Dr. James T. Callow publications
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The James T. Callow Folklore Archive
Your search for P438.31 returned 137 results.
BLACK AMERICAN
A MAN WHOSE SECOND TOE IS LONGER
THAN HIS BIG TOE WILL BE HENPECKED.
Where learned: ALABAMA
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Body part Senses Feet, toes, toenails BELIEF -- Street Trip Relations between relatives, friends, host and guest Social class Rank |
Mrs. Wolf reported that as a young child growing up
on a farm, that her mother would coat a piece of lint
with lard and tie it around the base of a toe to heal a crack
in the skin (often caused by going barefoot).
Submitter comment:
Mrs. Wolf's mother, Martha (Kyle) Welty, was late in marrying.
Many of her customs and cures were, therefore, those which
were popular in the 1880's.
Where learned: OHIO ; Hicksville
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Body part Senses Feet, toes, toenails BELIEF -- Animal BELIEF -- Method of Curing |
Date learned: 00001910s
FINGER AND TOENAILS SHOULD BE CUT WITH CLIPPERS WHILE
THE NAILS ARE WET LIKE AFTER A SHOWER. DOING THIS
WILL ELIMINATE CRACKING AND SPLITTING OF NAILS.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; Sterling Heights
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Body part Senses Hands, palms, fingernails BELIEF -- Body part Senses Feet, toes, toenails |
Date learned: 00001977CA
If someone sweeps your feet with a broom you must do seven
complete turns and spit on the broom three times or you will soon go
to jail.
James Callow comment:
For earlier African-American predictions that sweeping one's feet
can send that person to jail see Puckett, "Folk Beliefs of the
Southern Negro," p. 397; the informants were from Alabama and
Georgia. Puckett, Ohio, nos. 20562-20572 also equate brooms and
sweeping with arrest and jail. Note that almost all the informants
are listed as Negro. No. 20573 contains three examples of converting
the consequences by spitting on the broom, but none of these
informants, two of whom are Negro, prescribes a certain number of
times for this action.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
Date learned: 00-00-1978
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
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
Remedy for cold or flu
Place camphorated oil in the fontella (soft spot on baby's
head) and on the bottom of the feet of the baby to get rid of any
fever in the body.
Where learned: DETROIT
James Callow Keyword(s): Fontanel
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Body part Senses Head, physiognomy, face BELIEF -- Body part Senses Feet, toes, toenails BELIEF -- Plant |
Rub tomatoes on the bottom of the feet of small children to
cure sore throat.
Where learned: DETROIT
James Callow Keyword(s): HIDDEN CONNECTION
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Body part Senses Feet, toes, toenails BELIEF -- Plant |
Date learned: 00-00-1970
Sweeping one's foot is cause for never being married.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
Keyword(s): Broom superstitions
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Body part Senses Feet, toes, toenails BELIEF -- Product or activity of man or animal BELIEF -- Marriage |
Never sweep the feet of a person with a broom. It's bad
luck.
Where learned: GEORGIA ; ATLANTA
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Body part Senses Feet, toes, toenails BELIEF -- Product or activity of man or animal BELIEF -- Bad luck |
Date learned: 02-10-1992
WALKING THROUGH HORSE MANURE BAREFOOT WILL BRING
GOOD LUCK.
Submitter comment: TOLD BY PARENTS AND GRANDPARENTS.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Body part Senses Feet, toes, toenails BELIEF -- Good luck Animals |
Date learned: 09-22-1970
IF YOU SWEEP YOUR FEET WITH A BROOM IT WILL BRING
YOU BAD LUCK.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Body part Senses Feet, toes, toenails BELIEF -- Bad luck Broom Sweeping |
Date learned: 03-05-1970
IF A PERSON SWEEPS YOUR FEET WITH A BROOM, EVEN BY
MISTAKE, YOU WILL HAVE BAD LUCK.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Body part Senses Feet, toes, toenails BELIEF -- Bad luck Broom Sweeping |
Date learned: 10-10-1971
IT IS BAD LUCK TO CLIP ONE'S TOENAILS AT NIGHT.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; SOUTHFIELD
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Body part Senses Feet, toes, toenails BELIEF -- Bad luck Body parts and functions |
Date learned: 02-26-1971
IF YOU ARE WALKING DOWN THE STREET AND STOMP YOUR
TOE, THAT IS A SIGN OF BAD LUCK.
Submitter comment: INFORMANT LEARNED IN CHILDHOOD
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
James Callow Keyword(s): STUB
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Body part Senses Feet, toes, toenails BELIEF -- Bad luck Body parts and functions |
Date learned: 03-06-1971
IN UKRAINE, IT IS BELIEVED THAT IF A PERSON GETS
OUT OF BED ON HIS LEFT FOOT, HE WILL HAVE BAD
LUCK FOR THE REST OF THE DAY.
Submitter comment:
INFORMANT RECEIVED THIS INFORMATION PASSED ON
BY GRANDPARENTS IN UKRAINE.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
James Callow Keyword(s): POSITION DIRECTION
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Body part Senses Feet, toes, toenails BELIEF -- Measure of time Sleeping BELIEF -- Bad luck Bodily characteristics BELIEF -- Bad luck Activities |
Date learned: 10-01-1967
WHEN LEAVING THE HOUSE, ALWAYS STEP OUT WITH THE
RIGHT LEG, THEN YOU WILL HAVE GOOD LUCK. IF
YOU STEP OUT WITH LEFT LEG, YOU WILL HAVE BAD
LUCK ALL DAY.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; BLOOMFIELD HILLS
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Body part Senses Feet, toes, toenails BELIEF -- Conversions Leaving Entering Returning home Travel |
Date learned: FROM YOUTH
IT IS BAD LUCK IF YOU DON'T LIFT YOUR LEGS WHEN
DRIVING OVER A RAILROAD TRACK.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; BLOOMFIELD HILLS
James Callow Keyword(s): TRAVELING
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Body part Senses Feet, toes, toenails BELIEF -- Conversions Leaving Entering Returning home Travel |
Date learned: NOT GIVEN
IT IS BAD LUCK IF YOU DON'T LIFT YOUR LEGS WHEN
DRIVING BY A CEMETERY.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; BLOOMFIELD HILLS
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Body part Senses Feet, toes, toenails BELIEF -- Death Funeral Burial BELIEF -- Conversions Leaving Entering Returning home Travel |
Date learned: NOT GIVEN
WHEN DRIVING OVER THE RAILROAD TRACKS, PICK
UP YOUR FEET OR BAD LUCK WILL FOLLOW.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Body part Senses Feet, toes, toenails BELIEF -- Conversions Leaving Entering Returning home Travel |
Date learned: 03-18-1968