Dr. James T. Callow publications
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The James T. Callow Folklore Archive
Your search for P437 returned 129 results.
If you see a horribly deformed or crippled
person, you should make the sign of the cross,
especially if you are pregnant.
| Subject headings: | CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- Birth BELIEF -- Physically handicapped Deformed BELIEF -- Birth SPEECH -- Gesture |
Date learned: 00001940S
Whenever my brother or I did or said something
stupid my father would put his hands about six
inches from his ears and keep them at an equal
distance while moving them so it looked like he
was pulling a towel through his ears. He did
this to show us that we were acting as if we
didn't have anything in our head. The most
effective use of this was when my mother would
say something stupid and my father did it behind
her back. I have never seen anyone else do this
and my father can't remember when he started
doing it.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; WESTLAND
| Subject headings: | Favorites BELIEF -- Physically handicapped Deformed SPEECH -- Gesture |
Date learned: 00001970S
In the Arab world there is one town in Egypt
where all the people are supposed to be stupid.
The name of the town is Said (pronounced Sa-eed) and
there are many jokes about them. There are even whole plays
built around them. MM
(Here's one of the jokes:
One day this man from Said went to Cairo for the first
time in his life. When he got there he was very amazed
at the traffic lights and since he had never seen one
before and didn't know what they were for, he asked
someone. The man knew he was from Said and so he
told him that when the light is green then only the
people from Cairo can go. When the light is orange,
only the foreigners can drive and when the
light is red then this is when the Saidians may
drive. The Saidian, of course, believed him because when
the light was green a lot of cars drove through and he figured
it was because he was in Cairo that there were so many going.
Then when the light turned orange a few cars tried to make
through and he figured these were the few foreigners in town.
So when the light turned red he went and a cop pulled him
over. When he saw the cop he waved and said, "It's alright,
I'm from Said!")
James Callow Keyword(s): numskull clan
| Subject headings: | Favorites PROSE NARRATIVE -- Physically handicapped Deformed BELIEF -- Physically handicapped Deformed |
Date learned: 00001960S
(In the Arab world there is one town in Egypt
where all the people are supposed to be stupid.
The name of the town is Said, pronounced Sa-eed, and
there are many jokes about them. There are even whole plays
built around them. Here's one of the jokes:) MM
One day this man from Said went to Cairo for the first
time in his life. When he got there he was very amazed
at the traffic lights and since he had never seen one
before and didn't know what they were for, he asked
someone. The man knew he was from Said and so he
told him that when the light is green then only the
people from Cairo can go. When the light is orange,
only the foreigners can drive and when the
light is red then this is when the Saidians may
drive. The Saidian, of course, believed him because when
the light was green a lot of cars drove through and he figured
it was because he was in Cairo that there were so many going.
Then when the light turned orange a few cars tried to make
through and he figured these were the few foreigners in town.
So when the light turned red he went and a cop pulled him
over. When he saw the cop he waved and said, "It's alright,
I'm from Said!"
James Callow Keyword(s): numskull clan
| Subject headings: | Favorites PROSE NARRATIVE -- Physically handicapped Deformed BELIEF -- Physically handicapped Deformed |
Date learned: 00001970S
AN OLD SAYING: TAKE A GUN AND SHOOT IT IN THE AIR. IF NONE OF
THE BULLETS COME DOWN AND KILL YOU, YOU ARE A LUCKY PERSON. IF
ONE DOES KILL YOU, YOU ARE A STUPID PERSON FOR TRYING.
Where learned: SOUTH DAKOTA
James Callow Keyword(s): HUMOR
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Physically handicapped Deformed BELIEF -- Good luck PROVERB -- Proverbial Apothegm Maxim |
Date learned: 00-00-1965
When there is a full moon, the crazy people come out.
Where learned: MICHIGAN
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Physically handicapped Deformed BELIEF -- Moon |
Date learned: 00001980S
You should never talk about other people. For example, never
make fun of the handicapped or people that you think are ugly. If
you do your children will be born just like the person you make fun
of.
Submitter comment:
My grandmother told my mother this to keep her from making fun of
other people.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
Keyword(s): CURSE
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Physically handicapped Deformed BELIEF -- Product or activity of man or animal BELIEF -- Birth |
Date learned: 00001930S
If you had half a brain you'd be dangerous.
Submitter comment:
This is something that my dad says to me all the time when I
do something he considers off the wall. I plan to tell this to my
child.
Where learned: DETROIT
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Physically handicapped Deformed SPEECH -- Formula |
Date learned: 00001970S
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
This is the legend of the Northville Tunnels: It is believed
that one can enter the Northville tunnels off of Sheldon Rd. and
Five Mile Rd. in Northville. These tunnels once led to the
Northville Psychiatric Hospital. Legend has it that many of the
patients used these tunnels to escape from the hospital. These
tunnels are believed to stretch out over many miles and contain
different rooms used to examine and hold patients. Today many
teenagers break into these sealed-off tunnels to find excitement
and to see if there is any proof that the rooms are still being
used today.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; LIVONIA
| Subject headings: | Favorites BELIEF -- Physically handicapped Deformed BELIEF -- Product or activity of man or animal |
Date learned: 00-00-1989
Entry filtered.
IF YOUR NOSE ITCHES, YOU WILL KISS A FOOL.
IF YOUR NOSE ITCHES YOU WILL GET IN A FIGHT.
Where learned: CAR
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Physically handicapped Deformed BELIEF -- Dreams Dreams about friends and lovers |
Date learned: 10-16-1967
FULL MOON
PEOPLE ACT STRANGELY DURING THE NIGHT OF A FULL MOON.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Physically handicapped Deformed BELIEF -- Moon BELIEF -- Means of Causing or Avoiding Illness |
Date learned: NOT GIVEN
IT WAS BELIEVED THAT THE MOONSTONE CONTAINED THE
RAYS OF THE MOON, WHICH COULD RID THE WEARER
OF FEARS AND NIGHTMARES.
Submitter comment: LEARNED IN THE SERVICE WHILE STATIONED IN INDIA.
Where learned: OHIO ; INDIA ; WASHINGTON ; WASHINGTON COURT HOUSE
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Physically handicapped Deformed BELIEF -- Moon BELIEF -- Mineral BELIEF -- Mineral |
Date learned: 12-05-1967
BELIEF
A HOMOSEXUAL WILL HAND YOU SCISSORS POINT FORWARD.
Submitter comment:
HEARD FROM SPANISH OR LATIN-AMERICAN ROOMMATE AT LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY, BATON ROUGE, LA.
Where learned: ALABAMA ; AUBURN
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Physically handicapped Deformed |
Date learned: 07-28-1968
BELIEF
MOST MEN WILL LOOK INTO THEIR GLASS WHEN THEY DRINK, BUT A HOMOSEXUAL WILL LOOK OUT OVER HIS GLASS.
Submitter comment:
HEARD FROM SPANISH OR LATIN-AMERICAN ROOMMATE AT LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY.
Data entry tech comment:
Informant and collector share the same surname.
Where learned: ALABAMA ; AUBURN
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Physically handicapped Deformed |
Date learned: 07-28-1968
BELIEF
HOMOSEXUALS CAN'T WHISTLE.
Where learned: TENNESSEE ; NASHVILLE
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Physically handicapped Deformed |
Date learned: 07-18-1968
MISS PRITCHETT (STUDENT FINANCIAL AID OFFICE) GROWLS
AT EVERYONE. ESPECIALLY GIRLS.
Where learned: TENNESSEE ; PEABODY COLLEGE ; NASHVILLE
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Human Being BELIEF -- Physically handicapped Deformed |
Date learned: 02-12-1969
MOON RAYS
SISTER MARY EDMUND, WHO COMES FROM NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA,
SAID THAT IT IS A BELIEF THAT NO ONE SHOULD SLEEP IN THE
DIRECT RAYS OF THE MOON, THEN SHE RECALLED THE INCIDENT,
WHERE A WOMAN HAD DONE THIS REPEATEDLY AND THE MUSCLES IN HER
FACE DREW UP. PEOPLE BELIEVED THIS WAS DUE TO THE POWER OF
THE MOON.
Where learned: TENNESSEE ; NASHVILLE
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Physically handicapped Deformed BELIEF -- Body part Senses BELIEF -- Moon BELIEF -- Means of Causing or Avoiding Illness |
Date learned: 08-00-1968
THE GHOST OF CHAPEL HILL
IN CHAPEL HILL, TENNESSEE, THERE IS A SET OF RAILROAD TRACKS
WHERE ONE CAN SEE A GHOST. AT NIGHT, WHEN A TRAIN COMES
THROUGH THE TRACKS, YOU CAN SEE A RED LIGHT, WHICH IS A
LITTLE WAYS BEHIND IT. THE LIGHT FOLLOWS THE TRAIN AT
ABOUT THE SAME DISTANCE ALL THE TIME. NO ONE CAN REALLY TELL
JUST EXACTLY WHAT IT IS. PEOPLE HAVE SHOT AT IT AND NOTHING
HAPPENS. PEOPLE SAY THAT ONE, A LONG TIME AGO, A MAN WAS
SEVERED. SUPPOSEDLY THE GHOST, THE RED LIGHT, KEEPS
RETURNING IN SEARCH OF HIS HEAD.
Where learned: TENNESSEE, ASSUMED ; COLUMBIA
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Ghost Spirit Phantom Specter BELIEF -- Physically handicapped Deformed BELIEF -- Body part Senses BELIEF -- Fire BELIEF -- Product or activity of man or animal |