Merriam-Webster's Word Central

February 02, 2013

folklore (noun): \FOHK-lohr\
What does it mean?: : customs, beliefs, stories, and sayings of a people handed down from generation to generation
How do you use it?: Groundhog's Day is a much-loved bit of American folklore, but few people believe that the groundhog's behavior really foretells how long winter will last.
Are you a word wiz?: Which of the following are examples of folklore?

A. horror stories by Stephen King and Dean Koontz

B. tall tales about Pecos Bill and John Henry

C. love poems by Percy Shelley and John Keats

D. television shows about space aliens and other planets

Tall tales, fables, myths, legends, even superstitions and customs are all examples of folklore. African folklore includes stories about Anansi, the sly spider; Arabian folklore gave us the tales of the _Arabian Nights_; and European folklore immortalized characters from Cinderella to Rumpelstiltskin. The word "folklore" is a translation of the German name for such tales.