Don’t Step Under a ClotheslineSouthern Superstition and Appalachian Folklore

A long-standing Southern and Appalachian superstition: stepping under a clothesline-especially while pregnant-will tangle the baby’s umbilical cord. In some tellings, it can also bring bad luck to the household or "twist your fate."

#SouthernFolklore #PregnancyandBirth

Origin

This belief came from the rural South and mountain communities where laundry was strung outdoors and birth lore ran deep.

Symbolically, crossing or ducking under a line was seen as "twisting" something that ought to stay straight-an echo of older European folk logic where knots, cords, and crossings carried magical weight.

Appalachian midwives and mothers carried the warning forward into the twentieth century, mixing everyday chores with spiritual caution. It wasn’t meant as fearmongering so much as simple folk wisdom: why risk it when babies were already fragile and the world was full of signs?

Notes

Some families broadened the rule to everyone in the house: *"Never walk under a clothesline-it tangles luck."* Pregnant women, especially, were told to step around it or wait till the wash was down. Others said hanging clothes at night or leaving laundry out past dark could "invite spirits to wear it."

Legacy

Though most Southerners smile at it today, this superstition lives on in family stories and old-timers’ talk. It captures the poetic mix of practicality and belief that shaped rural life-where a humble piece of twine could bridge the worlds of housework and motherhood.

Kin Topics

Pregnancy and Birth

How to Cite This Page

APA (7th edition)
The Hillbilly Dude. (2025, October 7). Don’t Step Under a ClotheslineSouthern Superstition and Appalachian Folklore. HillbillySlang.com. https://www.hillbillyslang.com/folklore/dont-step-under-a-clothesline
MLA (9th edition)
"The Hillbilly Dude." "Don’t Step Under a ClotheslineSouthern Superstition and Appalachian Folklore." HillbillySlang.com, 7 Oct. 2025, https://www.hillbillyslang.com/folklore/dont-step-under-a-clothesline.
Chicago (17th edition)
The Hillbilly Dude. "Don’t Step Under a ClotheslineSouthern Superstition and Appalachian Folklore." HillbillySlang.com. October 7, 2025. https://www.hillbillyslang.com/folklore/dont-step-under-a-clothesline.

Dislaimer

What you're reading here is old Southern folklore and storytelling - not medical advice, and not meant to guide health, or pregnancy decisions (especially pregnancy decisions!). These tales are part of how folks once made sense of the world, passed down from grandparents and midwives.

If you have any medical questions or concerns, talk with a qualified healthcare professional.

Learn more on the Folklore hub page.