Back to Top
Top Nav content Site Footer
University Home
James T. Callow Computerized Folklore Archive
search for

Offensive content Filter is ON

Your search for Me returned 3064 results.

prev | items
| next

RIDDLE

QUESTION: IF YOU HAD 1,000 MEN AND I HAD 1,000 MEN AND WE
WERE AT WAR, WHO WOULD WIN?
LISTENER: I GIVE UP.
ANSWER: I WIN. YOU JUST GAVE UP.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DEARBORN HEIGHTS

Keyword(s): MEN (Q) ; UP (A)

Subject headings: RIDDLE -- Riddle Question

Date learned: 03-00-1970

View just this record

JOHN C. WOBBLESQUAW

HE WAS MY FATHER,S GREAT, GREAT, GRANDFATHER ON HIS MOTHER,S SIDE.
ACCORDING TO THE LEGEND, HE BUILT MACKINAC ISLAND.
HE HAD A GIRLFRIEND ACROSS THE STRAITS, AND HE USED TO LIKE TO SEE
HER, SO HE WOULD SWIM ACROSS THE STRAITS. HE SAW LITTLE WHITE STONES
ON THE LOWER PENINSULA SIDE AND HE USED TO TAKE THEM TO HER.
NOW HE WAS A STRONG FELLOW, BUT HE TIRED WITH ALL THE STONES WHILE
SWIMMING, SO HE USED TO DUMP THEM IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STRAITS.
THIS WAS A HOT ROMANCE, BUT HE COULDN,T GET ACROSS THE STRAITS WITH
SOME MORE STONES. THAT,S HOW HE BUILT MACKINAC ISLAND. BECAUSE IF YOU
GO THERE TODAY, YOU CAN SEE THE LITTLE WHITE STONES IN THE SAND.

 

or something like that.

Where learned: MARYGROVE COLLEGE ; DETROIT

Keyword(s): AMERICAN INDIAN ; STONES USED TO MAKE BRIDGE NOW A HISTORIC PATH ; STONES USED TO MAKE BRIDGE OF LOVE

Subject headings: PROSE NARRATIVE -- Creation and Order of Universe
PROSE NARRATIVE -- Human Being
PROSE NARRATIVE -- Formation
PROSE NARRATIVE -- Lie Tall tale

Date learned: 00001968 FALL

View just this record

Language

Tongue Twister Verse:

As I was passing through Arkansas, I saw a saw that could outsaw any saw I ever saw.

So, if you're ever passing through Arkansas and see a saw that can outsaw the saw I saw, I'd like to see the saw you saw as you were passing through Arkansas.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

Alternative possible spelling of Collector's last name: Datson, Datser

James Callow comment:

Already typewritten as Prose.

Keyword(s): Arkansas ; Detroit ; GAME ; Language ; Prose ; PUZZLE ; Saw ; TONGUE TWISTER ; VERSE

James Callow Keyword(s): Prose ; TONGUE TWISTER ; VERSE

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

View just this record

Retort

Age before beauty.

Beauty was a horse.

Submitter comment:

Heard during college days

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

Where learned: OHIO

Keyword(s): BEAUTY ; Black ; COMEBACK ; HORSE ; INSULT ; RETORT ; SARCASM ; Wisecrack

Subject headings: SPEECH -- Formula

View just this record

Retort

What do you wnat? Eggs in your beer?

Submitter comment:

I heard this repeatedly when playing baseball in childhood days.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Something besides this must come first?

Usually in Singular?

Keyword(s): BEER ; COMEBACK ; Eggs ; INSULT ; RETORT ; SARCASM ; Wisecrack

Subject headings: SPEECH -- Formula

View just this record

Retort

Smart Aleck Saying:

Deaf in one ear, and can't hear in the other.

Data entry tech comment:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:American_folklorists

Keyword(s): COMEBACK ; DEAF ; Ear ; Hearing ; INSULT ; RETORT ; SARCASM ; Wisecrack

Subject headings: SPEECH -- Formula

View just this record

Retort

A) "You dance very well."

B) "I wish I could say the same about you."

A) "Oh, you could, if you were as big a fibber as I am!"

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Retort? Double A! A gives the punch line, not B.

The original Title [Smart Aleck Saying] has been crossed out. Replaced with current classification.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT

Keyword(s): COMEBACK ; DANCE ; Fibber ; INSULT ; Liar ; RETORT ; SARCASM ; Wisecrack

Subject headings: SPEECH -- Formula

View just this record

Language

Tongue Twister:

Betty Botta bought some butter. "But," she said, "this butter's bitter. If I put it in my batter, it will make my batter bitter. But a bit o' better butter will but make my batter better." So she bought a bit o' butter, better than the bitter butter, made her bitter batter better. So 'twas better Betty Botta bought a bit o' better butter.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Something similar (but shorter) already typed as prose.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; Jekabson, Martha ; 16765 Beech Daly ; REDFORD

Keyword(s): ALLITERATION ; Baking ; Batter ; Butter ; COOKING ; Dearborn Heights ; GAME ; Language ; MICHIGAN ; Prose ; PUZZLE ; Redford ; TONGUE TWISTER ; VERSE

James Callow Keyword(s): Prose ; TONGUE TWISTER ; VERSE

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

View just this record

Potus Sack

In Ireland, people wear potus sacks around their neck to ward off illness.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT ; Jeff Pope ; 8100 E McNichols

Keyword(s): Holistic ; ILLNESS ; IRELAND ; MEDICINE ; Potus

James Callow Keyword(s): ILLNESS

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Means of Causing or Avoiding Illness

View just this record

Belief

Take a large piece of Alum and put it in your back pocket and it will cure anything.

Data entry tech comment:

Contributed to Folklore Archive; December 1967.

Motifs Added by TRD

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT ; EJ Murphy ; Patient

Keyword(s): BELIEF ; CURE ; DOCTOR ; Medicinal ; MINERAL ; Patient

James Callow Keyword(s): BELIEF ; MEDICINE

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Mineral

View just this record

Warm Blood

Vivien's mother would drink warm blood from the butcher shop to prevent disease and sickness.

Data entry tech comment:

Stamped into Archive; December 1969

Motifs added by TRD

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT ; Parker, Vivien

Keyword(s): BLOOD ; Butcher ; ILLNESS ; MEDICAL ; PREVENTATIVE MEDICINE ; PREVENTION ; Vampire ; Vampirism

James Callow Keyword(s): PREVENTATIVE MEDICINE ; Warm Blood

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Means of Causing or Avoiding Illness

View just this record

Remedy - Animal

Whoever carries the right eye of a wolf fastened inside his right sleeve, remains free from all injury.

Where learned: INDIANA ; Boggs, Elizabeth ; VEEDERSBURG

Keyword(s): "NATURAL" REMEDY ; AMULET ; ANIMAL ; BELIEF ; CLOTHING ; CURE ; Injury ; MEDICAL ; PREVENTION ; talisman

James Callow Keyword(s): "NATURAL" REMEDY ; ANIMAL ; BELIEF ; REMEDY

Subject headings:

View just this record

Remedy: Animal

Whoever carries the right eye of a wolf fastened inside his right sleeve, remains free from all injury.

Data entry tech comment:

Motif added by T.R. Davidson

Where learned: INDIANA ; Boggs, Elizabeth ; VEEDERSBURG

Keyword(s): "NATURAL" REMEDY ; ANIMAL ; CLOTHING ; PREVENTION ; REMEDY ; Wolf

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Animal

View just this record

Omen

A cat on board a ship will keep death and disaster away.

Data entry tech comment:

Motif added by T.R. Davidson

Where learned: CANADA ; ONTARIO ; Grove, Hugh ; TORONTO

Keyword(s): CAT ; DEATH ; Disaster ; Nautical ; OMEN ; PREVENTION ; Ship

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Means of Causing or Avoiding Illness

View just this record

Japanese Snake Medicine

Japanese may eat snakes because of their belief in its medicinal value, especially when charred black.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by T.R. Davidson

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT ; Yamauchi, Wilson

Keyword(s): ANIMAL ; COOKING ; Culinary ; CURE ; Japanese ; MEDICINE ; Natural Remedy ; PREVENTION

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Animal

View just this record

Curing Belief

Use leeches on a sick person to rid him of the illness. This takes out the diseased blood.

Submitter comment:

"Curing Belief" collected at informant's home.

Data entry tech comment:

Motif added by TRD.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT ; Zimmeth, Barbara ; 19225 STOTTER

Keyword(s): "NATURAL" REMEDY ; Bloodletting ; CURE ; ILLNESS ; Leaching ; LEECHES ; REMEDY ; REMEDY

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Remedy

View just this record

Numerology

If you are not sure of a true or false answer on a test, take the number of the question, divide it by 2 (drop the fraction if there is one), and add 7 to that number. If the final answer is even, then the answer to the question is true, and if odd, the answer is false.

Data entry tech comment:

Motif submitted by TRD.

Where learned: APARTMENT ; Addison, Emerson

Keyword(s): Cheat ; MATHEMATICS ; NUMEROLOGY ; TEST ; True or False

James Callow Keyword(s): NUMEROLOGY

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Use of Object

View just this record

Nine Times Tables

Easy way to multiply by nine:

1x9=9

2x9=18

3x9=27

4x9=36

5x9=45

6x9=54

7x9=63

8x9=72

9x9=81

Count from one to eight for the first didgits top down, and then again from the bottom up (for the second digits).

Data entry tech comment:

Possible name variations for Collector: Cuisloh, Crisloh, Cisloh

Possible name variations for Informant: Frabiky, Frabilsy, Zrabiky, Zrabilsy
 

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT ; Frabiky, Carl

Keyword(s): Arithmetic ; Calculation ; Cheat ; COUNTING ; MATHEMATICS ; MULTIPLICATION ; Multiplication Tables ; NUMBERS

Subject headings: CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- Numbers System of counting Calculation

View just this record

Belief

If you drop salt on the floor, shake salt over your left shoulder or there will be a catastrophe of fire or disappointment.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Various Boggs number classifications written down and crossed out:

P686

P860 = Use of Object

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT ; Mousseau, Mary

Keyword(s): CATASTROPHE ; DISAPPOINTMENT ; FIRE ; Salt ; SUPERSTITION

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Conversions P883.17

View just this record

Belief

If you drop salt on the floor, shake salt over your left shoulder or there will be a catastrophe of fire or disappointment.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Various Boggs number classifications written down and crossed out:

P686

P860 = Use of Object

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT ; Mousseau, Mary

Keyword(s): CATASTROPHE ; DISAPPOINTMENT ; FIRE ; Salt ; SUPERSTITION

Subject headings:

View just this record

prev | items
| next

Back to Top