The James T. Callow Computerized Folkore Archive | University of Detroit Mercy Libraries

I remember how in grade school days my brother and I would yell out "shotgun" as we ran to the car for a ride. This word claimed a seat by the window for whoever could shout first.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

Keyword(s): Car ; ETYMOLOGY ; Language ; Origin ; Shotgun ; SLANG ; Window ; WORDS

Subject headings:

SPEECH -- Folk etymology

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riddle

Question: What's black and white and red all over?

Answer: A newspaper.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

Keyword(s): Black ; COLOR ; Homophone ; Language ; NEWSPAPER ; PLAY ON WORDS ; PUN ; Read ; Red ; RIDDLE ; White ; WORDPLAY

Subject headings:

RIDDLE -- Riddle Question

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Language

Greeting:

"Good Morning, Glory!"

Submitter comment:

This was my grandmother's greeting to me in the morning

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

the words [not used] are written in the top left of the submission card

Keyword(s): FLOWER ; Glory ; GREETING ; Language ; MORNING ; Morning glory ; PLAY ON WORDS ; WORDPLAY

Subject headings:

SPEECH -- Formula

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Language

Get Lost!:

A humorous putdown which is self-explanatory: "make like a tree and leave"

Submitter comment:

This saying circulates among Mary's friends and has also caught on in our family.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Leave-Taking?

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; Burt, Mary T. ; Lansing ; 2819 TULANE DR

Keyword(s): HUMOR ; INSULT ; Language ; Leave ; PLAY ON WORDS ; PUN ; Tree ; WORDPLAY

Subject headings:

SPEECH -- Formula

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Language: Rhyme

Mary had a little lamb

The doctor had a fix

'Til Old Macdonald had a farm

Then the doctor quit.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

Where learned: Hoy, Linda

Keyword(s): DOCTOR ; Farm ; JOKE ; Lamb ; Language ; Mary ; Old MacDonald ; PLAY ON WORDS ; poem ; PUN ; RHYME ; VERSE ; WORDPLAY

Subject headings:

Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Lyrical Verse Lyrical Verse

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Language: Rhyme

If you get to Heaven

'Fore I do

Punch a little hole

And pull me through

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

Keyword(s): HEAVEN ; Hole ; Language ; PLAY ON WORDS ; poem ; PUN ; RHYME ; VERSE ; WORDPLAY

Subject headings:

Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Lyrical Verse Lyrical Verse

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Language

Historical record from James Callow Folklore Archive.

In this genre the fanciful name of the author in combination with the supposed title of the book produces a verbal irony, the import of which is most often obscene or scatalogical.

The Tiger's Revenge - Claude Balls

Hole in the Mattress - Mr. Completely

Hawaiian Romance - Komona Wanna Laiya

Russian Pastime - Ivben Jackinoff

Seventeenth Century England had something like title-author jokes. They were fake book lists with authors who were real people whom the crown was harrassing supposedly speaking on long winded topics.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

Where learned: Journal of American Folklore ; Doyle, Charles ; Title Author Jokes Now and Long Ago

Keyword(s): Author ; BOOK ; Fictional ; HUMOR ; OBSCENE ; PLAY ON WORDS ; PUN ; SCATOLOGICAL ; Title

Subject headings:

Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Ill humor Ridicule Mockery
Filter - Mature Content

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Riddle

What's black and white and red all over?

Variations of answers:

1) Newspaper
2) Skunk with a diaper rash
3) Penguin with a sunburn
4) Blushing zebra

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs Added by TRD

Where learned: TENNESSEE ; NASHVILLE ; Furtwengler, Marsha

Keyword(s): Black ; Blush ; Brain Teaser ; COLOR ; Diaper Rash ; JOKE ; NEWSPAPER ; PLAY ON WORDS ; PUN ; Red ; RIDDLE ; SKUNK ; Sunburn ; White ; WORDPLAY ; Zebra

Subject headings:

RIDDLE -- Riddle Question

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Language

after a twenty minute argument with his cousin, Jim hollored this parting statement: "Make like a tree and leave!"

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs Added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Leave-Talking?

Better-Taunt?

Original BN [C730.329] crossed out. Replaced with current classification.

Where learned: Cropper, James ; BOSTON ; Massachusetts

Keyword(s): Leave ; Leave Talking ; PLAY ON WORDS ; PUN ; TAUNT ; Tree ; WORDPLAY

Subject headings:

--
SPEECH -- Formula

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Language

Taunt:

Make like a tree and leave.

Submitter comment:

Informant Used in School.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs Added by TRD

Keyword(s): Leave ; PLAY ON WORDS ; PUN ; TAUNT ; Tree ; WORDPLAY

Subject headings:

SPEECH -- Formula

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Verse

The Tutor:

A tutor who tooted the flute
Tried to teach two young tooters to toot;
said the two to the tutor,
"Is it harder to toot, or
To tutor two tooters to toot?"

Submitter comment:

Origin: Grandmother: Sarah Lipchinsky, New York City

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs Added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Verse?

Where learned: Kline, Cynthia ; Bagley School

Keyword(s): ALLITERATION ; Flute ; Language ; MUSIC ; PLAY ON WORDS ; PUN ; RHYME ; Teach ; TONGUE TWISTER ; Toot ; Tutor ; Youngster

James Callow Keyword(s): TONGUE TWISTER

Subject headings:

SPEECH -- Formula

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Language

Tongue Twister:

Blue bottom trousers, buttons made of brass, loose around the ankles tight around the ass. Ask me any questions surely I won't tell, if you don't believe me you can go to WELL...hello operator give me number nine; if the line is busy give me back my dime.

Other endings might be "you look like frankenstein" or any "-ine" ending.

Submitter comment:

He learned it in school when he was about 10 or 11

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs Added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Taste? Also, Verse?

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT ; Buterokos, Dino

Keyword(s): Blue ; Button ; Dime ; GAME ; Jump Rope ; Language ; Operator ; PLAY ON WORDS ; PUN ; RHYME ; SONG ; TONGUE TWISTER ; Trousers ; WORDPLAY