'Dhúirt bean liom gur dhúirt bean leí' syndrome

Dhúirt bean liom gur dhúirt bean leí is an Irish language term sometimes used to explain the origins of myths and urban legends. It translates as a woman told me that a woman told her that... It combines myth and legend with Chinese whispers to produce an erroneous story that if it had any fact at all has long lost it as the 'story' spread and was adapted in the telling.

Another, similar term is "FOAF" (Friend of a friend).