49 Some good primary references (Urban legends)
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This article is from the Urban legends FAQ, by Terry Chan tchan@dante.lbl.gov and Peter van der Linden linden@eng.sun.com with numerous contributions by others.
49 Some good primary references (Urban legends)
Cecil Adams (_The Straight Dope_, 1984, ISBN 0-345-33315-2, _More of the
Straight Dope_, 1988, ISBN 0-345-35145-2, _Return of the Straight
Dope_, 1994, ISBN 0-345-38111-4, all published by Ballantine Books).
Author of "The Straight Dope" Q&A column of _The Chicago Reader_ and
is syndicated in many alternative newspapers. Worth reading if only
for for his writing style. You can e-mail his editor, Ed Zotti, at
ezotti@merle.acns.nwu.edu.
Alfie Kohn, _You Know What They Say...The Truth About Popular Beliefs_,
1990, ISBN 0-06-092115-3, Harper. Pretty good book with, get this,
*references* to stuff in the back. This is a good habit which some
of you folks may want to try sometime...
Paul Krassner (ed.), _Best of the Realist_, 1984, ISBN 0-89471-287-X,
Running Press. The worst thing about _BotR_, is that the reprints
aren't dated. Otherwise the book is a must, especially for the
generation X crowd: articles by Lenny Bruce, Richard Pryor, Robert
Anton Wilson, Terry Southern, Mae Brussel, and Margo St. James; art
by Rodrigues, S. Clay Wilson, and the pre-carp Richard Guindon. Not
to mention "The Parts Left Out of the Kennedy Book", "The Case of
the Cock-Sure Groupies" (the Plaster Casters), and an illegal Groucho
Marx quote: "I think the only hope this country has is Nixon's
assassination." [Unfortunately, this appears to be out of print.]
G. & C. Merriam Co., _Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary_, 1977, ISBN
0-87779-348-4. Great bedside reading. Check it out sometime.
There's also the OED, but Bruce Tindall has first dibs on it.
William Poundstone (_Big Secrets_, 1983, Quill, ISBN 0-688-04830-7,
_Bigger Secrets_, 1986, Houghton-Mifflin, ISBN 0-395-53008-3,
and _Biggest Secrets_, Quill (Wm. Morrow), ISBN 0-688-13792-X).
Sorry, it's a secret. Peter Trei says the stuff on Masons is total
BS, but then, he WOULD say that. Perhaps the weakest of the lot
though still on target and somewhat interesting for the most part.
Jesse Sheidlower (ed.), _The F-Word,_, Random House, 1995, ISBN
0-679-76427-5. But only if you give a fuck.
Bruce Tindall and Mark Watson, _Did Mohawks Wear Mohawks? And Other
Wonders, Plunders, and Blunders_, Quill - William and Morrow, 1991.
ISBN 0-688-09859-2. Damn good book (even if his father did write
_America: A Narrative History_) with only one wrong entry so far.
Just don't believe what they say about dalmatians, humans, and urea.
You can even e-mail Bruce on the net at tindall@mercury.interpath.net
to blast 'im.
And wouldn't you know it, the next installment which is appalling
named _How Does Olive Oil Lose Its Virginity?_ is out. For even
more GS check out ISBN #0-688-12681-2 by William and Morrow, 1994.
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