RETORT

WHEN SOMEONE ASKS YOU IF YOU HAVE A MATCH, YOU CHEERILY ANSWER BACK:
"YEAH, DAFFY DUCK AND SPIRO AGNEW." OR "SURE -- ME AND SUPERMAN."

Submitter comment: I OBTAINED THIS ONE WITHOUT EVEN ASKING FOR IT.

Where learned: UNIVERSITY OF DETROIT ; TOLD AT

James Callow Keyword(s): BRAG BOAST ; CARTOON CHARACTER DAFFY DUCK ANIMAL ; VICE-PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: SPIRO AGNEW

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Story

The recruit would go around the base in a constant search looking for a piece of paper. He would go through elaborate to attract attention [sic]. He would turn over rocks, pick up other pieces of paper or what have you. After each act he would exclaim "no, that's not it!" Finally he got the attention of the camp doctors who then had him confined. Finally the doctors deemed him unfit for service and gave him a medical discharge. Then the guy said he finally found the right piece of paper.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Original Bogg Number [B600] crossed out and replaced with B646

Where learned: NAVY ; Myself

Keyword(s): Discharge ; FEIGNED INSANITY TO GET OUT OF MILITARY SERVICE. ; Fool ; INSANITY ; INSANITY ; Mental Disorder ; MILITARY ; Parable ; Recruit ; Sanity ; Wise Fool

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Jokes

A man walked into a rest-room and seen a ten dollar bill laying on a table. As he picked it up and started to put it ini his pocket he heard a weird voice say: "I'm the ghost of Betty Grable and I say the ten dollar bill stays on the table." The man grew frightened, threw the ten dollar bill back on the table and ran out.

Another man walked in , picked up the ten dollar bill and started to walk out. Again the voice came and repeated the same line. The man laughed and put the ten dollar bill back on the table and walked out. A third man came in and picked up the ten dollar bill and put it in his pocket. As he was leaving he heard the haunting voice say: "I'm the ghost of Betty Grable and I say the ten dollar bill stays on the table." The man smiled, and said: "*I am the ghost of Davy Crockett, and I say the ten dollar bill stays in my pocket!"

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs Added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Original BN [B667] crossed out and replaced with B660

Editing marks for spelling errors. ( crossed out an errant tin the word laughed).

Where learned: Myself

Keyword(s): Anecdote ; BATHROOM ; Betty Grable ; Davy Crockett ; GHOST ; GHOSTLY VOICES ; Jest ; MONEY ; Voice ; Wit

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Mnemonic Device

When one is having problems spelling the word arithmetic, just remember the sentence: "A Rat In The House May Eat The Ice Cream."

Submitter comment:

Informant's teacher told this to him when he was in third grade in 1956 at St. Francis D'Assisi School in Detroit, MI.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

BN V300 used due to previous entries/classifications using the same mnemonic device.

James Callow comment:

Mnemonic Device; Spelling

Where learned: HOME ; MICHIGAN ; DETROIT ; Garland, Joseph ; 5931 LOLA

Keyword(s): Arithmetic ; MATHEMATICS ; MEMORY ; MNEMONIC ; SCHOOL ; SPELLING

James Callow Keyword(s): Mnemonic Device ; SPELLING

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Mnemonic Device

The following sentence has been used in grade schools in aiding the memory of spelling arithmetic: A Rat In The House May Eat The Ice Cream.

Submitter comment:

During the informant's grade school years (1961-3) at Beard School in Detroit this mnemonic device was used.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

BN V300 was chosen because of previous entries and classifications with this exact mnemonic device.

James Callow comment:

The original BN [C534] is crossed out and the word Mnemonic is written next to it.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT ; Argnian, Alice ; 7109 LEXINGTON

Keyword(s): Arithmetic ; MATHEMATICS ; MEMORY ; MNEMONIC ; Mnemonic Device ; SCHOOL ; SPELLING

James Callow Keyword(s): Mnemonic Device ; SPELLING

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Spelling Aid

Arithmetic: A Rat In Tom's House May Eat Tom's Ice Cream.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

BN V300 and MNEM chosen due to previous/existing classification of such entries using the same mnemonic device.

James Callow comment:

Original BN [A784] Crossed out and replaced with the term Mnemonic Device.

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

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; UNIVERSITY OF DETROIT ; DETROIT ; Kampman, Diane

Keyword(s): Arithmetic ; EDUCATION ADVICE ; MATHEMATICS ; MEMORY ; Mnemonic Device ; SPELLING

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Spelling Aid

Geography - George Eats Old Gray Rats And Paints Houses Yellow.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TR.Davidson

V300 and MNEM chosen due to previous entries of similar or exact substance using these classifications.

James Callow comment:

Original BN [A784] crossed out and the term mnemonic device is written next to it.

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

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; UNIVERSITY OF DETROIT ; DETROIT ; Kampman, Diane

Keyword(s): EDUCATION ; EDUCATION ADVICE ; GEOGRAPHY ; MNEMONIC ; Mnemonic Device ; SPELLING

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Mnemonic Device

A mnemonic Device for remembering the names of the Great Lakes:

H.O.M.E.S.

----------

H.uron

O.ntario

M.ichigan

E.rie

S.uperior

Submitter comment:

It is rather vague where, when or who I learned this from, But I do remember it!

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: OHIO ; FOURTH GRADE CLASS ; Teacher ; Brownhelm School

Keyword(s): EDUCATION ; EDUCATION ADVICE ; GEOGRAPHY ; GREAT LAKES ; MEMORY ; MNEMONIC ; Mnemonic Device

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Mnemonic Device

S,P,D,F

Stupid People Die First

(Shells Permitted in Atomic Orbitals)

Data entry tech comment:

Motif and BN added by TRD

BN selected by previous similar classifications.

James Callow comment:

Submission card located in a pile marked To Be Classified.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; UNIVERSITY OF DETROIT ; DETROIT ; Frank, Glenna

Keyword(s): Atomic ; MNEMONIC ; Mnemonic Device ; Stupid People

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Play on Words

Play on Words:

Paradox: Casey and Kildare...

(Pair of doc's)

Submitter comment:

Val Zelnick. Heard long ago in grade-school. It is a way of remembering the word and its meaning, besides being a play on words.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs and BN added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Original BN [S300] crossed out. Nothing is written to replace it.

Submission card located in a pile marked To Be Classified.

Where learned: ELEMENTARY SCHOOL ; Zelnick, Valentine

Keyword(s): Doctors ; MNEMONIC ; Mnemonic Device ; PARADOX ; SATIRE OF DOCTORS ; Wit ; WORDPLAY

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Mnemonic Device

-Vibgyor-

One of my art teachers tried to make it easier for us to remember colors and their place on the color wheel so she introduced to us -vibgyor-pronounced vib-gee-or.

Submitter comment:

This method works every time - I now remember them (the colors).

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs and BN added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Submission card located in pile labeled To Be Classified.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; GROSSE POINTE WOODS ; Lauri, Sara

Keyword(s): ART ; COLOR ; EDUCATION ; EDUCATION ADVICE ; MEMORY ; MNEMONIC ; Mnemonic Device

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Superstition: Academics

Belief:

Don't shave from the time of studying for an exam until the student takes the exam.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Original BN [P880] crossed out and F537 is written next to it.

Where learned: SCHOOL ; MICHIGAN ; DETROIT ; Myself

Keyword(s): Academics ; BELIEF ; Books ; EDUCATION ; EDUCATION ADVICE ; GROOMING ; jinx ; Shaving ; Studying ; SUPERSTITION

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Mnemonic Device

ARITHMETIC = A Rat In The House Might Eat The Ice Cream.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs and BN added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Original Bn [C890] crossed out.

Submission card located in pile marked [?]

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT ; Darmanin, Adelina ; 1448 Junction

Keyword(s): Arithmetic ; MATHEMATICS ; MEMORY ; MNEMONIC ; Mnemonic Device ; SCHOOL ; SPELLING

James Callow Keyword(s): Mnemonic Device ; SPELLING

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Mnemonic Device

Memory Verse:

In Italian:

"Le Vocali"

Ah, che cose strombe!

L'A con due gambe;

L'E con tre braccia;

L'O tondo in faccia.

Curioso e L'U

Che guarda in su;

Ma il piu carino

L'I col puntino.

In English:

Oh, what strange things!

The A with two legs;

The E with three arms;

The O's round face.

Different is the U that looks up;

But the cutest one is the I with the dot.

Submitter comment:

The TIalian children use this little rhyme to help remember the vowels

Data entry tech comment:

Motif and BN added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Original BN [C534] is crossed out. No replacement

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT ; VALENTES MENS FORMALWEAR ; Pino, Giovanni

Keyword(s): Italian ; MEMORY ; MNEMONIC ; Mnemonic Device ; RHYME ; Vowels

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Graffiti

When you're up to your ass in alligators, it's hard to remember that your primary objective was to drain the swamp.

Submitter comment:

Graffiti regarding final examinations and the purposes of education.

Data entry tech comment:

BN and Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Upper left hand corner, the name JIM: is written.

Bottomright hand corner, the name Dick Kowalczyk is written.

Where learned: UNKNOWN

Keyword(s): Alligators ; EDUCATION ; EDUCATION ADVICE ; GRAFFITI

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Entertainment: Games

"It":

One of several methods of determining who would be "it" in games like tag and hide and seek was found in the following rhyme:

Lincoln, Lincoln, I been thinking,

What the world have you been drinking?

It ain't bourbon, it ain't wine,

Oh My God, it's turpentine!

All the participants put one foot into a circle. One goes through this rhyme and eliminates the participants one at a time. The one who is left is it.

Submitter comment:

I often used this methid to determine who would be it in the games in Washington DC (1950's)

Data entry tech comment:

motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Original BN [C500, C750, C500.1; S555] crossed out. Replaced with current classification

Where learned: Myself

Keyword(s): CHILD ; CHILDREN ; Choice ; Diversion ; Entertainment ; GAME ; Play ; RHYME

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Custom: Animal

Animal:

The men that work in the coal mines feed the mice in the mines. They do this because the mice save their lives. Just before a mine avalanche, the mice will squeal and scurry on the ground, warning the miners of the oncoming danger.

Submitter comment:

My mother's father worked in a coal mine in Penna. [Pennsylvania?] and actually experienced this.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Original BN [P752] crossed out. Replaced with current classification

Where learned: HOME ; MICHIGAN ; DETROIT ; Majkowski, Catherine

Keyword(s): ANIMAL ; Danger ; Mice ; Mine ; Mines ; Mouse ; OMEN ; Signal ; WARNING

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Superstition

Protection Against Vampires:

Garlic is a charm to be used against vampires.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Original BN [P400] crossed out. Replaced with current classification

Where learned: ENGLAND ; Wurman, Tom ; WORCESTER

Keyword(s): Garlic ; Lore ; MYTH ; Protection ; Protective ; SPICE ; SUPERSTITION ; Vampire

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Proverb

Life is what you make it.

Submitter comment:

From Someone about 30 years ago.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Original BN [V200] crossed out. Replaced with current classification.

Located in pile marked Duplicates and Other Rejects.

Where learned: Regan, M

Keyword(s): Choices ; LIFE ; WISDOM

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