It's an Urban Legend
@ulskeets.bsky.social
Reposting interesting comments on modern folklore. Urban myths, rumors, legends, hoaxes, misconceptions, and apocryphal anecdotes.
I’m the friend of your friend.
North Carolina, United States
I’m the friend of your friend.
North Carolina, United States
Reposted by It's an Urban Legend
I miss when Snopes was all about urban legends and spooky stuff instead of fact checking political shit. It sucks that version never got archived. The internet has had so much of its soul ripped out of it.
December 22, 2025 at 11:03 PM
I miss when Snopes was all about urban legends and spooky stuff instead of fact checking political shit. It sucks that version never got archived. The internet has had so much of its soul ripped out of it.
Reposted by It's an Urban Legend
Was anyone else told urban myths about telephone boxes and weird phone numbers? Another 100-word horror story written for @mulgraveaudio.bsky.social
December 12, 2025 at 3:08 PM
Was anyone else told urban myths about telephone boxes and weird phone numbers? Another 100-word horror story written for @mulgraveaudio.bsky.social
Reposted by It's an Urban Legend
At last we have recreated the “dead granny on the roof rack” from the classic urban myth “we put our dead granny on the roof rack and the car got stolen”
I'm not saying I would do this, but I can absolutely see how you end up doing this the week before Christmas
www.thetimes.com/article/d4e4...
www.thetimes.com/article/d4e4...
Family wheel ‘dead’ British woman on to easyJet flight
The 89-year-old passenger was brought on to the plane at Malaga airport, where she was confirmed to be dead
www.thetimes.com
December 20, 2025 at 12:39 PM
At last we have recreated the “dead granny on the roof rack” from the classic urban myth “we put our dead granny on the roof rack and the car got stolen”
One of my favorite short stories that feels UL-ish is Horacio Quiroga’s “The Feather Pillow” (1907), shortstoryproject.com/stories/the-...
From Bloody Mary to "there was a hook on the handle of the door!", urban legends carve out permanent space in our collective psyche. Here are five short horror stories that capture the feeling of classic urban legends 👻
Five Scary Short Stories That Read Like Urban Legends - Reactor
When dark rumors, local legends, and disturbing memes suddenly become all too real...
reactormag.com
December 22, 2025 at 2:17 AM
One of my favorite short stories that feels UL-ish is Horacio Quiroga’s “The Feather Pillow” (1907), shortstoryproject.com/stories/the-...
Reposted by It's an Urban Legend
All the takes about fake LLM citations reminded me of this very good paper, "Academic urban legends" about how "a decimal point error appears to have misled millions into believing that spinach is a good nutritional source of iron."
journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
Sage Journals: Discover world-class research
Subscription and open access journals from Sage, the world's leading independent academic publisher.
journals.sagepub.com
December 20, 2025 at 11:20 PM
All the takes about fake LLM citations reminded me of this very good paper, "Academic urban legends" about how "a decimal point error appears to have misled millions into believing that spinach is a good nutritional source of iron."
journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
Reposted by It's an Urban Legend
I wonder if my town has a crybaby bridge.
December 21, 2025 at 9:57 PM
I wonder if my town has a crybaby bridge.
Reposted by It's an Urban Legend
I credit the Urban Legends class at Western Kentucky University back in 1987 or 1988 for setting me on the path of skepticism & critical thinking. In the last few years, WKU got rid of a sizable chunk of its folklore studies & its theater minor. These are among many reasons I won't donate to WKU.
December 21, 2025 at 10:46 PM
I credit the Urban Legends class at Western Kentucky University back in 1987 or 1988 for setting me on the path of skepticism & critical thinking. In the last few years, WKU got rid of a sizable chunk of its folklore studies & its theater minor. These are among many reasons I won't donate to WKU.
Reposted by It's an Urban Legend
The Devil You Know is an 8-part podcast series from the CBC and Sarah Marshall (host of You’re Wrong About…) about the Satanic Panic. “These thousands of alleged Satanists were nowhere to be found…” [cbc.ca]
The Devil You Know with Sarah Marshall | CBC Podcasts | CBC Listen
In the 1980s and 90s, Satan and his followers were accused of brainwashing children, sacrificing babies, and infiltrating North American society on a massive scale — yet these thousands of alleged Satanists were nowhere to be found. Even so, the narrative became embedded in our cultural memory, warp
www.cbc.ca
December 17, 2025 at 6:42 PM
The Devil You Know is an 8-part podcast series from the CBC and Sarah Marshall (host of You’re Wrong About…) about the Satanic Panic. “These thousands of alleged Satanists were nowhere to be found…” [cbc.ca]
Reposted by It's an Urban Legend
Do other (non-US) countries have the "Bloody Mary" urban legend? When I was a kid, you went into a dark bathroom and looked into a mirror and said "Bloody Mary come forth" and if you did that enough times she would appear.
December 17, 2025 at 10:35 PM
Do other (non-US) countries have the "Bloody Mary" urban legend? When I was a kid, you went into a dark bathroom and looked into a mirror and said "Bloody Mary come forth" and if you did that enough times she would appear.
Reposted by It's an Urban Legend
Listening to a podcast about local urban legends. Makes me think about that satanic church that someone's brother convinced me was real. Or the piranhas in the public pool. Or that some kid did Bloody Mary in the bathroom by the music room and it made the toilets glow...
December 16, 2025 at 2:16 PM
Listening to a podcast about local urban legends. Makes me think about that satanic church that someone's brother convinced me was real. Or the piranhas in the public pool. Or that some kid did Bloody Mary in the bathroom by the music room and it made the toilets glow...
Reposted by It's an Urban Legend
Sunday morning discussion thread - why does everyone think that every shop on high street is a front for money laundering?
Is this an urban legend? Has anything ever been proved?
Is this an urban legend? Has anything ever been proved?
December 14, 2025 at 9:57 AM
Sunday morning discussion thread - why does everyone think that every shop on high street is a front for money laundering?
Is this an urban legend? Has anything ever been proved?
Is this an urban legend? Has anything ever been proved?
Reposted by It's an Urban Legend
It only took 25 years but we finally made the urban legend AI Furby the NSA was so worried about
New! We worked with the Public Interest Research Group to test a bunch of LLM-driven toys ahead of the Christmas. That sexual talking teddy bear wasn't a one-off; it turns out disturbing behavior is deeply built into these toys across the board.
AI toys for kids talk about sex and issue Chinese Communist Party talking points, tests show
New research from Public Interest Research Group and tests conducted by NBC News found that a wide range of AI toys have loose guardrails.
www.nbcnews.com
December 11, 2025 at 7:11 PM
It only took 25 years but we finally made the urban legend AI Furby the NSA was so worried about
Reposted by It's an Urban Legend
I was today years old when I learned that the official coca-cola website actually has a "you can't actually die from this" page for people who are concerned about coke + mentos at the same time.
December 8, 2025 at 12:21 AM
I was today years old when I learned that the official coca-cola website actually has a "you can't actually die from this" page for people who are concerned about coke + mentos at the same time.
This is an interesting look at the (racist) 🇺🇸 legend about those twins, Orangello and Lemonjello. But little recognized is that rumors of Black twins named Orange and Lemon circulated in the pre-war 🇺🇸 South. No clue whether this influenced the creation of the “Jello” boys legend, but there you go.
December 10, 2025 at 2:08 AM
This is an interesting look at the (racist) 🇺🇸 legend about those twins, Orangello and Lemonjello. But little recognized is that rumors of Black twins named Orange and Lemon circulated in the pre-war 🇺🇸 South. No clue whether this influenced the creation of the “Jello” boys legend, but there you go.
Reposted by It's an Urban Legend
Man i miss old snopes it was the most interesting shit ever when i was a kid even though it did scare me a little
December 9, 2025 at 10:34 PM
Man i miss old snopes it was the most interesting shit ever when i was a kid even though it did scare me a little
Reposted by It's an Urban Legend
I called this the “UFOs are iPhone shy” rule. If you have a supposedly widespread phenomenon (UFOs, the litter box thing, whatever), in the 2020s iPhone era, you should be able to get a dozen pics without breaking a sweat.
No pics? Just some guy swearing he saws it?? In 2025??? Didn’t happen
No pics? Just some guy swearing he saws it?? In 2025??? Didn’t happen
December 6, 2025 at 3:02 AM
I called this the “UFOs are iPhone shy” rule. If you have a supposedly widespread phenomenon (UFOs, the litter box thing, whatever), in the 2020s iPhone era, you should be able to get a dozen pics without breaking a sweat.
No pics? Just some guy swearing he saws it?? In 2025??? Didn’t happen
No pics? Just some guy swearing he saws it?? In 2025??? Didn’t happen
Reposted by It's an Urban Legend
The litter boxes thing is my basic touch point for “the average person is extremely fucking gullible” - despite then being the year of our lord 2024, with every human being in America carrying around an incredible camera 24/7, not one fucking picture was ever presented.
December 6, 2025 at 3:02 AM
The litter boxes thing is my basic touch point for “the average person is extremely fucking gullible” - despite then being the year of our lord 2024, with every human being in America carrying around an incredible camera 24/7, not one fucking picture was ever presented.
Reposted by It's an Urban Legend
Hey, whatever happened with those “teachers are putting litter boxes in schools because kids identify as cats” things? We solve that? Republicans arrested someone right? Wasn’t just totally made up??
December 6, 2025 at 2:56 AM
Hey, whatever happened with those “teachers are putting litter boxes in schools because kids identify as cats” things? We solve that? Republicans arrested someone right? Wasn’t just totally made up??
Reposted by It's an Urban Legend
I am reminded of an urban legend of a woman who gets back at her ex and his new girlfriend by putting prawns in a tubular curtain rail. They never find the source of the stench so move house. The punch line is that they are observed loading the curtain rail into the removal van.
December 7, 2025 at 11:46 AM
I am reminded of an urban legend of a woman who gets back at her ex and his new girlfriend by putting prawns in a tubular curtain rail. They never find the source of the stench so move house. The punch line is that they are observed loading the curtain rail into the removal van.
Reposted by It's an Urban Legend
Cannock Chase is notorious for its modern folklore, a lot of which has been hyped up by grifters, but wild man and British big cat stories are common. I've always see big cat stories as a modern version of black dog phenomena, and if you look you will find accounts stretching back over 100 years
November 29, 2025 at 1:19 PM
Cannock Chase is notorious for its modern folklore, a lot of which has been hyped up by grifters, but wild man and British big cat stories are common. I've always see big cat stories as a modern version of black dog phenomena, and if you look you will find accounts stretching back over 100 years
Reposted by It's an Urban Legend
Currently feeding my longest held interests by reading Adam Allsuch Boardman's An Illustrated History of Urban Legends. It seems to be the best distraction from the world right now.
December 4, 2025 at 8:32 AM
Currently feeding my longest held interests by reading Adam Allsuch Boardman's An Illustrated History of Urban Legends. It seems to be the best distraction from the world right now.
Reposted by It's an Urban Legend
In 1987 ontstond er een urban legend over pedo clown in Nieuwe Pekela. Ik heb de indruk dat de overal verschijnende drones bij vliegvelden een hoog Pekela-gehalte hebben.
December 4, 2025 at 2:32 PM
In 1987 ontstond er een urban legend over pedo clown in Nieuwe Pekela. Ik heb de indruk dat de overal verschijnende drones bij vliegvelden een hoog Pekela-gehalte hebben.
Reposted by It's an Urban Legend
my dad told me that there were blind albino alligators in the nyc sewer system when I was inappropriately young and I believed him until I was well into my 20s because i was a child who didn’t expect her father to amuse himself by telling vaguely plausible lies to children
December 4, 2025 at 3:34 AM
my dad told me that there were blind albino alligators in the nyc sewer system when I was inappropriately young and I believed him until I was well into my 20s because i was a child who didn’t expect her father to amuse himself by telling vaguely plausible lies to children
Wearing pajamas inside-out, putting silverware under pillows, throwing ice cubes at trees: the folk rituals of American children (and adults) to insure a coming snowfall (The Bridgewater [NJ] Courier-News, 3 January 2006) …
December 2, 2025 at 1:52 AM
Wearing pajamas inside-out, putting silverware under pillows, throwing ice cubes at trees: the folk rituals of American children (and adults) to insure a coming snowfall (The Bridgewater [NJ] Courier-News, 3 January 2006) …
Reposted by It's an Urban Legend
I keep seeing Brooklyn Reddit posts with people talking about grapes and chocolate being left outside to hurt dogs. It seemed like sort of an urban legend. Just pulled this off the street. What is wrong with people?
November 29, 2025 at 5:24 PM
I keep seeing Brooklyn Reddit posts with people talking about grapes and chocolate being left outside to hurt dogs. It seemed like sort of an urban legend. Just pulled this off the street. What is wrong with people?