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GOOD LUCK FROM A DEAD SPIRIT WHEN YOU PLAY A NUMBER

IF YOU PUT A GLASS OF WATER UNDER YOUR BED IT WILL MAKE YOUR DEAD
GRANDMOTHER COME BACK TO YOU. HER SPIRIT WILL COME TO YOU AND
BRING YOU GOOD LUCK. IT HAS BEEN KNOWN TO HAPPEN BECAUSE A LADY
GOT RICH THAT WAY. YOU PICK OUT THE NUMBER WHICH YOU WANT TO
COME OUT. AND PUT IT INTO THE GLASS OF WATER. THE SPIRIT OF A
DEAD RELATIVE WILL COME TO GET A TASTE OF THE WATER AND THANK YOU
BY MAKING THE NUMBER COME OUT. THIS WAS PASSED ON TO ME BY MY
GRANDMOTHER. SHE CAME FROM THE SOUTH.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT

James Callow Keyword(s): GAINING WEALTH ; GAMBLING: PLAYING THE NUMBERS

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Ghost Spirit Phantom Specter
BELIEF -- Number

Date learned: 10-00-1974

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MONEY COUNTING

IT IS A SURE SIGN OF A QUICK DOWNFALL TO COME IF
YOU COUNT YOUR WINNINGS WHILE A GAME OF CARDS IS STILL IN
PROGRESS.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT

James Callow Keyword(s): GAMBLING ; MONEY

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Entertainment Diversion

Date learned: 11-17-1969

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PERUSE AND LAMENT

PERUSE AND LAMENT, USED BY CRAP SHOOTERS, IT'S SIMILAR TO
READ 'EM AND WEEP.

Where learned: HOME ; DETROIT ; MICHIGAN, ASSUMED

Keyword(s): GAMBLING ; SEMANTICS

James Callow Keyword(s): DICE ; ELLIPSIS

Subject headings: SPEECH -- Formula
PROVERB -- Proverbial Apothegm Maxim

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IT IS WISE TO RISK NO MORE THAN ONE CAN AFFORD TO LOSE.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT

Keyword(s): GAMBLING MONEY CHANCE

Subject headings: PROVERB -- Proverbial Apothegm Maxim

Date learned: 10-20-1965

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Legend of Writing to Dead People for Lottery Numbers

When writing to dead people for numbers in the lottery, don't cross your t's or dot your i's. And don't use punctuation. At night, put it over a glass of water, under the bed, on top of silver three-pence. A number is to be provided somehow.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Original Boggs Number [B420 429] crossed out and others added: P840, P429, P686

Where learned: DORM ROOM ; Barnett, Michael L

Keyword(s): Clairvoyance ; Gamble ; GAMBLING ; GRAMMAR ; Lottery ; NUMBERS ; RITUAL ; Spell ; SPIRIT ; SUPERNATURAL

Subject headings: Spirit / Mind / Body
BELIEF -- Ghost Spirit Phantom Specter
BELIEF -- Number

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Poor Wording

A number of GI's in England during the war decided to hold a horse race to keep up the morale of the base. For some reason they were short of active animals for the event. Now it happened that the local parish priest had a donkey and they obtained his permission to use it to make up the field. The donkey to the surprise of everyone came in third in the first race. Where upon the camp newspaper came out with the headline "Padre's Ass Shows."

This naturally caused no small scandal among the people of the parish and eventually reached the bishop. However, when called to ask about it by the bishop the padre managed to mollify the good man by explaining it was only an American slang expression. The next day a race was held and the donkey came in first. The paper then announced "Padre's Ass Out in Front."

This called for further episcopal disapproval, but again the padre succeeded in mollifying the bishop. The third day's race the donkey finished second and the paper reported "Padre's Ass back in Place." This was the last straw for the bishop and he ordered the priest to withdraw the animal from the race. The camp then came forth with the sad news: "Bishop Scratches Padre's Ass."

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Original BN [ B667 ] modified: the number zero is written over the seven. Additionally, the entire BN is crossed out and replaced with B660.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT ; Cieslak, John

Keyword(s): AMERICAN ; Anecdote ; Culture Clash ; DONKEY ; European ; GAMBLING ; HORSE ; Jest ; Language ; MILITARY ; NEWSPAPER ; PUN ; RACING ; RELIGION ; SLANG

Subject headings: PROSE NARRATIVE -- Jest Anecdote
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Ethnic Joke: Italian

Three Italian men are talking about their individual sons' success in America. One says to the other two: "My son Luigi, he go to America, he go to college, he becomes a lawyer, he earns $30,000.00 dollars a year!"

On of the other two guys replies "Oh, that's nothing! My son Josephie, he go to America, he go to college, he becomes a doctor, he earns $50,000.00 a year!"
 But the third guy replies "That's Nothing!"

"My Vincenti, he go to America, he doesn't go to college, and he earns $200,000.00 a year!" The other two ask in amazement, "But what does your son do?" He replies, "He's a sports-mechanic. He fixes football games, basketball games, baseball games..."

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs and BN added by TRD

James Callow comment:

The word Italian is written in the top left corner of the submission card.

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

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; UNIVERSITY OF DETROIT ; DETROIT ; Fournier, Rock

Keyword(s): ETHNIC JOKE HUMOR ; GAMBLING ; HUMOR ; Professions ; Stereotype

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

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Superstition: Gambling

Good Luck:

Never win the first hand in a poker game. Otherwise you'll be a sure loser the rest of the night.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Original BN [P880] crossed out and replaced with current classification

Where learned: Myself

Keyword(s): CHANCE ; Entertainment ; FATE ; GAMBLING ; Gaming ; jinx ; LOSERS ; LUCK ; NUMBER ; NUMBERS ; Poker ; SUPERSTITION

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Number

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Entertainment: Gambling

In poker, a full house - aces and eights- is a Dead Man's Hand. Supposedly Wild Bill Hickok had this hand when he died.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Original BN [P880] crossed out/ replaced with current classifications

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT ; Began, Edward

Keyword(s): Aces ; CARDS ; Dead Man's Hand ; DEATH ; Eights ; Entertainment ; Hero ; Legend ; NUMBERS ; Outlaw ; Poker, Gambling ; Wild West

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Secular hero
BELIEF -- Death Funeral Burial
SPEECH -- Folk etymology

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Entertainment: Gambling

Belief:

Aces and Eights - this is the Dead Man's Hand. Wild Bill Hickok was killed in a poler game with this hand.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Original BN [P880] was written twice and crossed out each time/replaced with current classifications

Where learned: SCHOOL ; St Jean, David

Keyword(s): Aces ; CARDS ; Dead Man's Hand ; DEATH ; Eights ; Entertainment ; Hero ; Legend ; NUMBERS ; Outlaw ; Poker, Gambling ; Wild West

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Secular hero
BELIEF -- Death Funeral Burial
SPEECH -- Folk etymology

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Belief: Luck

Winning Streak:

Many coaches won't change a suit, socks or some particular piece of clothing if they have a winning streak going.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

Where learned: Myself

Keyword(s): BELIEF ; CLOTHING ; CUSTOM ; Entertainment ; GAMBLING ; jinx ; LUCK ; SPORTS ; SUPERSTITION

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Entertainment Diversion
BELIEF -- Fate Destiny Luck Chance

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Play on Words


There is a secret method of coming back from Vegas with a small fortune: Go with a large fortune.

Submitter comment:

He heard it from a friend.

Data entry tech comment:

Motif added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Submission card located in pile marked These don't sound traditional - Do Not File Yet.

Where learned: D'Anna, Ben

Keyword(s): fortune ; GAMBLING ; HUMOR ; Large ; MONEY ; PUN ; SIZE ; Small ; Vegas

Subject headings: PROSE NARRATIVE -- Jest Anecdote

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Proverb

Lucky in cards, unlucky in love.

Submitter comment:

Informant was told this by his grandfather in Florida.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

Where learned: HOME ; MICHIGAN ; DETROIT ; Morris, Alain ; 16520 Santa Rosa

Keyword(s): Aphorism ; Apothegm ; CARDS ; GAMBLING ; LOVE ; LUCK ; Maxim ; PROVERB ; VERSE

Subject headings: PROVERB -- Proverbial Metaphor

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HOLDING DICE IN YOUR HAND AND BLOWING ON THEM IS
SUPPOSED TO BRING YOU GOOD LUCK IN A DICE GAME.

Data entry tech comment:

Updated by TRD

Where learned: NOT GIVEN

Keyword(s): BELIEF ; Blow ; BREATH ; Breathe ; CUSTOM ; DICE ; GAMBLING ; GAME ; Gaming ; LUCK ; SUPERSTITION

Subject headings: Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Special Object or Implement
BELIEF -- Good luck P881.22

Date learned: NOT GIVEN

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MONEY COUNTING

IT'S A SURE SIGN OF A QUICK DOWNFALL TO COME IF
YOU COUNT YOUR WINNINGS (MONEY) WHILE A GAME OF CARDS IS
STILL IN PROGRESS.

Data entry tech comment:

Informant and collector are the same person.
 

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT

James Callow Keyword(s): GAMBLING ; MONEY

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Entertainment Diversion

Date learned: 11-17-1969

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