Dr. James T. Callow publications
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The James T. Callow Folklore Archive
Your search for C520 returned 79 results.
JINX
IN THIS GAME ONE PERSON HITS ANOTHER AND THE PERSON THAT WAS HIT IS
JINXED. THIS MEANS THAT THE PERSON THAT WAS HIT CANNOT SPEAK UNTIL
HIS/HER NAME IS MENTIONED IN THE NORMAL CONVERSATION. THIS MEANS
THAT SOMEONE CANNOT SAY HIS/HER NAME JUST TO UNJINX HIM/HER UNLESS
THEY SAY HIS/HER NAME IN NORMAL CONVERSATION. IF THE JINXED PERSON
DOES TALK, THEN FOR EACH TIME HE/SHE SPEAKS HIS/HER NAME MUST BE
SAID AGAIN BEFORE HE/SHE WILL BE FREE OF THE JINX.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; WARREN
| Subject headings: | Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Bodily Activity |
Date learned: 11-00-1987 ; 11-00-1987
Thumper
This is a drinking game that my sister taught me.
In order to play there must be at least 7 people,
actually the more the better. Another requirement
is that all the people must have at least a good
"buzz." This makes the game all the better.
Everyone should sit around a table with a glass of
whatever they are drinking. Now comes the fun part.
The rules of the game are not very difficult under
normal conditions. One person is chosen to be the
leader. Everyone playing has a certain sign or
symbol. These signs are usually a hand gesture or
a combination of hand gestures. The players then
go around the table to review the signs before the
game starts just to make sure they understand them.
The leader then calls the start of the game, does
their ( his or her) sign first, then another player's
sign. This other player does their sign first,
then another person's. This goes on like this in
any order until a person forgets their sign, does
a wrong sign, or signs in the wrong order. As the game
progresses the pace gradually gets to a point where
it is very fast. This all sounds easy but it can become
very confusing. I'll give an example of how it's
played with the exception of some words since they
are not appropriate. All of this is said at the top
of your lungs.
Leader: What's the name of the game?
All: Thumper!
Leader: How do you play?
All: Dirty!
Leader: How dirty?
All: #!?%'n Dirty!
Leader: (their sign ... then a player's sign)
Player: (their sign ... then a player's sign)
This goes on until someone makes a mistake then that
player must take a drink. A last note is that a player
can also pass back to the leader. This is actually
quite a fun game to watch to see everyone make fools
out of themselves.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; WARREN
| Subject headings: | Favorites Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Bodily Activity Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Memory SPEECH -- Gesture |
Slug Bug
When I was in Hawaii with friends a friend of mine
(one of them) suggested we play a game. It was called
slug bug. This is where you must look out for
Volkswagen Beetles / Bugs, call the color of the
car, then hit the person next to you in the arm. In
Hawaii this can become a very challenging and painful
game since there are so many of these cars. You
must have quick eyes and a liking of pain to play
this game in a large group of people.
Where learned: HAWAII
Keyword(s): QUICKNESS
| Subject headings: | Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Bodily Activity |
Five Tappers
In grade school we used to play a game during
lunch when we had to stay inside due to bad weather.
The game was played by everyone in the class. The
supervisor of the class would pick five people at
random to be the tappers. The rest of the class stayed
at their desks. The students at their desks had to put
their heads down on the desk and cover their eyes so
they couldn't see. Then once everyone was all set, the
five tappers would go through the room and each would
tap one person. Once a person was tapped, they
put one hand on top of their head so the tappers would
know who was already tapped, and nobody got tapped more
than once. When each tapper tapped a person they went
to the front of the room; then the class lifted their
heads. The ones who had been tapped stood up next to
their desk and tried to guess who was the one who had
tapped them. If the person guessed correctly, the
one who tapped them had to go to their desk and the one
who guessed right took their place as the next tapper.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
| Subject headings: | Favorites Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Bodily Activity Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Guessing |
Date learned: 00001970S
THUMB WRESTLING
THE GAME OF THUMB WRESTLING IS PLAYED BY TWO PLAYERS.
THE OBJECT OF THE GAME, LIKE IN REGULAR WRESTLING, IS
TO PIN YOUR OPPONENT. THIS IS HOW THE GAME IS PLAYED:
THE PLAYERS INTERLOCK FINGERS WITH THUMBS UP AND FREE,
THEY PLACE THEIR THUMBS TOGETHER, AND THEN WHEN THEY ARE
READY THEY PLACE THUMBS DOWN ON TOP OF THEIR OWN HANDS,
THEN DOWN ON THE OPPONENT'S HAND, AND THEN THEY BEGIN TO
THUMB WRESTLE, TRYING TO PIN THE OTHER PLAYER'S THUMB FOR
THREE SECONDS, WHEN THIS IS DONE THE MATCH IS OVER AND
THE PLAYER WHO HAS PINNED HIS OPPONENT WINS.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; Lansing
Keyword(s): THUMB GAMES
| Subject headings: | Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Bodily Activity |
Date learned: 00001980CA
THIS IS SAID WHILE TOUCHING THE INFERRED PARTS OF THE
BODY (IN PARENTHESES) OF THE PERSON.
HI OLD TOP (PATS HEAD), GLAD TO SEE YOU BACK (TOUCHES BACK)
FROM THE FRONT (TOUCHES FRONT). IT'S BEEN TWO LONG 'EARS
(GENTLY PULLS EARS) SINCE I SEEN YA, BUT I STILL 'NOSES YA
(TOUCHES NOSE).
Submitter comment:
THIS WAS ONE OF DAD'S JOKES, ALL OF HIS CHILDREN HAD TO ENDURE
IT.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; Flint
Date learned: 00-00-1976
According to my Grandfather, men from town would occasionally
dare each other to swim across the channel as one of the
car ferries was coming into port. No one ever got hurt and
he claims to have done it himself.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; Ludington
| Subject headings: | Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Bodily Activity Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Water Ice Snow BELIEF -- Secular hero |
Date learned: 00-00-1979
Step on a crack, you will break your mother's back.
Submitter comment:
This was a game he and his friends would play in Mississippi
when walking home from school.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
RED LIGHT--GREEN LIGHT
I REMEMBER PLAYING THIS GAME IN NEW YORK WHEN I WAS IN
GRADE SCHOOL CALLED "RED LIGHT--GREEN LIGHT." THE DEAL
WAS THAT ALL THE KIDS WOULD LINE UP IN ABOUT 3 OR 4
DIFFERENT LINES AND ONE KID WOULD BE FACED THE OTHER
WAY ABOUT A MEDIUM SIZED DRIVEWAY DISTANCE AWAY.
THE SINGLE KID WOULD CALL OUT "RED LIGHT" OR "GREEN
LIGHT." IF HE SAID RED LIGHT, THE PLAYERS COULD NOT MOVE.
IF HE SAID "GREEN LIGHT," THEY COULD PROCEED FORWARD
DOWN THE DRIVEWAY TOWARDS THIS KID. THE KID WHO WOULD
REACH THE SINGLE KID WOULD THEN BE THE NEXT CALLER OF
"RED LIGHT" OR "GREEN LIGHT."
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; NEW YORK ; ROSEVILLE
| Subject headings: | Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Bodily Activity |
Date learned: 03-03-1970
FLINCH
WHEN YOUNGER, WE USED TO PLAY A GAME CALLED FLINCH, IN
WHICH ONE PERSON WOULD MAKE A SUDDEN MOVEMENT TOWARDS
ANOTHER, USUALLY IN THE FACE AREA. IF THE PERSON
BLINKED, OR FLINCHED, THE AGGRESSOR WAS ALLOWED
TO HIT THE OTHER IN THE ARM.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; Sterling Heights
| Subject headings: | Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Bodily Activity |
Date learned: NOT GIVEN
CRACK THE WHIP
THIS IS A GAME PLAYED BY SEVERAL CHILDREN. THEY ALL
JOIN HANDS AND THE LEADER RUNS AROUND IN A SERIES
OF CIRCLES AND CURVES. THE PLAYERS ON THE END ARE
FLUNG THUS BEING THE "CRACK" AND THE LINE OF CHILDREN
THE "WHIP."
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; WESTLAND
| Subject headings: | Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Bodily Activity |
Date learned: 09-15-1969
RED-LIGHT GAME
THIS IS A GAME PLAYED OFTEN BY SCHOOLCHILDREN IN THE 1920S
AND UP THROUGH TODAY. ONE CHILD IS CHOSEN TO BE 'IT,'
THE OTHERS BEING FREE. THE CHILD THAT IS 'IT' COVERS HIS
EYES, COUNTS TO TEN IN ANY SPEED HE WISHES, SHOUTS
'REDLIGHT' TO THE OTHERS THAT HAVE BEEN WALKING AROUND,
AND ANY CHILD HE CATCHES IN MOTION IS THE NEW 'IT.'
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
| Subject headings: | Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Bodily Activity |
Date learned: 00001920S ; 09-10-1969
WITCH
WITCH SHOULD BE PLAYED AT NIGHT WITH AT LEAST THREE OR
MORE CHILDREN. ONE CHILD IS CHOSEN AS THE WITCH, WHILE
THE OTHERS RUN AND HIDE SOMEWHERE OUTSIDE. AS THE WITCH
WAITS FOR THE CHLDREN TO HIDE, HE CHANTS:
ONE O'CLOCK, TWO O'CLOCK, THREE O'CLOCK ROCK
FOUR O'CLOCK, FIVE O'CLOCK, SIX O'CLOCK ROCK
SEVEN O'CLOCK, EIGHT O'CLOCK, NINE O'CLOCK ROCK
TEN O'CLOCK, ELEVEN O'CLOCK, TWELVE O'CLOCK ROCK.
MOONLIGHT, STARBRIGHT, I HOPE TO SEE THE WITCH TONIGHT.
AFTER THE SONG, THE WITCH GOES OUT LOOKING FOR THE
CHILDREN. IF HE FINDS SOMEONE, THEN THAT PERSON BECOMES
A WITCH ALSO. THUS, THE GAME CONTINUES UNTIL ALL THE
CHILDREN ARE CAUGHT. WHEN THE LAST PERSON IS CAUGHT,
HOWEVER, HE AUTOMATICALLY BECOMES THE WITCH. ONE AGAIN
THE GAME IS PLAYED.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
| Subject headings: | Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Bodily Activity |
Date learned: 09-15-1969
DUCK, DUCK, GOOSE
CHILDREN SIT ON THE GROUND IN A CIRCLE. "IT" WALKS AROUND
THE OUTSIDE OF THE CIRCLE TAPPING EACH CHILD ON THE HEAD,
SAYING EITHER "DUCK" OR "GOOSE." THE CHILD WHO IS
A GOOSE MUST GET UP AND RACE AROUND THE CIRCLE IN THE
OPPOSITE DIRECTION FROM "IT." THE LAST ONE BACK TO THE
VACANT SPIT IS "IT."
Submitter comment: GAME LEARNED IN CHILDHOOD BY THE INFORMANT.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
| Subject headings: | Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Bodily Activity |
Date learned: 08-10-1964
CHUGGING CONTESTS
A FAVORITE PASTIME AT PARTIES IS FOR EVERYONE TO GET
A MUG FULL OF BEER AND SEE WHO CAN CHUG IT DOWN THE
FASTEST.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
Keyword(s): CHUG=SWALLOW, WITHOUT STOPPING.
| Subject headings: | Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Bodily Activity |
Date learned: 03-29-1968
RED ROVER
USUALLY PLAYED WITH AT LEAST SIX PLAYERS OR MORE ON EACH
TEAM. THESE TWO TEAMS BOTH STAND IN A STRAIGHT LINE AND
HOLD HANDS. ONE TEAM CALLS A PERSON FROM THE OPPOSITE
TEAM, AND THAT PERSON TRIES TO BREAK THROUGH THE
CLASPED HANDS; IF HE DOES, HE STAYS ON THAT TEAM HE
CAME FROM--BUT IF HE CANNOT BREAK THROUGH, HE MUST STAY
ON THAT TEAM. WHERE THERE IS ONE PERSON LEFT ON THE
OTHER TEAM, THE TEAM WITH THE MOST PLAYERS WINS.
PLAYERS SAY: RED ROVER, RED ROVER, SEND (NAME A PLAYER)
RIGHT OVER.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
| Subject headings: | Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Bodily Activity |
Date learned: NOT GIVEN
WALKING GAME
PLAYERS ARE SUPPOSED TO WALK ALONG THE SIDEWALK BUT NOT
TO STEP IN ANY SQUARES THAT HAVE NUMBERS OR LETTERS
IMPRINTED IN THEM. FOR EACH SQUARE YOU WALK IN THAT
HAS A LETTER OR NUMBER, YOU GET A LETTER (D-O-N-K-E-Y).
THE LOSER IS THE ONE THAT SPELLS IT COMPLETELY.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
| Subject headings: | Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Bodily Activity |
Date learned: 00001950S LATE
DUCKY, DUCKY
AN "IT" IS CHOSEN. HE STANDS IN THE MIDDLE FACING AWAY
FROM THE OTHER PLAYERS, AND SAYS, "DUCKY, DUCKY, CROSS
MY POND, IF YOU HAVE THIS COLOR ON.)----(RED FOR EXAMPLE.
THE PLAYERS WITH THAT COLOR ON MAY WALK FROM ONE LINE
TO THE OTHER WITHOUT GETTING CAUGHT. THE OTHERS,
WITHOUT THE COLOR, MUST RUN AND MAY GET TAGGED. IF
TAGGED, THAT PERSON BECOMES "IT."
Submitter comment: WE ALWAYS USED TO PLAY THIS.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
| Subject headings: | Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Bodily Activity |
Date learned: NOT GIVEN
PASTIME
YOU NEED 7 PEOPLE. ONE LIES DOWN. TWO ARE ON EACH SIDE
OF THE PERSON LYING DOWN, ONE AT THE HEAD AND ONE AT
THE FEET. YOU USE TWO FINGERS ON EACH HAND AND PUT THEM
UNDER THE BODY OF THE PERSON LYING DOWN. THE PERSON AT
THE HEAD SAYS THERE HAS BEEN AN ACCIDENT. EVERYONE
REPEATS (EXCEPT PERSON LYING DOWN). THEN THEY SAY
SIMULTANEOUSLY, "SHE IS ILL, CALL A DOCTOR, SHE IS
DYING, SHE IS DEAD. SHE'S AS LIGHT AS A FEATHER, STIFF
AS A BOARD." AFTER THIS IS DONE, THE HEAD PERSON SAYS,
"AT THE COUNT OF THREE WE WILL RAISE HER." EVERYONE MUST
CONCENTRATE, THERE MUST BE NO LAUGHING OR ELSE YOU
WON'T BE ABLE TO LIFT THE OTHER PERSON.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
| Subject headings: | Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Bodily Activity |
Date learned: 10-00-1971
PUMP, PUMP, POLE-AWAY
ONE PERSON BENDS OVER AND WRAPS HIS ARMS AROUND A
TELEPHONE POLE. ANOTHER PERSON BENDS OVER AND
WRAPS HIS ARMS AROUND HIS WAIST. THIS CONTINUES UNTIL
A CHAIN OF ABOUT 10 TO 12 PEOPLE IS FORMED. THEN
SOMEONE GETS A RUNNING START AND LEAPS OVER THE PEOPLE.
THE WINNER IS THE ONE WHO LEAPS THE FARTHEST.
Submitter comment:
INFORMANT HAS PLAYED THE GAME IN ESCANABA, MICHIGAN
ABOUT 40 YEARS AGO. HE ADMITS IT TO BE QUITE
UNCOMFORTABLE AT TIMES.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT ; ESCANABA
| Subject headings: | Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Bodily Activity |
Date learned: 03-26-1972