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Your search for FRENCH returned 17 results.

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LE PETIT POUCET

LE PETIT POUCET UN JOUR
AU BOIS VOULET FAIRE UN TOUR
IL ECOUTAIT LES VISEAUX
CHANTER AU GORD DU RUISSEAU IL FAISAIT AVEC DES FLEURS
UN BOUQUET DE TROIS COULEURS
QUANT LE JOUR ALLAIT FINIR
IL NE SAVAIT PLUS OU REVENIR
UN GRAND LOUP LE LENDEMAIN
VOULUT LUI MONTRER LE CHEMIN
NON, NON, MONSIEUR, MAMAN HA DIT
NE SOYEZ PAS UN ETOURDIT A LECOLE ON NOUS APPREND
QUE LE LOUP EST IGNORANT.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT ; WALSH COLLEGE

James Callow Keyword(s): FRENCH?

Subject headings: Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Custom Festival C840.360

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LIMERICK

ONE NIGHT A YOUNG AMOROUS SIOUX
HAD A DATE WITH A MAIDEN HE KNIOUX
THE CORONER LATER FOUND
THAT THE COUPLE HAD DROWNED
PADDLING A LEAKY CANIOUX

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT

Keyword(s): ACCIDENT ; CACOGRAPHY ; CANOE ; DEATH ; FRENCH SPELLING ; RHYME: AABBA

Subject headings: Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Narrative Verse

Date learned: DATE NOT RECORDED BY COLLECTOR.

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NEW YEAR'S DAY

ON NEW YEAR'S EAT GOURMET FOOD.

Submitter comment:

INFORMANT'S FAMILY ALWAYS EATS FRENCH FOODS ON NEW YEAR'S BECAUSE
THEY FEEL THAT IF THEY EAT WELL ON NEW YEAR'S THEN THEY WILL EAT
WELL ALL THROUGH THE YEAR.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; GROSSE POINTE WOODS ; 505 HOLLYWOOD ; informant's home

Keyword(s): BLASON POPULAIRE ; FOOD PREDICTION ; FRENCH FOOD

Subject headings: 870
CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- January 1 New Year's
CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- Fixed DateFor specific dates, use the following system: F640.0101
CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- December 21 solstice to March 20
Food Drink -- Typical menus for the various meals For meal hours, see F574.84. Special or festive meals
BELIEF -- Measure of time Year
PROVERB -- Blason Populaire

Date learned: 03-05-1971

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OLE PETE BATEESE

OLE PETE BATEESE GOT CHASE ONE NIGHT
BY WOLF UP BY THE SOO.
DESE WOLF DEY T'REE, FOUR IN DE PACK
AND DEY SCARE HIM TRU AND TRU.
PRETTY SOON OLE PETE CLIMB UP A TREE;
HE T'INK HE STAY AWHILE.
DESE WOLF DEY SIT DOWN IN DE SNOW
AND LICK DERE CHOPS AND SMILE.
PETE QUICK TWO WOLF GO TROT AWAY;
PETE T'INK DE REST SOON GO.
PRETTY QUICK DESE WOLF COME RIGHT STRAIGHT BACK;
PETE'S SPIRITS DEY SINK LOW.
FOR W'AT YOU T'INK DESE WOLF DEY GOT?
BIG BEAVER- ONE? NO- TWO!
DEY SET DEM DOWN BESIDE DAT TREE
AND SAY, "BY GAR, NOW CHEW."
DOSE BEAVER START IN CHEW DAT TREE;
DEY CHEW LIKE BEAT DE BAND.
PETE T'INK HE SOON BE ON DE GROUN'
UNLESS HE TAKE A HAND.
SO PETE PULL OUT HIS ONE-QUART HOOCH
AND LET IT RUN OUT SLOW.
IT TRICKLE DOWN DE TRUNK TO WHERE
DOSE BEAVER CHEW BELOW.
DOSE BEAVER DEY GOT DRUNK, BY GAR.
DEY DON'T SEE NONE TOO GOOD.
DEY MAKE MISTAKE AND CHEW DE WOLF
INSTEAD OF CHEW DE TREE.
DOSE WOLF RUN 'WAY, AND PETE CLIMB DOWN
AND SIT DOWN IN DE SNOW.
AND CRY AND CRY TO T'INK FOR WHERE
HIS ONE-QUART HOOCH SHE GO.

Submitter comment: THIS POEM IS RECITED ON WEEKEND PARTIES BY
CHEERS FROM THE LOGGING CREWS.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; SAGINAW

James Callow Keyword(s): FRENCH DIALECT

Subject headings: Favorites
Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Narrative Verse

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"ZE SKUNK, ZE SKUNK"

I HUNT ZE BEAR; I HUNT ZE WOLF;
SOMETIMES I HUNT ZE RAT.
LAS' WEEK I TAKE MY AX
AN' HUNT ZE SKUNK POLECAT.
MY FRIEND JACQUES SAYS HE'S VER' GOOD FUR,
AN' SOMETIME GOOD TO EAT.
I TELL MY WIFE I GET FUR COAT
AN' SAME TIME GET SOME MEAT.
I WALK TWO, T'REE, FOUR MILE.
I FEEL WAN AWFUL SMELL.
I SAY DIS SKUNK HE'S UP AND DIE,
AN' FUR COAT GONE TO HELL.
BIMEBY I SEE ZE SKUNK,
CLOSE UP BY ONE BEEG TREE.
I SNEAK UP VERA CLOSE BEHIN',
AN' T'INK HE'S NO SEE ME.
BIMEBY I'M CLOSE UP BY ZE SKUNK.
I RAISE MY AX UP HIGH,
WHEN ... UP, KERPLUNK, DIS DAM', DAM' SKUNK
SHE'S T'ROW SOMET'ING IN MY EYE.
SACRE BLU! I T'INK I'M BLIN'.
GEE WHIZ! I CAN NO SEE!
I WALK ROUN' AN' ROUN' AN' ROUN'
AN' BUMP IN DAM' OL' TREE!
BIMEBY I DROP MY AX
AN' LIGHT OUT FOR DA SHACK.
I T'INK A MILLION SKUNKS
DEY CLIM' UPON MY BACK.
MY WIFE SHE MEET ME AT DA DOOR.
SHE SEEK ON ME DA DOG.
SHE SAY."YOU NO SLEEP HERE TONIGHT.
YOU GO SLEEP MIT DA HOG."
I TRY TO CLIM' IN HOG PEN.
GEE WHIZ! NOW WHAT YOU TINK?
DAT DAM' O' HOG NOT STAN' FOR DAT
ON 'COUNT OF AWFUL STINK.
NO MORE I'M HUNT ZE SKUNK POLECAT
TO GET HIS FUR OR MEAT.
FOR IF HIS BREATH HE SMELL SO BAD,
GEE WHIZ WHAT EEFF HE SPEET.

Submitter comment: THIS POEM WAS USUALLY RECITED AROUND A FIRE ON
SATURDAY NIGHTS AT THE LOGGING CAMP.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; SAGINAW

Keyword(s): LOGGING POEMS

James Callow Keyword(s): FRENCH DIALECT ; SPIT

Subject headings: Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Narrative Verse

Date learned: 03-04-1990

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GENERAL DE GAULLE WAS BUYING CEMETERY PLOTS.
THE GUY SAID IT COST $2,000. DE GAULLE SAID, "ISN'T
THAT QUITE A BIT--I ONLY PLAN ON STAYING THREE DAYS."

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; UNIVERSITY OF DETROIT ; DETROIT

James Callow Keyword(s): FRENCH ; RESURRECTION IMMORTALITY

Subject headings: Favorites
PROSE NARRATIVE -- Secular hero
PROSE NARRATIVE -- Man

Date learned: 11-30-1967

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GENERAL DE GAULLE WAS BUYING CEMETERY PLOTS.
THE GUY SAID IT COST $2,000. DE GAULLE SAID, "ISN'T
THAT QUITE A BIT--I ONLY PLAN ON STAYING THREE DAYS."

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; UNIVERSITY OF DETROIT ; DETROIT

James Callow Keyword(s): RESURRECTION IMMORTALITY FRENCH

Subject headings: Favorites
PROSE NARRATIVE -- Secular hero
PROSE NARRATIVE -- Man

Date learned: 11-30-1967

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ONE HAND IN THE CROOK OF THE OTHER RAISED (CLENCHED
FIST) ARM MEANS "FUCK YOU" IN ITALIAN.

Submitter comment: PARDON MY "FRENCH"

Where learned: DETROIT ; MICHIGAN, ASSUMED

Keyword(s): FRENCH, IN THIS CASE, MEANS BAD LANGUAGE. ; INTERCOURSE

Subject headings: SPEECH -- Derision Scorn
Filter - Mature Content

Date learned: 12-00-1971

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FINGERNAIL OF THUMB SNAPPED FROM A FRONT UPPER
TOOTH MEANS "FUCK YOU."

Submitter comment: PARDON MY "FRENCH."

Where learned: DETROIT ; MICHIGAN, ASSUMED

Keyword(s): FRENCH=FOUL LANGUAGE ; SLANG

Subject headings: SPEECH -- Derision Scorn
PROVERB -- Blason Populaire
Filter - Mature Content

Date learned: 12-00-1971

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Ethnic Joke: French

Historical record from James Callow Folklore Archive.

There was this couple engaged to be married. He was a Frenchman, while she was American. Her father gives her advice about her fiance: "Daughter, don't marry a frenchman!" But father, I love this man very much, I'm sure he will be fine. Her father repeats his warning: "Don't marry a Frenchman, because in six months, he'll ask you to "Change ends!" Don't worry father, everything will be ok. So, they got married.

What do you know, but six months later, while they are in bed, the Frenchman says "Honey, would you mind changing ends, just for tonight?" The girl gets a little angry and says "I should have listened to my father, he was right about you Frenchmen!" The frenchman replied, "But honey, Don't you want to have any children?"

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs and BN added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Submission card was located in a pile marked To Be Classified.

Where learned: RENO HALL ; DORM ROOM ; Fournier, Rock

Keyword(s): ETHNIC JOKE ; FRENCH ; HOMOSEXUALITY ; Innuendo ; MARRIAGE ; REFERENCE TO SEXUAL INTERCOURSE ; SEXUAL EUPHEMISM ; Stereotype

Subject headings: Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- C566

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Proverb

Pierre qui roule n'amasse pas mousse.

[A rolling stone gathers no moss]

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Trans. by Mrs. K.J. Uniechowski

Located in pile marked Duplicates and Other Rejects

Where learned: Floyd, Phylis

Keyword(s): Busy ; FRENCH ; Language ; LAZY ; METAPHOR ; Moss ; Rolling ; Sedentary ; STONE

James Callow Keyword(s): ANIMATED NATURE

Subject headings: PROVERB -- Proverbial Metaphor

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Proverb

French Proverb:

Nothing succeeds like success

Submitter comment:

Heard in course of conversation with fellow teachers.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

Where learned: MINNESOTA

Keyword(s): Aphorism ; Apothegm ; ETHNIC ; FRENCH ; Maxim ; PROVERB ; SUCCESS ; VERSE

Subject headings: PROVERB -- Proverbial Apothegm Maxim

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LE GNOMME ROUGE

THE CITY OF DETROIT HAS A FRENCH ORIGIN. BOTH CADILLAC AND
FATHER RICHARD GREATLY AIDED THE CITY'S FOUNDING. BOTH OF
THESE MEN WERE ADVISED BY "LE GNOMME ROUGE". THIS LITTLE
MAN HELPED IN MAKING IMPORTANT DECISIONS. MANY OF THE CITIZENS
SAW HIM FROM TIME TO TIME. HE WAS LAST SEEN IN 1806 DURING THE
DETROIT FIRE AND IN 1943 DURING THE RACE RIOTS. AT THAT TIME,
SOME CITIZENS SAW HIM, OPENLY SOBBING, WALKING THE STREETS
OF DOWNTOWN.

Submitter comment:

BILL GORMAN HEARD THIS, I WOULD THINK, FROM TRADITIONAL SOURCES.

Data entry tech comment:

SPELLING CORRECTED BY KEYPUNCHER.

Updated by TRD

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DEARBORN ; Gorman, William

Keyword(s): Detroit ; FRENCH ; Le Gnomme Rouge ; Legend ; Lore ; The Nain Rouge

James Callow Keyword(s): COMPARE THE GRAY CHAMPION OF NATHANIEL HAWTHORNE

Subject headings: Favorites
BELIEF -- Ghost Spirit Phantom Specter

Date learned: 07-08-1964

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CHRISTMAS CUSTOM

FRENCH CANADIANS EAT MINCE MEAT PIE ON CHRISTMAS BECAUSE IT IS AN
OLD, TRADITIONAL CUSTOM.

Data entry tech comment:

Updated by TRD

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT ; Wells, Donald

Keyword(s): Canadian ; CHRISTMAS ; CUSTOM ; ETHNIC ; FOOD ; FRENCH ; holiday ; meat ; Mincemeat ; Pie ; REGIONAL ; tradition

Subject headings: 122 Christmas

Date learned: 03-30-1968

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NAMING A RIVER

THE RIVRE ROUGE WAS NAMED BY THE FRENCH EXPLORER LASALLE
IN THE 17 TH CENTURY. AS HE WAS PASSING THROUGH THE AREA
LASALLE NOTICED THE NUMBER OF RED BERRY BUSHES ALONG THE
RIVERS EDGE. THE SUNS RAYS PASSED THROUGH THE BUSHES AND
ON TO THE WATER'S SURFACE. THIS CAUSED THE
WATER TO HAVE A REDDISH OR ROUGE GLOW, THUS THE RIVER RECEIVED
ITS NAME.

Submitter comment:

MR. BARRY PICKED THIS UP DURING HIS MANY YEARS AS A ROUGE PLANT
WITH FORD MOTOR.

Data entry tech comment:

Updated by TRD

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DEARBORN ; Barry, James

Keyword(s): 17th Century ; ETYMOLOGY ; Explorer ; FRENCH ; Lasalle ; Legend ; Origin ; River Rouge ; Rouge

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Explanation of a name

Date learned: SUMMER 1963

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NAMING A RIVER

THE RIVRE ROUGE RUNNING THROUGH DEARBORN WAS NAMED BY
THE FRENCH EXPLORER LASALLE, BACK IN THE
17TH CENTURY, WHILE TRAVELLING
SOUTH ON THE DETROIT RIVER, LASALLE SAW A TRIBUTARY AND
PROCEEDED TO FOLLOW IT INLAND. NOTICING THAT IT HAD A
REDDISH COLOR, HE NAMED IT "LE RIVRE ROUGE". THE WATER
APPEARED RED BECAUSE OF THE RED CLAY RIVER BASE.

Submitter comment:

MR. BARRY IS A FORD MOTOR GUIDE, AND I BELIEVE HE
LEARNED THIS, OR INVENTED IT, DURING HIS YEARS ASA
TOURIST GUIDE.

Data entry tech comment:

Updated by TRD

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DEARBORN ; Barry, James

Keyword(s): Detroit ; ETYMOLOGY ; FRENCH ; Lasalle ; Naming ; Red ; River Rogue

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Explanation of a name

Date learned: SUMMER 1963

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LE GNOMME ROUGE

THE CITY OF DETROIT HAS A FRENCH ORIGIN. BOTH CADILLAC AND
FATHER RICHARD GREATLY AIDED THE CITIES FOUNDING. BOTH OF
THESE MEN WERE ADVISED BY 'LE GNOMME ROUGE.' THIS LITTLE
MAN HELPED IN MAKING IMPORTANT DECISIONS . MANY OF THE CITIZENS
SAW HIM FROM TIME TO TIME. HE WAS LAST SEEN IN 1806 DURING THE
DETROIT FIRE AND IN 1943 DURING THE RACE RIOTS. AT THAT TIME,
SOME CITIZENS SAW HIM, OPENLY SOBBING, WALKING THE STREETS
OF DOWNTOWN. BILL GORMAN HEARD THIS, I WOULD THINK, FROM TRADITIONAL
SOURCES.

Data entry tech comment:

Updated by TRD

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DEARBORN

Keyword(s): Cadillac ; Detroit ; ETYMOLOGY ; FESTIVAL ; FRENCH ; Gnomme Rouge ; Legend ; Nain Rouge ; Origin ; RACE ; Riots

Subject headings: PROSE NARRATIVE -- Ghost Spirit Phantom Specter
PROSE NARRATIVE -- Explanation of a name

Date learned: 07-08-1964

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showing 17 items

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