Definition: An urban legend is a story that is believed to be true by the teller, even though it is distorted, exaggerated, sensationalized, or completely false.
One unique aspect of urban legends is that they become widely known very quickly through different methods of viral communication, particularly with blogging and e-mail communications. Often the teller claims the story happened to a "friend of a friend," which gives the story an illusion of credibility.
Also Known As: contemporary legend, apocryphal story, folklore, friend of a friend story, FOAF story
Common Misspellings: erban legend, irban legend, urbin legend, urban lejend, urban legand
Examples:
The Neiman Marcus rumor about charging a customer $250 for a chocolate chip cookie recipe is a retail urban legend.
