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To get rid of a tapeworm, you must not eat all day and then
put peanut butter on your tongue. You should then stick your
tongue out and wait for the tapeworm to crawl out. When you see
the tapeworm, you must grab it and pull it out of the body.
| Subject headings: | Favorites BELIEF -- Animal BELIEF -- Method of Curing |
Date learned: 00-00-1960
If dogs howl all night, it means that someone is dying.
Submitter comment:
I heard this from a girl I went to school with. She told this
the morning after her mother had a miscarriage. Her mother had
miscarried during the night while the dogs in the neighborhood
howled.
| Subject headings: | Observation BELIEF -- Mammal BELIEF -- Birth BELIEF -- Death Funeral Burial BELIEF -- Measure of time WeekDayHour |
Date learned: 00-00-1966
If you hang a horseshoe above your door for good luck, the
horseshoe legs must be pointed up. If the horseshoe legs are
pointed down, the luck will run out.
James Callow Keyword(s): POSITION DIRECTION
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Sign Geometric figure BELIEF -- Good luck BELIEF -- Bad luck |
Date learned: 00-00-1957
Brewed chamomile tea taken orally will purify your blood and
cure boils.
Submitter comment:
My twin sister was given this folk cure after having repeated
boils.
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Plant |
Date learned: 00-00-1958
If you kill a snake, it must be hung on a fence until sundown.
If you do not, the snake will come back to life.
Submitter comment:
When I was young, I remember seeing a snake hanging on the
fence all day that my father had killed.
James Callow comment:
See Puckett, Ohio, nos. 30842-30846: snakes, when killed,
won't die or even stop wriggling until sundown.
"A snake won't die until the sun goes down unless you hang him
on a barbed-wire fence." Puckett, Ohio, no. 30847.
| Subject headings: | Favorites BELIEF -- Animal BELIEF -- Sun BELIEF -- Measure of time WeekDayHour |
Date learned: 00-00-1956
If a horse has one white hoof, buy it. If the horse has two
white hooves, take a chance. If the horse has three white hooves,
think hard before you buy. If the horse has four white hooves,
don't buy it.
Submitter comment:
This saying is popular in horse circles. There is some truth
to the saying that white hooves frequently seem to be weaker than
darker hooves.
James Callow comment:
See Wayland Hand, North Carolina, no. 7633, for parallels from
Ontario, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Illinois, and in particular
Pennsylvania, where "a horse with one or more white feet is
considered more or less impaired in value." Hand seems to think
that such horses are called "white-stockinged"; but our
informant/collector notes that a stocking applies to the leg, not
to the hoof or foot. Also see the OED, s.v. "stocking."
"A horse with one white foot is always weak in it; and if he
goes lame, it will be that foot." -- Hyatt, Illinois (1965), no.
2530.
See Hyatt, Illinois (1
Date learned: 00-00-1956
If you are in a falling elevator, you will not be injured if
you jump up in the air at the same time that the elevator hits the
bottom of the shaft.
| Subject headings: | Favorites BELIEF -- Product or activity of man or animal BELIEF -- Means of Causing or Avoiding Illness |
Date learned: 00-00-1960
Thunder is really potatoes rolling down a hill after God
spills a cart full of them.
Submitter comment:
This was told to children at one time to prevent them from
being afraid of thunder.
James Callow Keyword(s): FUNCTION
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Gods BELIEF -- Lightning Thunder BELIEF -- Weather sign or control |
Date learned: 00-00-1956
Liar, liar,
Pants on fire.
Nose as long
As a telephone wire.
Submitter comment:
This is a taunt used by children when they wish to call
another child a liar.
| Subject headings: | SPEECH -- Formula |
Date learned: 07-00-1980
I'm a sheet slitter. I slit sheets. I'm the best sheet slitter
that ever slit a sheet.
Submitter comment:
This is a particular favorite of children since the
mispronounced words result in much laughter.
James Callow Keyword(s): tongue-twister
| Subject headings: | SPEECH -- Formula |
Date learned: 00-00-1958
If it rains on the day of a funeral, it is felt to be a sign
that the dead person lived a life filled with love and laughter.
Submitter comment:
This was said at the funeral of my aunt, whose life was truly
filled with love and laughter.
Keyword(s): COMPENSATION
James Callow Keyword(s): CONTRAST
| Subject headings: | CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- Death Funeral Burial BELIEF -- Cloud Fog Mist Rain Hail Ice Snow Frost Dew |
Date learned: 00-00-1989
Omen
A cat on board a ship will keep death and disaster away.
Data entry tech comment:
Motif added by T.R. Davidson
Where learned: CANADA ; ONTARIO ; Grove, Hugh ; TORONTO
Keyword(s): CAT ; DEATH ; Disaster ; Nautical ; OMEN ; PREVENTION ; Ship
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Means of Causing or Avoiding Illness |
QUESTION: WHAT DOES IT SAY ON THE BOTTOM OF POP
BOTTLES SENT TO NEWFOUNDLAND?
ANSWER: OPEN OTHER END!
Submitter comment:
OBTAINED IN A LETTER AFTER I HAD REQUESTED POLISH
JOKES. SHE SAID THAT IN TORONTO THEY DIDN'T HAVE
POLISH JOKES, BUT NEWFIE JOKES.
Where learned: CANADA ; ONTARIO ; TORONTO
| Subject headings: | PROSE NARRATIVE -- Jest Anecdote Food Drink -- NEWF |
Date learned: 11-00-1967
New Year's Eve
In the Steubenville and Toronto, Ohio areas, it is traditional
on New Year's Eve to eat a dinner of keilbassi, sauerkrault and
mashed potatoes.
Submitter comment:
I remember hearing that this is a German tradition that is
followed to ensure good luck throughout the coming year.
Keyword(s): SAUERKRAUT
James Callow Keyword(s): Kielbasa
QUESTION: WHAT DOES IT SAY ON THE BOTTOM OF POP
BOTTLES SENT TO NEWFOUNDLAND?
ANSWER: OPEN OTHER END!
Submitter comment:
OBTAINED IN A LETTER AFTER I HAD REQUESTED POLISH
JOKES. SHE SAID THAT IN TORONTO THEY DIDN'T HAVE
POLISH JOKES, BUT NEWFIE JOKES.
Where learned: CANADA ; ONTARIO ; TORONTO
| Subject headings: | PROSE NARRATIVE -- Jest Anecdote Food Drink -- NEWF |
Date learned: 11-00-1967
PROVERB
ANYONE WHO HAS IVY GROWING IN THEIR HOMES, HARBORS THE EVIL SPIRIT.
Submitter comment: THIS IS AN OLD IRISH SAYING.
Where learned: ONTARIO ; TORONTO
Keyword(s): PLANT ; SUPERSTITION
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Devil Demon PROVERB -- Proverbial Metaphor |
Date learned: NOT GIVEN
RIDDLE {SICK HUMOR}
QUESTION: WHY DO THEY BOIL WATER WHEN SOMEBODY HAS A BABY?
ANSWER: SO IF IT DIES, THEY CAN MAKE SOUP.
Where learned: CANADA ; ONTARIO ; TORONTO
James Callow Keyword(s): CANNIBALISM
| Subject headings: | RIDDLE -- Riddle Question |
Date learned: 00001971 (SUMMER)
KRAKOWIAK (POLISH DANCE)
LIKE THE AMERICAN SQUARE DANCE.
Where learned: CHILDHOOD ; NOT GIVEN ; HOME ; PENNSYLVANIA ; MICHIGAN ; LETTER ; OHIO ; NEW JERSEY ; UNIVERSITY OF DETROIT ; AUTOGRAPH BOOK ; GROSSE POINTE ; HARPER WOODS ; GROSSE POINTE WOODS ; WARREN ; JAPAN ; RUSSIA ; GRAND RAPIDS ; SHIPLE HALL ; GARDEN CITY ; ROYAL OAK ; TOLEDO ; TRENTON ; FARMINGTON ; KALAMAZOO ; CANADA ; ONTARIO ; MARYGROVE COLLEGE ; DETROIT ; MAIL ; INDIANA ; DETROIT, ASSUMED ; TOLD AT HOME ; FERNDALE ; SOUTHFIELD ; TENNESSEE ; MACKENZIE HIGH SCHOOL ; HAMTRAMCK ; DEARBORN ; MINNESOTA ; ILLINOIS ; NEW YORK ; FLORIDA ; KOREA ; WISCONSIN ; NEW HAMPSHIRE ; STUDENT UNION ; READING ; AUSTRALIA ; Sylvania ; Sterling Heights ; MICHIGAN, ASSUMED ; GROSSE POINTE PARK ; OAK PARK ; SOUTHGATE ; STURGEON LAKE ; REDFORD ; TOORAK ; VICTORIA ; ROSEVILLE ; LINCOLN PARK ; TRAVERSE CITY ; HUNTINGTON WOODS ; PONTIAC ; TROY ; PORT CHESTER ; SOUTH AMERICA ; BROOKVILLE ; MONTREAL ; SEOUL ; NORTH OLMSTED ; EASTOWN THEATER ; ERIE ; University of Notre Dame ; FRANKLINVILLE ; TORONTO ; TOLD AT ; TOLD BY ; TOLD IN ; SCRANTON ; MONROE ; GLENVIEW ; MOSCOW ; GULLEY ; FINLAND ; HARBOR BEACH ; HOUGHTON LAKE ; Hudson Lake ; 1962 ; INDIANAPOLIS ; JONESBORO ; KANSASVILLE ; LEXINGTON ; MASSILLON ; MAUCH CHUNK ; MELVINDALE ; MILFORD ; NEW ROCHELLE ; NIAGARA FALLS ; PANAMA CITY ; PATAGONIA ; ARGENTINA ; RESIDENCE HALL ; SAINT CLAIR SHORES ; TOLD AT HONORS HOUSE ; AMERICAN HISTORY CLASS
| Subject headings: | Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Dance |
Jump Rope Rhyme
I one the snake, I two the snake, I three the snake,
I four the snake, I five the snake, I six the snake, I
seven the snake, I ate the snake.
(child jumps at the chanting of each number until
the last when he bows out of the game in favour of another)
Data entry tech comment:
Informant learned from his childhood.
Where learned: ONTARIO ; TORONTO
| Subject headings: | Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Game Verse Game Verse |