The James T. Callow Folklore Archive

Language

The eight secluded areas complete with love seats in a girl's dorm lounge are known as the "passion pits."

Submitter comment:

The college is Emory and Henry in Emory, Virginia and the dorm is Martha Washington

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

Keyword(s): COLLEGE ; Dorm ; Dormitories ; Language ; Lounge ; Loveseat ; Nickname ; Passion ; Pit ; SLANG ; Vocabulary

View just this record

Vocabulary

Grandma's Black Beads = lines of dirt formed on the neck

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

Keyword(s): Beads ; Black ; Dirt ; Grandma ; Language ; NECK ; Nickname ; Saying ; SLANG ; Term

View just this record

Saying

Term used for those first dates when a parent drives you to or from an activity: Mommy-date.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

Keyword(s): Chaperone ; DATE ; Drive ; Language ; Mommy ; Nickname ; Saying ; SLANG ; Term ; TRANSPORTATION

View just this record

Vocabulary

Chicken and slicks is another name for the dish of chicken and dumplings.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

Keyword(s): Chicken ; Dish ; Dumpling ; FOOD ; Language ; Meal ; Nickname ; SLANG ; Slicks ; Term

View just this record

Language

Methodist measure: full measure

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

Keyword(s): Language ; Measure ; Methodist ; RELIGION ; SLANG

View just this record

Language

American Nicknames:

Mexicans call Americans "gringoes" because when the Texans went into the Battle of San Jacinto, they were singing "Green Grow the Lilacs." The Mexicans thought they were saying "gringo."

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

Where learned: TENNESSEE ; NASHVILLE

Keyword(s): AMERICAN ; Battle ; Culture ; ETYMOLOGY ; Green ; Gringo ; Grow ; Language ; Lilacs ; Mexican ; NATIONALITY ; Nickname ; San Jacinto ; SLANG ; SONG ; Term

View just this record

Expression

To Feather Your Nest means to make your life comfortable.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

Where learned: TENNESSEE ; NASHVILLE ;

Keyword(s): Comfortable ; Expression ; Feather ; Language ; LIFE ; Nest ; SLANG

View just this record

Saying

...three sheets to the wind. Meaning he's drunk.

ie There was a guy three sheets to the wind.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

Where learned: TENNESSEE ; NASHVILLE

Keyword(s): DRUNK ; EUPHEMISM ; Language ; Saying ; Sheets ; SLANG ; Term ; Wind

View just this record

Saying

Out of Cite [sic]

This saying, used by young people, means that something is enjoyable, pleasing, or otherwise good. It can be paralleled with such jargon as "cool," "bad," or "mellow."

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs Added by TRD

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; WESTLAND

Keyword(s): Bad ; Cite ; Cool ; Era ; Jargon ; Language ; Mellow ; Nickname ; SLANG

View just this record

Retort

Next day after never when two Sundays come together.

Submitter comment:

I heard it from my father.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs Added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Should be under Rotten Verse?

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT

Keyword(s): COMEBACK ; Day ; Language ; Never ; Never ; Next ; RETORT ; RHYME ; SLANG ; Sundays

View just this record

Retort

A traditional reply to the word "hey" is "hay is for horses"

When a person, in conversation, pauses and says "well," then traditional answer is "wells are for water."

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs Added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Original BN [V400, V300, S260] crossed out. Replaced with current classification.

Where learned: HOME

Keyword(s): COMEBACK ; Hay ; Hey ; HORSES ; Language ; RETORT ; SLANG ; WATER ; Well

View just this record

Retort

Do you think money grows on trees?

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs Added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Class?

Original BN [V300] crossed out. Replaced with current classification.

Where learned: HOME

Keyword(s): Language ; MONEY ; RETORT ; SLANG ; Tree

View just this record

Retort

Wise Guy?

What are you? A wise guy or a truck driver?

(Question and answer given to someone who has made a wise remark.)

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs Added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Original BN [W400] crossed out. Replaced with current classification.

Class?

What's the answer?

Keyword(s): Answer ; Language ; QUESTION ; Remark ; RETORT ; SLANG ; Truck Driver ; Wise Guy

View just this record

Language

Shor 'nuff

Submitter comment:

Meaning "is that right?"

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs Added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Original BN [S200] crossed out. Replaced with current classification.

Classification?

Keyword(s): Dialect6 ; Enough ; Folk ; Language ; SLANG ; SPEECH ; Sure ; Term

View just this record

Retort

Is that a water proof shirt you have on?

No, Why?

That's a pisser of a tie you've got on.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs Added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Taste?

Keyword(s): INSULT ; Language ; Pisser ; RETORT ; Shirt ; SLANG ; Tease ; Tie ; Waterproof

View just this record

Verse

Leave-Taking:

See you later alligator.

Afterwhile crocodile

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs Added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Verse?

Keyword(s): Alligator ; Crocodile ; Leave Taking ; RHYME ; SLANG ; VERSE

View just this record

Saying

See you later alligator.
In a while, Crocodile
Not too soon, baboon.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs Added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Original BN [S550, S57] crossed out. Replaced with current classifications.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT

Keyword(s): Alligator ; Baboon ; Crocodile ; Expression ; SLANG ; Term

View just this record

Retort

In answer to Polish greeting of "jak tam wiszi," (how's it hanging?) one might say "STOI!"

It literally means standing, but may be translated as "up tight and out of sight" or "everything is ok."

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs Added By TRD

James Callow comment:

Reply to Greeting. Greeting itself is already on another card. Greeting?

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; UNIVERSITY OF DETROIT ; DETROIT

Keyword(s): Casual ; CONVERSATION ; POLISH ; RETORT ; SLANG

View just this record