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Entertainment: Catch Tale

Catch Tale Designed to Make Listener Ridiculous and/or Surprised:

Speaker: "I can make a match burn twice."

Listener: "How?"

Speaker: "Watch."

Speaker lights match and then blows it out, whereupon he quickly touches the skin of the listener with the still hot match, thus making it "burn" twice.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Original BN [B667] crossed out. F536 written next to it.

Where learned: Myself

Keyword(s): Catch Riddle ; CATCH TALE ; Diversion ; Entertainment ; MATCH ; MATCHES ; RIDDLE

Subject headings: CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- Entertainment Diversion

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Entertainment: Catch Tale

TELL VICTIM YOU CAN MAKE A MATCH BURN TWICE. LIGHT MATCH, AND BLOW
OUT. THEN STICK THE TIP INTO THE VICTIM'S HAND.

Data entry tech comment:

Edited on 11-30-2010/ added Motifs,Keywords,BN. -TRD

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT

Keyword(s): CATCH ; Catch Riddle ; CATCH TALE ; Diversion ; Entertainment ; MATCH ; MATCHES ; MOCK EPIC FIRE

Subject headings: CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- Entertainment Diversion

Date learned: 11-16-1968

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Prank

In LeRoy, N.Y. a common prank would be to call a person on the telephone and tell him you were from teh water department. You would ask him to fill up his bathtub, since the water was to be off for the next day. The pranksters had no connections with the water department, and people would be without use of bathtubs for the night.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

Where learned: Myself

Keyword(s): Bathtub ; Diversion ; Entertainment ; PRANKS ; TELEPHONE PRANK ; Water Department

Subject headings: CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- Entertainment Diversion

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Prank

TeePee-ing Houses:

A group of people go to a house late at night and throw toilet paper up into the trees, decorate the shrubbery and generally create a real mess.

Submitter comment:

This was done to my house by a group of friends who had attended Roosevelt High School in Wyandotte, MI. It was done in May of 1968. It seems that this was not an uncommon practice for them to do to their friends.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

Where learned: Myself

Keyword(s): Amusement ; CUSTOM ; Diversion ; Entertainment ; JOKE ; PRACTICAL JOKE ; Prank ; Shrubbery ; Toilet Paper

Subject headings: CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- Entertainment Diversion

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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

Subject headings: -- .C750520

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Entertainment: Games

Hide and Seek Call:

When playing hide and seek, and the person who is it cannot find everyone, he calls out "Ally Ally in Free" and all those who are still hidden come out of their places to hide again for the next game.

Submitter comment:

The informant learned it from the other kids in the neighborhood

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Original Bn [C524, S70] crossed out. Replaced with current classification

Where learned: HOME ; Symons, Margaret

Keyword(s): CHILD ; CHILDREN ; Diversion ; Entertainment ; GAMES ; Play

Subject headings: Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Game Verse C750.520

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Entertainment: Games

Jump Rope Song:

Two, four, six, eight, time to transubstantiate.

Submitter comment:

The informant learned it from neighborhood friends

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Original BN [C570] crossed out. replaced with current classification

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; UNIVERSITY OF DETROIT ; DETROIT ; Turanski, Bob

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

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

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Entertainment: Games

Jump Rope Song:

Catch me, Catch me, Catch me if you can.

Submitter comment:

The informant learned it from the neighborhood kids

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Original BN [C570] crossed out. Replaced with C750.560

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; UNIVERSITY OF DETROIT ; DETROIT ; Turanski, Bob

Keyword(s): CHILD ; CHILDHOOD ; Diversion ; Entertainment ; Play

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

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Entertainment: Game

Method of Choosing "IT":

To choose an "it," all of the players put both feet in a  circle and let one person say; "engine, engine, number nine; going down Chicago Line; If the train falls off the track, do you want your money back?" The person could then respond Yes or No. The choice he picked is the number of feet more the count is advanced - (yes=3, no=no) and that person is excluded. This keeps up until only one is left.

Submitter comment:

The informant learned it from his buddies.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Original BN [C570] crossed out. Replaced with current classification.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; UNIVERSITY OF DETROIT ; DETROIT ; Turanski, Bob

Keyword(s): CHILDHOOD ; Diversion ; Elimination ; Entertainment ; GAME ; Play

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

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Entertainment: Game

Jump Rope Song:

Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, go upstairs / Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, say your prayers / Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, turn out the light / Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, say goodnight.

Submitter comment:

The informant learned it from her friends.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Original BN crossed out / Replaced with C750.560

Where learned: HOME ; Koski, Janet

Keyword(s): CHILD ; Diversion ; Entertainment ; GAME ; Jump Rope ; Play

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

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Entertainment: Game

Jump Rope Song:

Mable, Mable, set the table. Don't forget the salt, but don't forget the red hot peppers. (when "red peppers" is said, the rope is spun faster.)

Submitter comment:

The informant learned it from neighborhood kids.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Original BN [C570] crossed out / replaced with current classification

Where learned: Symons, Margaret

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

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

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Entertainment: Game

TEDDY BEAR, TEDDY BEAR
GO UPSTAIRS/ TEDDY BEAR, TEDDY BEAR SAY YOUR PRAYERS/ TEDDY BEAR,
TEDDY BEAR TURN OFF THE LIGHT/ TEDDY BEAR, TEDDY BEAR SPELL
GOODNIGHT/ G-O-O-D-N-I-G-H-T/ ROPE IS SKIPPED ONCE FOR EACH LETTER
RECITED.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD - 02-22-2011

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; PORT HURON

Keyword(s): Diversion ; GAME ; Jump Rope ; Play ; RHYME ; Stairs ; Teddy Bear ; VERSE

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

Date learned: 10-30-1972

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Entertainment: Games

Chant From Calling In People Who Are Still Hidden in Hide and Seek:

"Come in oh, Come in, oh; If you don't come in, you're it."

Submitter comment:

The informant learned it from his friends.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Original BN [C570] crossed out. Replaced with current classification.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; UNIVERSITY OF DETROIT ; DETROIT ; Pawlik, Jim

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

Subject headings: -- .C750520

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showing 13 items

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