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MILITARY SAYING
DO WHAT YOU ARE TOLD TO DO, WHEN YOU ARE TOLD TO DO IT, AND THEN
GO SIT ON YOUR ASS.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; REDFORD
James Callow Keyword(s): ADVICE: POSITIVE ; CYNICISM
| Subject headings: | PROVERB -- Proverbial Apothegm Maxim |
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 |
PROVERB: UN-FIRM FOUNDATION
A HOUSE BUILT ON SAND WILL NOT STAND.
Where learned: NOT GIVEN ; VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY
| Subject headings: | PROVERB -- Proverbial Metaphor |
Date learned: 08-09-1968
PROVERBIAL METAPHOR: DEFENSIVENESS
YOU CAN BUILD A WALL OF DEFENSE HIGH ENOUGH THAT EVENTUALLY YOU
CAN SIT ON IT AND WATCH THE WORLD GO BY.
Where learned: NOT GIVEN ; PEABODY COLLEGE, ASSUMED
| Subject headings: | PROVERB -- Proverbial Metaphor |
Date learned: 03-21-1968
IF YOUR LEFT EYE ITCHES, MEANS YOU ARE GOING TO BE PLEASED.
Where learned: NOT GIVEN ; TENNESSEE, ASSUMED
| Subject headings: | Observation BELIEF -- Body part Senses Eyes, evil eye BELIEF -- Sensations and involuntary actions Itching eye |
THE HUNCHBACK
AN IRISH WOMAN WAS BAKING BREAD. HER HUSBAND CAME HOME ON NIGHT
AND STATED THAT SHE WOULDN'T FINISH HER TASK BY 12 MIDNIGHT. SHE
SAID, IF THE DEVIL COMES AND STANDS IN THIS DOOR, I'M GOING TO
FINISH THIS BREAD TONIGHT} WHILE SHE WAS BAKING, A LOG FROM THE
FIREPLACE FLEW OUT AND HIT HER ON HER BACK. THAT IS HOW THE
HUNCHED BACK CAME TO BE.
Where learned: DETROIT ; TOLD AT COLLECTORS HOME
| Subject headings: | PROSE NARRATIVE -- Physically handicapped Deformed Food Drink -- Manner of preparation Process BELIEF -- Devil Demon |
Date learned: 03-15-1970
I WAS ALWAYS TOLD NOT TO WALK ON THE GRASS IN THE SPRINGTIME
OR ELSE DANDELIONS WOULD GROW IN THE SPOTS WHERE I WALKED.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; SAGINAW
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Plant BELIEF -- Product or activity of man or animal |
IT HAS BEEN SAID THAT IF YOU LIE ON THE GRAVE OF SOMEONE ON
HALLOWEEN NIGHT AT MIDNIGHT, YOU WILL BECOME POSSESSED BY THE
SPIRIT OF THAT PERSON. THE ONLY WAY TO RID YOURSELF OF THE
SPIRIT IS TO PERFORM THE SAME ACT ON THE NEXT HALLOWEEN.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; SAGINAW
| Subject headings: | CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- October 31 Halloween BELIEF -- Ghost Spirit Phantom Specter BELIEF -- Measure of time WeekDayHour |
Date learned: 04-01-1990
IT'S BAD LUCK TO COME IN THE FRONT DOOR AND GO OUT THE BACK...
OR VICE VERSA.
Where learned: TENNESSEE ; RICHMOND
Date learned: 07-01-1973
MAY THE BIRD OF KNOWLEDGE
CRAP ON YOUR HEAD.
Where learned: NOT GIVEN
| Subject headings: | Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Autograph Verse Wisecracks, gags, silly stories, insults |
Date learned: 06-00-1967
COUNTING OUT
APPLES, PEACHES, PEARS, AND PLUMS,
TELL ME WHEN YOUR BIRTHDAY COMES.
THIS IS DONE TO DETERMINE AN "IT" FOR A GAME. ALL PLAYERS
PUT ONE FOOT INTO A CIRCLE AND THE "SAYER" GOES AROUND
SAYING ONE WORD ON EACH FOOT. THE PERSON WHO THE RHYME
ENDS ON TELLS THE "SAYER" HIS BIRTHDATE. THE COUNTER THEN
COUNTS DOWN THE MONTH AND DATE AND THE PERSON ON WHO IT
ENDS IS "OUT." THE LAST PERSON TO REMAIN IS THE "IT."
Where learned: OHIO, ASSUMED ; CINCINNATI
| Subject headings: | Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Game Verse Game Verse |
Date learned: 00-00-1953
RIDDLE
QUESTION: IF I HAD ONE THOUSAND MEN AND YOU HAD ONE THOUSAND
MEN AND WE WERE AT WAR, WHO WOULD WIN?
LISTENER: I GIVE UP.
ANSWER: I WOULD BECAUSE YOU JUST GAVE UP.
Where learned: OHIO ; CINCINNATI ; 45238
| Subject headings: | RIDDLE -- Riddle Question |
Date learned: 11-00-1968
IF YOU GET TO HEAVEN BEFORE I DO,
BORE A HOLE AND PULL ME THROUGH,
BUT IF YOU DON'T AND IT GET HOT
PEPSI COLA HITS THE SPOT.
Where learned: NOT GIVEN
James Callow Keyword(s): POP SODA
| Subject headings: | Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Autograph Verse Wisecracks, gags, silly stories, insults |
Date learned: NOT GIVEN
ARABIAN MAXIM (TRANS.)
IT IS ALWAYS BEST TO GET TWO BIRDS WITH ONE STONE.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; UNIVERSITY OF DETROIT ; DETROIT ; CAMPUS
Keyword(s): HUNTING
| Subject headings: | PROVERB -- Proverbial Metaphor |
Date learned: 08-00-1967
THE STORY OF THE WEREWOLF
THE ORIGINAL WEREWOLVES WERE WOLVES, NOT PEOPLE. THEY WERE FROM
TRANSYLVANIA. WHEN THEY BIT PEOPLE, THEY TURNED THEM INTO WEREWOLVE
AND THE NEW WEREWOLVES COULD BITE OTHER PEOPLE AND TURN THEM INTO
WEREWOLVES. WHENEVER THE FULL MOON COMES OUT, THE WEREWOLVES SEARCH
AROUND FOR OTHER PEOPLE TO BITE, ESPECIALLY CHILDREN. THEY ALSO
COMMIT OTHER KINDS OF DASTARDLY ACTS, LIKE BURNING DOWN HOUSES
WHEN PEOPLE ARE IN BED. THE ONLY WAY YOU CAN SAVE YOURSELF FROM A
WEREWOLF IS BY SHOOTING HIM WITH A SILVER BULLET.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; UNIVERSITY OF DETROIT ; DETROIT
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Werewolf Vampire |
Date learned: 11-19-1968
COUNTING OUT RHYME
MEMBERS OF A GROUP HOLD OUT BOTH HANDS, FISTS CLENCHED. A
LEADER, WITH FIST CLENCHED, TAPS EACH MEMBER'S HANDS WHILE
SINGING OR SAYING THE FOLLOWING DITTY. EACH HAND IS TAPPED
ONCE FOR EACH WORD, AS IN EENY, MEENY, MINNY, MO.
ONE POTATO, TWO POTATO, THREE POTATO, FOUR,
FIVE POTATO, SIX POTATO, SEVEN POTATO, OR.
THE MEMBER WHO IS TAPPED ON THE WORD "OR" IS ELIMINATED.
HE HOLDS THE FIST THAT WAS TAPPED BEHIND HIS BACK. IF
BOTH FISTS ARE TAPPED HIS IS COMPLETELY ELIMINATED. THE
LAST PERSON WITH A FIST REMAINING IS THE LEADER. THE
PROCESS IS USUALLY USED TO CHOOSE A LEADER FOR A GAME,
A TEAM CAPTAIN, ETC.
Where learned: MICHIGAN, ASSUMED ; DEARBORN HEIGHTS
| Subject headings: | Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Game Verse Game Verse |
Date learned: 03-02-1970
IF YOU'RE LOST IN A CAVE IN YOUR DREAM, SOMEONE IS CHEATIN(G)
YOU, CAN BE SOMEONE IN YOUR HOME.
Where learned: TENNESSEE ; TENNESSEE RIDGE
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Street Trip Relations between relatives, friends, host and guest Social class Rank BELIEF -- Dreams |
Date learned: 08-09-1968
NOW I LAY ME DOWN TO SLEEP,
MY JALOPY PARKED IN THE STREET.
IF IT SHOULD START BEFORE I WAKE,
I PRAY THE LORD TO PULL THE BRAKE.
James Callow comment: PRAYER PARODY
Where learned: NOT GIVEN
| Subject headings: | Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Autograph Verse Wisecracks, gags, silly stories, insults |
Date learned: 00-00-1969
FIRST FOOTING
MRS. SULLIVAN AND HER NEIGHBORS FIRMLY BELIEVE IN AN OLD
GERMAN AND SCOTTISH PRACTICE CALLED "FIRST FOOTING."
ACCORDING TO SUPERSTITION, THE FIRST-FOOTER, A TALL,
DARK MALE, WHO FIRST COMES TO THE HOUSE ON THE FIRST
DAY OF THE NEW YEAR MUST BRING WITH HIM A GIFT OF FOOD
AND DRINK FOR THE INHABITANTS, TO INSURE HEALTH AND
SUFFICIENT FOOD AND DRINK FOR THE ENSUING YEAR. IF
THE FIRST-FOOTER BRINGS NO SUCH GIFTS, HE WILL BRING
DISEASE AND HIS LACK OF GIFTS WILL MEAN FAMINE AND
THIRST FOR THE HOUSE'S OCCUPANTS DURING THE NEW YEAR.
MRS. SULLIVAN AND HER NEIGHBORS KEEP THEIR DOORS LOCKED
UNTIL THE HOUSE IS PROPERLY FIRST-FOOTED.
I HAVE NOTED THE EXISTENCE OF THIS PRACTICE AMONG SCOTCH
FAMILIES IN OTHER AREAS OF EAST DETROIT.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; FRASER
| Subject headings: | CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- January 1 New Year's CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- December 21 solstice to March 20 |
Date learned: 12-31-1966
WHEN IN DOUBT - DON'T
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; UNIVERSITY OF DETROIT ; DETROIT ; DORMS
| Subject headings: | PROVERB -- Proverbial Apothegm Maxim |
Date learned: 00-00-1968