , 200
New Zealand, urban legends of, 24–25 , 70–72 , 142–45 , 206–8 , 213 , 214–15 , 243–16 , 258 , 301–4
“Next Time You Fly, Make Sure the Pilot Has an Ax,” 49
Neyman, J., 283
Nicholson, Jack, 173–76
nicknames, 227
Nieman-Marcus, 225–26
“Night Gallery,” 43
“No Cause for Alarm,” 60
North, Oliver, 156–57
North Carolina, University of, 96 , 285–86
North Carolina Folklme Journal , 244–45
Northern Arizona University, 312
Norway, urban legends of, 100
notes, see messages
“Not My Dog,” 146–48
“Nude Housewife, The,” 15–16 , 193–94 , 214
“Nude in the RV, The,” 150
nudity, 15–16 , 126 , 150 , 193–94 , 213–15
nuns, 190
Oakbrook Terrace Tower, 254–55
O’Bryan, Ronald Clark, 54
O’Bryan, Timothy, 54
Occidental College, 287
“Octagon, The,” 258
office-copier lore, 211–12
office traditions, 11 , 209–11
Ohio Historical Society, 308
Olson, Cal, 160–61
Olympics, 293 , 310
O’Neill, Eugene, 193
“Only a Folk Tale,” 60
“On the Fundamental Lemma of Neyman and Pearson” (Wald and Dantzig), 283
“On the Non-Existence of Tests of ‘Student’s’ Hypothesis Having Power Functions Independent of Sigma” (Dantzig), 283
Opie, Iona, 229–30
Opie, Peter, 229–30
oral tradition, 11 , 15–16 , 17 , 24 , 33 , 52 , 65 , 66 , 70 , 74 , 89 , 119 , 124 , 182–84 , 222 , 233 , 282
Oregon, University of, 127 , 288
Oregon Education , 60
organized crime, 104–7
“Outsider, The,” 119
Overend, Robert B., 98
owls, 130
Oxford English Dictionary (OED) , 40 , 41 , 42
Page, Clarence, 201
paint, 132–34
Paisley Daily Express , 229
pakeha , 303
Palmer, Mrs. Arnold, 234
paper, drug-permeated, 55–64
Parables, etc ., 282
Parade , 262
parakeets, 130
Parkhurst, Liz, 154
Paul, Saint, 289–90
payment, collection of, 259–60 , 299–301
pelicans, 130
pennies, heating of, 52
Pennsylvania, University of, 186–87
peregrine falcons, 130
Perelman, S.J., 235
“Performance of Lap Belts in 26
Frontal Crashes, The,” 97–98
pesticides, 65–66 , 67–68
“Pete Smith Specialty,” 184
“Pet Nabber, The,” 129–31
Philadelphia Inquirer , 57
philately, 228
Phoenix Gazette , 44 , 45–46
photocopies, 11 , 55–64 , 221 , 222 , 263
“Pig on the Road, The,” 127–28
pigs, 127–28 , 159
Pilge, John, 213
pilots, 46 , 48–50
Pinocchio, 272
Pixie Stix candy, 54
plague, bubonic, 100
plants, 44–46
“Plant’s Revenge, The,” 44–46
Playboy , 181 , 201
Poe, Edgar Allen, 80
poison:
in foods, 51–54 , 65 , 303
in pesticides, 65–66 , 67–68
snake, 37–39 , 76–78 , 138
police, 19–20 , 55–56 , 60–61 , 63–64 , 101–3 , 111–13 , 119–20 , 127–28 , 151 , 198 , 302
polygamy, 241
“Poodle in the Microwave, The,” 138 , 314
“poppet” (doll), 272
porcupines, 45
“possibility thinking,” 281
Postcard Collector , 229
“Postcards for Little Buddy,” 227–32
pranks, 15 , 21 , 24 , 52 , 133 , 139–40 , 206 , 216
student, 275–77 , 285–87 , 289–91 , 294 , 299–313
Pratt, Melanie, 308–9
Pravda , 84
“Pregnant Shoplifter, The,” 177–79
Presley, Elvis, 115
“Prince Valiant,” 269–71 , 273
Principia (Newton), 279
prison camps, 73–75
Procter & Gamble trademark, 21
products:
misuse of, 14 , 33 , 29–36 , 189–90
tampering with, 52 , 54
professional legends, 219–73
professors, 275–77 , 278–79 , 280 , 282–88 , 290–91 , 297 , 300 , 311–13 , 316–17
prophets, 290
prostitution, 197 , 200 , 207–8
Psychology Today , 51 , 312–13 , 314–15
pub crawls, 302 , 303
puns, 151 , 234
Purdue University, 105
“Push-starting the Car,” 11 7
rabbits, 145 , 151–56 , 159–61
radar speed traps, 111
radio, 119 , 142 , 155 , 178 , 184 , 213 , 233
Radio New Zealand, 213
Radley, Sheila, 306–7
ransom notes, 306–7 , 308
rape, 201–2
rats, 11 , 53 , 138 , 159
rattlesnakes, 76–78
Rattlesnakes: Their Habits, Life Histories, and Influence on Mankind (Klauber), 77–78
razor blades, 37 , 51 , 53
Reader’s Digest , 14 , 119 , 128 , 152 , 168 , 170 , 172 , 210 , 272
Reagan, Ronald, 230
recipes, 23 , 45 , 219–26
recordings, 182–83
red food coloring, 221
Redford, Robert, 173–76 , 234
“Red Shoes, The,” 86
“Red Velvet Cake,” 221 , 223–24 , 226
Regis, Ed, 147–48
Reinhold, Herman F., Jr., 194
religion classes, 289–90
remote control, 150
República, La (Lima), 63
restaurants, 251–52 , 254
restrooms, 16 , 68 , 86 , 207 , 267
“Resurrection Rabbit,” 160
revenge, 195 , 198 , 201–2 , 215–16 , 221
Reynolds, Burt, 148 , 234–35
Richie, Lionel, 22 , 71
Richmond, University of, 84
Richmond News Leader , 83–84
Richmond Palladium-Item , 57
“‘R’Is for Race,” 117
“Roaming Gnomes,” 305–10
Robbin, J. D., 183
Robbins, Tom, 136
Robert Schuller: The Inside Story (Nason and Nason), 281–82
Rodin, Auguste, 309
roosters, 271
Royal Canadian Mounted Police, 112–13
Ruckes, John, 101–2
“Rules for Teachers,” 242
rumors, 13 , 24 , 33 , 52 , 53–54 , 55 , 56–61 , 79 , 80 , 219–21 , 223 , 228 , 253–55 , 262 , 263 , 295 , 303
“Runaway Grandmother, The,” 14–15
Runyan, Bill, 127–28
rural legends, 272–73
Sacramento Bee , 52 , 173
“Safety and Health Alert,” 63
“Saguaro,” 44 , 46
saguaro cacti, 44–46
St. Louis Post-Dispatch , 153 ’
St. Paul Pioneer Press and Dispatch , 139–40
St. Paul’s Anglican Cathedral, 258
Salem Statesman-Journal , 155–56
Salient , 206–8
Sanders, Harlan, 309
Sanderson, Stewart F., 5
San Diego Union , 152
San Francisco Bay Bridge, 301
San Francisco Chronicle , 159–60
San Francisco Examiner , 118–19 , 196
San Jose Mercury News , 18–19 , 309
Santesteban, Ariel, 295
Schaefer, Paul, 235
School of Dentistry (California University), 300
Schuller, Robert H., 281–82
Schumacher, Mark, 228
Scotland, urban legends of, 227–28 , 255–56
Scott, Bill, 130 , 305
scuba divers, 47–48 , 138
seat belts, 96–98
Seattle Daily Times , 49 , 108 , 201
Seattle Weekly , 161
“Second Death, The,” 66–69
seeds, 216–17
seminaries, 289–90
Seramone, Margaret, 188
Sermon on the Mount, 289–90
sermons, church, 278 , 281 , 282
Serrell, Nancy P., 253
sex legends, 195–217
AIDS and, 14 , 195–205
infidelity and, 17 , 71 , 123 , 209–1 1
nudity and, 15–16 , 126 , 150 , 193–94 , 213–15
partner swapping and, 210–11
sharks, 45 , 130
sheep, 270–71
Shepherd, Vonnie, 79 , 80
Sheridan, Dan, 197
Sherman, Michael, 63–64
Sherman, Sharon, 127
shingle-crusher incident, 71–72
Shippensburg State University, 184
Sholly, Lynda M., 35
Shone, John T., 163–65
“Shooting the Bull,” 138–41
shoplifting, 177–79
shopping centers, 16 , 207 , 219
infestation of, 254
sinking of, 253–55
Shudo, Sachiko, 85–86
Shuman, Malcolm K., 94
signs, thefts of, 308
Sioux City Journal , 160–61
skeletons, 99–100
Skidmore College, 296
Slonimsky, Nicolas, 21
Slosberg, Steven, 174
slumber parties, 79 , 80 , 203–5
“Small-World Legend, The,” 314–17
“Small World Problem, The” (Milgram), 315
“Smashed VW Bug, The,” 89–91
smeared-bell trick, 271–72
smells, bad, 30 , 32 , 35 , 90 , 123 , 145
Smith, H. Allen, 184
Smith, Moira, 206 , 207–8 , 302
Smith, Percy F., 185
Smithsonian , 148
Smithsonian Institution, 159
smoke alarms, 190
“Snake at the Discount Store, The,” 66
“Snake in the Strawberry Patch, The,” 82–84
snakes:
bodies entered by, 82–84
habits of, 77 , 84
infestation by, 37–39 , 66 , 76–78 , 138 , 254
strangulation by, 82–84
“Snoopies,” 56
Social Problems , 52
Sociometry , 315
“Solid Cement Car, The,” 17
“Solid Concrete Cadillac, The,” 14
South, University of the, 311
South Africa, urban legends of, 140
Southern Methodist University, 295 , 297
Spalding, Henry D., 185–88
Spetsas, Laurie, 155–56
spiders, 11 , 39 , 42
Spinks, Leon, 115
Spinks, Mrs. Leon, 115
stakes, 79–81
stamps, postage, 230
messages under, 73–75
Stanford University, 32 , 279 , 281–82 , 310
Stanford University News Service, 309
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Kahn , 41
statues, 257–58 , 272 , 305–10
Steensma, Robert, 29 , 34
Steiner, Edwin C, 169–70 , 171
Still Life with Woodpecker (Robbins), 136
Stockholm University, 196
“Stolen Speed Trap, The,” 111
“Stopping the Detroit Car,” 112–13
storytelling, 182–84
strangers, 54 , 86–87 , 115–16 , 206–7
“Stripping the Car,” 111–13
Stuckey, James Albert, 169–70 , 171
“ ‘Student’ Hypothesis, The,” 283
students, 93 , 206 , 223
Bible, 289–91
cheating by, 284 , 286–87
examinations taken by, 275–91 , 302
grading of, 286–88 , 295–98 , 302
graduation traditions of, 302–4
medical, 41 , 80–81 , 299–301
tricks and pranks of, 275–77 , 285–87 , 289–91 , 294 , 299–313
Students against Drunk Driving (SADD), 93
“Stuff of Legends, The,” 176
succulents, 44–46
Suchochi, James Joseph, 45–46
“Suicide Rule, The,” 295–98
suicides, 255–57 , 295–98
sunburn, 3 3
Sung dynasty, 271
sun lamps, 29–36 , 150
supermarkets, 178 , 247–52
supernaturalism, 189
superstition, 40
Sweden, urban legends of, 12 , 178 , 196
Swigert, W. G., 262
syphilis, 198
Syracuse Post-Standard , 310
Syracuse University, 311
Tacoma News Tribune , 56–57
Taj Mahal Hotel, 256–57
“Tales of Bungling Brides, The,” 191–92
Tales of Vienna , 224–25
talk shows, 12 , 20 , 140 , 148 , 155 , 233–35 , 306
tanning salons, 14 , 29–36
tarantulas, 39
tattoo transfers, 55–64
“Tattoo Tripped Up,” 60
Taylor, Rod, 171–72
teams, naming of, 22
technology, dangers of, 33 , 65–69 , 71–72 , 150 , 189–92
tees, golf, 65–66 , 67–68
“Telephone,” 19
telephones, 191 , 216–17 , 234–35 , 314
television, 42–43 , 81 , 119 , 171–72 , 178 , 200 , 233–35 , 281
talk shows on, 12 , 20 , 140 , 148 , 155 , 233–35 , 306
see also specific television programs
“Telltale Report, The,” 292–94
Temple, Mormon, 258
term papers, 286–87
Texas A&M University, 54
Texas Monthly , 265–66
“That’s What You Dictated, Doctor!” 239
theaters, 206 , 207
thefts, 20–21 , 251
attempts to foil, 104–7 , 177–79
of corpses, 21 , 156–57
detection of, 270–73 , 286
frustrated attempts at, 189
of garden ornaments, 305–10
shoplifting, 177–79
suspected, 177–79
threats of, 104–7 , 189
“Third and Main,” 170
Thompson, Morton, 140
Three Centuries of Harvard (Morison), 294
“$350 Union Station Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe,” 225
“Thriller,” 43
tiles, roofing, 180–88
Tilford, Jim, 157–58
Timbers, Suzanne, 102
time/weather telephone service, 216–17
tires, flat, 114–16 , 303–4
toilet, exploding of, 21 , 65
toll booths, 299–301
“Tonight Show, The,” 148 , 233–35
Tooele Transcript-Bulletin , 238
Toronto , 161
trade-related legends, 180–88 , 259–66 , 299–301
trade secrets, 219–26
Traffic Safety , 98 , 122
trailers, 126 , 150
“Trained Professor, The,” 311–13
translations, 24 , 100 , 205
Travers, Jeffrey, 315
tricks, 269–73 , 276–77
see also pranks
“Trouble with Technology,” 189–92
trucks, 89–91
Try and Stop Me (Cerf), 290
Tulip Tree apartments, 257
Tumour in the Whale, The (Dale), 182
tunnels of love, 37–38
Turner’s Carolina Almanac (1967), 181
“$25 Fudge Cake,” 223–24
“Twilight Zone, The,” 43 , 81
Twilight Zone Companion, The , 81
“Two Hitchikers, The,” 108–10
Tylenol, cyanide-laced, 52
Types of the Folktale, The , 79–80
Typhoid Mary, 197
United Airlines, 48
United Feature Syndicate, 12 , 13
United Media Enterprises, 12–13
United Press International (UPI), 84 , 173 , 230 , 239
“Unsolvable Math Problem, The,” 278–8 3
“Unstealable Car, The,” 104–7 , 117
urban legends:
action urged by, 55–64 , 118 , 227–32 , 261–64 , 303–4
ancient antecedents for, 16 , 40 , 70 , 80 , 99 , 100 , 185 , 271
business, professional and government, 219–73
characteristics of, 77 , 93–94 , 102 , 113 , 118 , 134 , 261 , 262
collection methods of, 11 , 12–19
creativity and virtuosity of, 5 , 16 , 133
debunking of, 16 , 58 , 59 , 61–64 , 75 , 77 , 82 , 124 , 228–29 , 230–32 , 249 , 261 , 263 , 264
dialect and phraseology in, 110 , 183–88
efforts at containment of, 62–63 , 219 , 228–29 , 231 , 264
experiments with, 314–17
falsehood and error in, 21 , 75 , 77 , 82
grammar and spelling in, 236–39 , 245–46
history of, 16 , 32 , 52 , 56–58 , 185–88 , 223 , 230
humor in, 22–23 , 47 , 65 , 68 , 102 , 121–22 , 127–28 , 173–76 , 180–88 , 191–94 , 213–15 , 236–42 , 249–52 , 299–313
irony in, 67–68 , 102 , 108 , 164
language and meaning confused in, 21–24 , 117 , 127–28 , 213–15 , 236–42
motivation and, 221 , 231–32
parodies of, 231–32
planting of, 17 , 124 , 221 , 314–17
popularity of, 29 , 101 , 151 , 157 , 173 , 200 , 201
prejudice and racism in, 49 , 71 , 86 , 184 , 191–92 , 237
print circulation of, 49 , 53 , 84 , 92–95 , 119 , 173–76 , 236–46 , 261–64 , 306
re-emergence of, 14 , 41 , 74 , 180 , 207 , 227 , 231
relatives involved in, 76–77
research methods and, 30 , 51–52 , 77 , 149 , 180–88
sources of, 12 , 13–19 , 23–24 , 29 , 30 , 34–35 , 42–43 , 119 , 146 , 167–72 , 175–76 , 180–88 , 279–83
specialization in, 47 , 259–66
spreading of, 118–19 , 124 , 127 , 314–17
studies and surveys of, 11–12 , 51–52 , 56–57 , 61–62 , 96
themes and meaning in, 32–35 , 37 , 48 , 52–53 , 54 , 65 , 91 , 92 , 95 , 104 , 176 , 201–2 , 204–5
trends in, 13–14
truthfulness of, 11 , 13 , 14–16 , 23–24 , 30–33 , 49 , 66 , 121 , 148 , 169–71 , 201 , 206 , 311
use of capital letters in, 55 , 195 , 196 , 246 , 261
written versus oral, 24 , 119 , 146
“Urban Legends,” 13 , 31 , 58–61 , 135
urine samples, 303
USA Today , 175
Utah, 31–32 , 96
Utah, University of, 29 , 67 , 155 , 160 , 171 , 182 , 232 , 289
Utah State University, 30
Utah Valley Regional Medical Center, 31
vacations, mishaps on, 15 , 71 , 85–87 , 126 , 149–50 , 158–59 , 210–11 , 293
Van Buren, Abigail, 31 , 32 , 236 , 237
Vancouver Province , 230
vandalism, 37 , 308
van Dulken, Geoffrey, 158
Vanishing Hitchhiker, The (Brunvand), 12 n , 226
“Vanishing Hitchhiker, The,” 173
vapor lock, 121–22
vermin, 254
veterans, 238 , 261–64
Veterans Administration, 261–64
“Veterans Bureau,” 238
“Veterans’ Insurance Dividend, The,” 261–64
Victoria University, 206 , 303
Vietnam War, 124 , 248
Virginia, University of, 187
Volkswagen Bugs, 89–91 , 93
von Neumann, John, 147–4 8
Wabash Telephone Cooperative, 235
wagers, 79–81
“Waiting for the Iceman,” 193–94
Wald, Abraham, 283
Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, 221 , 223
warnings, 32 , 34–35 , 51 , 53 , 54 , 55–64 , 68 , 95 , 205 , 263
“Warning to All Parents, A,” 55 , 58
“War Risk Insurance Bureau,” 238
war stories, 73–75 , 128 , 237–38
“Washday Receet,” 244
Washington, George, 185–87
Washington Post , 60 , 102 , 162
Washington State Highway Patrol, 56–57
Washington University, 300
weddings, 71 , 167–69 , 171 , 241
Weekly World News , 199–200
Weight Watchers, 23
Welch, Denis, 143
Welch, Raquel, 233
“Welcome to the World of AIDS: Fantasies of Female Revenge” (Fine), 202
“Welfare Letter, The,” 24 , 236–39
welfare recipients, 236–39 , 263–64
Wellington Evening Post , 143
Weschler, Lawrence, 21
Western Folklore , 202
Western Illinois University, 271
White, Sally, 221
“White Slavery in Wellington,” 206–8
Who Cot Einstein’s Office? Eccentricity and Genius at the Institute for Advanced Study (Regis), 147–48
Whole Earth Review , 299
Whorrall, Karen, 257
“Wife Left Behind, The,” 126
“Will, The,” 267–68
Willamette Week , 157
William and Mary, College of, 160
Wilson, Robert E., 249
Wilson, William A., 292–93
“Windy City Business Urban Legend, The,” 260
Winn, Dale E., 238
Wolf, Edwin, II, 187
women drivers, 111 , 113–15 , 117 , 126 , 127–28
Woodward, Joanne, 176
Worcester Evening Gazette , 262–63
World Series, 293
World War I, 74–75 , 237–38
World War II, 15 , 73–75 , 86 , 261
Wukasch, Charles, 251–52
“Xeroxlore,” 11
Year of the Rabbit (1988), 151
York Police Department, 239
Young, Brigham, 258
Zeitlin, Steven J., 159
Zimmer, Kenneth, 126
Zimmer, Pat, 126
Zion’s First National Bank, 258