8. Snake Oil

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This phrase has been used for years as a kind of catch-all phrase for treatments that do not work. In fact, real snake oil may have some medicinal value. It is believed that it was brought to America by Chinese laborers who were working on the Transcontinental Railroad. The laborers reportedly rubbed the snake oil on their aching joints to help alleviate pain. Since then it has been discovered that snake oil actually has anti-inflammatory properties, and may indeed help relieve pain.