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IF YOU TRIP, IT MEANS THAT MONEY WILL SOON BE COMING YOUR WAY.

Submitter comment: MY MOTHER TOLD ME THIS WHEN I TRIPPED; I DID RECEIVE
MONEY THAT DAY!

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; ROCHESTER HILLS

Subject headings: Observation
BELIEF -- Measure of quality Monetary systemMoneyWealth

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TO PUT YOUR THUMB, THE NAIL FACING YOU, ONTO
YOUR FRONT UPPER TOOTH AND FLICK IT, MEANS "I SPIT ON
YOU!"

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; ROCHESTER HILLS

Subject headings: SPEECH -- Gesture

Date learned: 12-00-1984

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TO SMILE TOO MUCH IS TO LET DEMONS OF UNHAPPINESS IN.

Submitter comment: IF YOU ARE TOO HAPPY, SOMETHING IS BOUND TO GO WRONG.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; ROCHESTER HILLS

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Means of Causing or Avoiding Illness
BELIEF -- Bad luck
SPEECH -- Gesture

Date learned: 06-00-1983

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Railroad Ghost

A true story about a train that was running through a
very thick fog one night with several VIP's aboard
including Queen Victoria. The engineer wanted to
make his run in record time. Suddenly up ahead he
thought he saw a black cloaked figure who was waving
him to stop. The engineer did so but could find no one
but decided to further investigate. He went up further
ahead and to his surprise and horror he found that
the bridge had washed out. After the bridge was repaired
and the engineer had made it home did he solve the mystery;
he found moth stuck to the engine's headlamp as to appear to
be a figure waving to stop, saving all, including the Queen.

Submitter comment: This was told at a swapping of ghost stories at a
Halloween party. Roy waved his arms like a moth would.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; ROCHESTER HILLS

Subject headings: PROSE NARRATIVE -- Insect
PROSE NARRATIVE -- Product or activity of man or animal

Date learned: 00001980S

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The Golden Arm

A long time ago a man had a wife named Elvira who had a
golden arm and had her husband promise her that if she
died that her golden arm would be buried with her. She
soon died and the she was buried with the golden arm but
he soon changed his mind and went back to his wife's
grave and dug it up to get the arm. On his way home it
started to rain and hale and became very cold but he made
it home all right and put the arm in the bed, for he had
no place else to hide it. Later in bed he heard a voice
cry out in the darkness,
"W-H-E-E-R-E'-S M-Y G-O-O-L-D-E-N A-A-A-R-M?"
The man hid under the covers but still heard the voice
on the road...
W-H-E-E-R-E'-S M-Y
on the porch...
G-O-O-L-D-E-N
at the door...
A-A-A-R-M?
as the winds howled at the door...
W-H-E-E-R-E'-S M-Y G-O-L-D-E-N A-A-R-M?
as the man peeked out from under the covers he saw it.
It was by the bed.
And-(a pause)- it pounced
YOU'VE GOT IT

Submitter comment: At the point when the man peeks under the covers the
person telling the story will lunge at another person's
arm unexpectedly to scare him. This was told by Roy
at a Halloween party.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; ROCHESTER HILLS

Subject headings: PROSE NARRATIVE -- Formula tale

Date learned: 00001980S

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A certain young man named McGill
Who ran up and down every hill
When someone enquired
Did he ever get tired
He said NAAAAA!

Submitter comment: This was given to me by Roy during a New Year's Party
as a sort of joke, a parody to all the limericks.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; ROCHESTER HILLS

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

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On what planet can you throw a rock in such a way that it
goes a short distance, stops in midair, reverses direction
and travels back to you? No, it doesn't bounce off anything.
The answer is the earth for one. Just toss the rock straight
up.

Submitter comment: Roy gave us this at a party

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; ROCHESTER HILLS

Subject headings: RIDDLE -- True Riddle

Date learned: 00001980S

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An astronaut exploring the moon bet his pal that with his
eyes shut he could walk one kilometer. How did he do it?
The answer is he walked over a kilometer, at some point he
had walked a kilometer.

Submitter comment: Roy also gave us this at a party.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; ROCHESTER HILLS

Subject headings: RIDDLE -- True Riddle

Date learned: 00001980S

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Which came first, the chicken or the egg?
There can be various answers but you might think that
the egg that some refer to is not a chicken egg but
reptile eggs so reptile eggs came first.

Submitter comment: Roy also gave us this at a party.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; ROCHESTER HILLS

Subject headings: RIDDLE -- True Riddle

Date learned: 00001980S

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A lawyer was talking to a Italian about a contract,
explaining its details. The lawyer begins talking
about the sanity clause. The Italian starts laughing
and says, "You can't fool me, there is no such a thing
as Santity Clause (Santa Claus).

Submitter comment: Brian did this at a party to jibe Roy (an Italian).

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; ROCHESTER HILLS

Subject headings: PROSE NARRATIVE -- Jest Anecdote
ITAL

Date learned: 00001980S

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A PERSON SHOULD NEVER CUT A THORN BUSH. IT
WOULD BRING BAD LUCK BECAUSE THEY ARE A
FAVORITE OF THE EVILS.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; ROCHESTER HILLS

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Plant
BELIEF -- Bad luck Plants

Date learned: NOT GIVEN

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IT IS BAD LUCK TO SNEEZE MORE THAN THREE TIMES
WITHOUT SOMEONE BLESSING YOU.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; ROCHESTER HILLS

Subject headings: 686 Thirds / Thrice / Three / Triple
BELIEF -- Sensations and involuntary actions Sneeze (also see P477)
BELIEF -- Conversions Body parts and functions

Date learned: NOT GIVEN

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THERE WAS A HOUSE, BUILT IN 1756, WHICH HAD SECRET
STAIRWAYS AND PATHWAYS IN IT. MR. STABLER OWNED
AND LOVED THIS HOUSE MORE THAN ANYTHING. AFTER HE
DIED HIS GHOST COULD BE SEEN AFTER DARK WALKING
FROM THE BARN INTO THE HOUSE. NONE OF THE
COLORED PEOPLE WOULD COME TO THIS HOUSE AFTER DARK.

Submitter comment: INFORMANT LIVED IN THIS HOUSE, RENTING IT FROM
MRS. STABLER AND HAS SEEN THE GHOST. THIS IS IN
MARYLAND. SHE LIVED THERE IN 1953.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; MARYLAND ; ROCHESTER HILLS

Subject headings: PROSE NARRATIVE -- Product or activity of man or animal Product or Activity of Man or Animal
BELIEF -- Product or activity of man or animal P477.13

Date learned: 00-00-1953

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THERE WAS THIS STONE HOUSE IN A POOR COLORED
SECTION OF MARYLAND. TWO BROTHERS LIVED IN THIS
HOUSE, AND THEY WERE ALWAYS FIGHTING. ONE DAY,
ONE BROTHER WENT OUT, AND WHEN HE CAME BACK, HE
FOUND HIS BROTHER AT THE TOP OF THE STAIRS AND
HE SHOT AND KILLED HIM. FROM THAT TIME ON,
THE GHOST OF THE BROTHER CAN BE SEEN AT THE TOP
OF THE STAIRS AT MIDNIGHT.

Submitter comment: INFORMANT LIVED ABOUT A MILE AWAY FROM THIS HOUSE
AND ONCE MET THE LIVING BROTHER BEFORE THIS
HAPPENED. THIS HAPPENED IN MARYLAND IN
1954-1955.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; MARYLAND ; ROCHESTER HILLS

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Product or activity of man or animal P477.13

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THE TOMBS

THE LOCATION OF THIS SIGHT IS SOMEWHERE IN A
GRAVEYARD ALONG 26 MILE ROAD IN ROCHESTER, MICHIGAN.
IT IS SUPPOSEDLY HAUNTED BY A BLIND GHOST WHO WALKS
WITH THE AID OF A CANE AND IS ALWAYS ACCOMPANIED
BY HIS "GHOST" DOG. MOREOVER, IF ANYONE KISSES
HIS TOMB, LOCATED IN THE CEMETERY, THREE TIMES, HE
WILL DIE. THREE PEOPLE HAVE MET THIS FATE ALREADY.

Submitter comment: INFORMANT GAVE VERY SKETCHY DETAILS.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; ROCHESTER HILLS

Subject headings: PROSE NARRATIVE -- Ghost Spirit Phantom Specter

Date learned: NOT GIVEN

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THE TOMBS

THE LOCATION OF THIS SIGHT IS SOMEWHERE IN A
GRAVEYARD ALONG 26 MILE ROAD IN ROCHESTER, MICHIGAN.
IT IS SUPPOSEDLY HAUNTED BY A BLIND GHOST WHO WALKS
WITH THE AID OF A CANE AND IS ALWAYS ACCOMPANIED
BY HIS "GHOST" DOG. MOREOVER, IF ANYONE KISSES
HIS TOMB, LOCATED IN THE CEMETERY, THREE TIMES, HE
WILL DIE. THREE PEOPLE HAVE MET THIS FATE ALREADY.

Submitter comment: INFORMANT GAVE VERY SKETCHY DETAILS.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; ROCHESTER HILLS

Subject headings: PROSE NARRATIVE -- Ghost Spirit Phantom Specter

Date learned: NOT GIVEN

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NICKNAME

IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN CUSTOMARY TO GIVE BABIES LONG NAMES
AND THEN ABBREVIATE THEM FOR EVERYDAY USE; THUS WILLIAM
WAS CALLED BILL AND JIM FOR JAMES... THESE WERE CALLED
"NURSE NAMES." AS THE CHILD GREW TO BE AN ADULT, THESE
NURSE NAMES STUCK, ALTHOUGH SOME RECEIVED A SPECIAL
NAME FOR SOME PROMINENT TRAIT AND WERE CALLED SOMETHING
ELSE INSTEAD, AS CURLY OR BALDY OR RED. THESE WERE
CALLED "EKE-NAMES" FROM THE SAXON FOR "ALSO."
SLURRED OVER IN COMMON SPEECH, THESE ALSO NAMES BECAME
NEKE NAMES, THEN TO NICKNAMES.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; ROCHESTER HILLS

Subject headings: Person / Nickname
SPEECH -- Folk etymology

Date learned: NOT GIVEN

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UKRAINIAN NATIONAL FLAG

THE TRADITIONAL FLAG IS DIVIDED INTO TWO PARTS HORIZONTALLY
WITH THE TOP HALF BEING LIGHT BLUE AND THE BOTTOM YELLOW.
THE BLUE REFLECTS THE SKY AND THE YELLOW SIGNIFIES THE
GOLDEN WHEAT FIELDS OF UKRAINE. THE FLAG IS DISPLAYED IN
UKRAINIAN CHURCHES, SCHOOLS, AND HALLS.

Where learned: NEW YORK ; ROCHESTER

Keyword(s): SYMBOL

Subject headings: ART CRAFT ARCHITECTURE -- Finished Product
BELIEF -- Color

Date learned: 00001950S

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BELIEF

"IF AN EMPTY ROCKING CHAIR IS ROCKING, SOMEONE IS GOING TO DIE."

Submitter comment: INFORMANT'S MOTHER USED TO GET REAL UPSET IF SOMEONE MADE THE
CHAIR ROCK DELIBERATELY.

Where learned: NEW YORK ; ROCHESTER

Keyword(s): ROCKING CHAIR

Subject headings: Observation
Favorites
BELIEF -- Death Funeral Burial
BELIEF -- Number Emptiness, nothingness, zero

Date learned: 00001965CA

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TRADITION

"ON CHRISTMAS EVE MY FAMILY AND I GO TO MIDNIGHT MASS AND THEN
WE COME HOME AND HAVE ITALIAN SAUSAGE COOKED IN WINE."

Submitter comment: INFORMANT HAS DONE THIS AS LONG AS SHE CAN REMEMBER. SHE SAID
SHE BELIEVES HER FATHER STARTED THIS SINCE HE IS ITALIAN.

Where learned: NEW YORK ; ROCHESTER

Subject headings: CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- December 24 Christmas Eve
CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- December 25 Christmas Also see F642, below.
Food Drink -- Typical menus for the various meals For meal hours, see F574.84. Special or festive meals

Date learned: 00001965CA

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