Strange superstitions
Discussion
Years ago in my local pub, I passed someone on the stairs up to the toilets, and as I got to the bottom of the stairs, I was convinced I heard him mutter 'w
ker'.
I recently found out that some people think it is bad luck to pass people on stairs, so my confusion over this has finally been put to rest.
What the hell is wrong with people? And, do you know any folks with bizarre superstitions?
ker'. I recently found out that some people think it is bad luck to pass people on stairs, so my confusion over this has finally been put to rest.
What the hell is wrong with people? And, do you know any folks with bizarre superstitions?
I knew a bloke who was ex SAS, no nonsense bloke, he used to salute at magpies or if there were a certain amount he used to do a fake spit motion.
He served a lot with Gurkhas in Borneo and they told him to never cross knives, I.e. if you put utensils in the sink the blades must not cross? Weird.
He served a lot with Gurkhas in Borneo and they told him to never cross knives, I.e. if you put utensils in the sink the blades must not cross? Weird.
My gran used to fully crush eggshells before putting them in the bin, 'so the witches can't use them to sail away to sea'. Once at sea in their eggshells, apparently, witches could conjure up a storm and sink ships with it. A quick google shows that this is a fairly common superstition, or at least common enough to have appeared online enough times that google can find references to it.
I crush them too, but only as a fond memory of her.
I crush them too, but only as a fond memory of her.
paulguitar said:
Years ago in my local pub, I passed someone on the stairs up to the toilets, and as I got to the bottom of the stairs, I was convinced I heard him mutter 'wker'.
I recently found out that some people think it is bad luck to pass people on stairs, so my confusion over this has finally been put to rest.
What the hell is wrong with people? And, do you know any folks with bizarre superstitions?
I first read that as you going 'up' the stairs!ker'. I recently found out that some people think it is bad luck to pass people on stairs, so my confusion over this has finally been put to rest.
What the hell is wrong with people? And, do you know any folks with bizarre superstitions?
It's a very old superstition, going back to when the unguarded side of stairs had no bannister and tripping while going 'down'.
However, sometimes it has sense. You were coming 'down' the stairs, it's a sod harder to hurt yourself tripping 'up' the stairs.
In the USA the OSHA even to this day actually states it's advisable to not pass on stairs. Why? To avoid slipping, tripping and importantly, falling (downwards). It's why most have handrails. It's not as if it's unheard of, falling 'down' the stairs is it?
But hey ho.
njw1 said:
james6546 said:
My grandma has to leave through a different door than she came in.
How does she manage that...? 
Like if she goes to a house with only one door does she climb out of a window??
It also only seems to be at visitors houses, not her own.
james6546 said:
My grandma has to leave through a different door than she came in.
And my best friend wouldn’t let me run through a graveyard a couple of days ago. We had to walk
I have had the opposite And my best friend wouldn’t let me run through a graveyard a couple of days ago. We had to walk
Enter one door and they don't want you to leave via a different one
Apparently it's bad ju ju
Caddyshack said:
I knew a bloke who was ex SAS, no nonsense bloke, he used to salute at magpies or if there were a certain amount he used to do a fake spit motion.
He served a lot with Gurkhas in Borneo and they told him to never cross knives, I.e. if you put utensils in the sink the blades must not cross? Weird.
Sounds like my BIL , named John maybe ?He served a lot with Gurkhas in Borneo and they told him to never cross knives, I.e. if you put utensils in the sink the blades must not cross? Weird.
Caddyshack said:
I knew a bloke who was ex SAS, no nonsense bloke, he used to salute at magpies or if there were a certain amount he used to do a fake spit motion.
He served a lot with Gurkhas in Borneo and they told him to never cross knives, I.e. if you put utensils in the sink the blades must not cross? Weird.
Quite a common one. Both my wife and mother were very particular about that.He served a lot with Gurkhas in Borneo and they told him to never cross knives, I.e. if you put utensils in the sink the blades must not cross? Weird.
And my wife was most insistent about not crossing on the stairs. She would get quite annoyed and would back up, or down, to avoid it.
Edited by CanAm on Sunday 31st December 08:58
I have heard most of these, although the spitting at magpies no.
If you tried to cross my grandparents on the stairs you got a clip.
The different door things, yep again grandparents. Although it was mostly done at new year or during funerals / wakes. Also in church you never left through the same door.
My mrs wont let you cross cutlery and also says the same about mono brows.
If you tried to cross my grandparents on the stairs you got a clip.
The different door things, yep again grandparents. Although it was mostly done at new year or during funerals / wakes. Also in church you never left through the same door.
My mrs wont let you cross cutlery and also says the same about mono brows.
Caddyshack said:
I knew a bloke who was ex SAS, no nonsense bloke, he used to salute at magpies or if there were a certain amount he used to do a fake spit motion.
He served a lot with Gurkhas in Borneo and they told him to never cross knives, I.e. if you put utensils in the sink the blades must not cross? Weird.
That is very common. Top Gear discussed this - from 4min's in: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Msb1cFuXoc0&t=...He served a lot with Gurkhas in Borneo and they told him to never cross knives, I.e. if you put utensils in the sink the blades must not cross? Weird.
My mum was full of them. Stairs, magpies, black cats, walking under ladders. All sources of bad luck for the unwary.
She was an intelligent and (mostly) rational person and didn't really believe any of it, but she did enjoy the telling. I think those superstitions were a small ritual that kept alive a connection with the long-gone grannies and aunties who had passed them on down the generations to her.
She was an intelligent and (mostly) rational person and didn't really believe any of it, but she did enjoy the telling. I think those superstitions were a small ritual that kept alive a connection with the long-gone grannies and aunties who had passed them on down the generations to her.
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