Dr. James T. Callow publications
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The James T. Callow Folklore Archive
Your search for S600 returned 515 results.
If a black cat crosses your path, cross your fingers on him
before he gets cross the path, if you don't you'll have bad luck.
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Mammal BELIEF -- Bad luck BELIEF -- Conversions SPEECH -- Gesture |
Date learned: 00-00-1955
If someone sweeps your feet with a broom you have to spit on
the broom; if not the person's foot that you swept will have bad
luck.
James Callow Keyword(s): CONVERSION
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Body part Senses Feet, toes, toenails BELIEF -- Bad luck SPEECH -- Gesture |
Date learned: 00-00-1955
The hand gesture for needing to go to the toilet to have a
bowel movement is holding up the first two fingers of the right hand.
Number two (number one is go to urinate) is the same gesture as
the peace sign.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
| Subject headings: | SPEECH -- Gesture |
Date learned: 00001910s
Handshake
The handshake originated when men carried swords. They shook
hands with the right hand to indicate that the sword would not be
drawn and was a gesture of friendship.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
| Subject headings: | SPEECH -- Gesture |
Date learned: 02-02-1992
Itchy Nose
It's been said that if your nose itches, it usually means
you're gonna kiss a fool.
Submitter comment: My nose itches all the time and I never kiss anyone.
Where learned: MISSISSIPPI ; Louise
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Physically handicapped Deformed BELIEF -- Body part Senses Nose SPEECH -- Gesture |
Date learned: 00-00-1980
If your foot is swept over by a broom, you should spit on the
broom, and throw salt over your left shoulder, in order not to go
to jail.
Where learned: LOUISIANA ; New Orleans
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Mineral BELIEF -- Product or activity of man or animal BELIEF -- Conversions SPEECH -- Gesture |
Date learned: 00-00-1970
If you don't care for a person, and they come to your house
and you never want them to return to your home again. You should
sprinkle salt down and sweep it out the front door.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
James Callow Keyword(s): Visitor
Date learned: 00-00-1990
Ladies should never show their feet or smoke in public.
Where learned: LOUISIANA ; New Orleans
| Subject headings: | Food Drink -- Special Form and PurposeObject of Bodily Consumption BELIEF -- Body part Senses Feet, toes, toenails SPEECH -- Gesture |
Date learned: 00-00-1975
If you yawn and don't cover your mouth, the devil will steal
your breath away.
Submitter comment: This is a saying popular among young children.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; GROSSE POINTE
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Devil Demon BELIEF -- Body part Senses BELIEF -- Product or activity of man or animal BELIEF -- Means of Causing or Avoiding Illness SPEECH -- Gesture |
Date learned: 00-00-1990
Many Vietnamese people believe that the spirit of dead
ancestors sit on the heads and shoulders of the living. It is
therefore considered inappropriate to touch the shoulder or pat
the head of a Vietnamese person. This is an insult to the
ancestors.
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Ghost Spirit Phantom Specter BELIEF -- Body part Senses SPEECH -- Gesture |
Date learned: 00-00-1969
This is a saying I learned from my mother when I was younger:
"If you keep making that expression your face will freeze like
that." What she meant by this was that if I continually made a
certain expression my face would someday freeze with that
expression on it. She said this to me through my childhood and
still says it to me today. I think it was her way to keep me
from making faces. Unfortunately, it has not worked!
James Callow comment: Cf. Hand, North Carolina no. 172.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DEARBORN HEIGHTS
James Callow Keyword(s): FUNCTION
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Body part Senses Head, physiognomy, face BELIEF -- Means of Causing or Avoiding Illness SPEECH -- Formula SPEECH -- Gesture |
Date learned: 00-00-1982
When I was younger (approx. 5 years old) the kids in my
neighborhood would never knock on the door if they wanted you to
come out and play. Instead they would stand on the sidewalk in
front of your house and repeatedly call out your name. The
reason for doing this was because we were all afraid of our
friend's parents. This practice continued for years until I was
about 10 and we were finally all brave enough to knock on each
other's doors. We did notice, however, that the younger children
seemed to follow our tradition of calling out their friends to
play.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DEARBORN HEIGHTS
| Subject headings: | Favorites CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- Home CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- Street Trip Relations between relatives, friends, host and guest Social class Rank CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- Common law SPEECH -- Gesture |
Date learned: 00-00-1974
A friendly greeting that I learned as a young child goes as
follows: "Slap me five, other side, in the hole, brother soul."
When the words "Slap me five" are said, the person you are
greeting is to slap the greeter's palm (facing up). When the
words "other side" are said the person you are greeting is to
slap the other side of the greeter's hand. When the words "in
the hole" are said the greeter is to make a hole using all five
fingers, and the person who is being greeted is to slap over the
top of the hole. And finally, when the words "brother soul" are
said the person being greeted is to grab the greeter's thumb in a
shaking motion.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; ALLEN PARK
| Subject headings: | SPEECH -- Formula SPEECH -- Gesture |
Date learned: 00-00-1978
Never sweep a visitors' foot with a broom. If this happens
have the person whose feet has been swept spit on the bottom of
the broom. If the person does not spit on the broom it will be
bad luck for that person.
Submitter comment:
It so happens that I was sweeping and accidently hit her
foot, she asked that I turn the broom upside down so that she
could spit on the bottom of it.
Where learned: WINSTON SALEM ; NORTH CAROLINA
| Subject headings: | Favorites BELIEF -- Product or activity of man or animal BELIEF -- Bad luck BELIEF -- Conversions SPEECH -- Gesture |
Date learned: 00-00-1979
Pinching
When two people say the same thing at the same time, it is up
to one of the people to pinch the other.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
| Subject headings: | CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- Street Trip Relations between relatives, friends, host and guest Social class Rank BELIEF -- Product or activity of man or animal SPEECH -- Gesture |
If you flick a hand inward toward yourself (in a kind of quick
fanning motion) to someone, it means...ohh forget you!
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
| Subject headings: | SPEECH -- Gesture |
Date learned: 01-00-1974
If you don't pray on your knees God will not listen. It's also
very disrespectful!
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Gods SPEECH -- Gesture |
Date learned: 01-00-1981
Japan-Status
In Japan, everyone has name cards with their title on them. These
cards let everyone you come in contact with (usually in a business
setting) learn what status you have achieved. This exchange of cards
lets the exchangers know who is subordinate to the other. The
subordinate person (in Japanese, this person is subservient) must bow
lower than the other.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; WESTLAND
| Subject headings: | Favorites CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- Work Commerce Business CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- Measure of space: distance, height, depth SPEECH -- Gesture SPEECH -- To Be Seen |
Date learned: 01-00-1990
Japan-Handshakes
In Japan, shaking hands has a meaning and action that is virtually
the opposite of that in America. The Japanese use what Americans
call the "wet fish" handshake. This is not firm, barely touching each
other, no actual shaking. You should not look into each others' eyes.
This greeting is literally translated into "my eyes are shamed".
This means that they are not worthy of meeting the other person
(humility).
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; WESTLAND
| Subject headings: | SPEECH -- Gesture |
Date learned: 01-00-1990
Hand signs can be good or bad. They can be used to
communicate language between people that are deaf. They can also
be used to show obscenities, by police when directing traffic and
showing someone where something is located.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
| Subject headings: | SPEECH -- Gesture |
Date learned: 01001960 CA