THE FORD MOTOR COMPANY RUN VARIOUS TOURS THROUGH ITS ROUGE
PLANT, MR. BARRY IS THE SENIOR GUIDE ON THE STAFF.
OF COURSE PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD HAVE TAKEN THE FORD TOUR.
THE GUIDE STAFF TENDS TO GIVE THE VARIOUS GROUPS PET NAMES.
ONCE MR. BARRY HAD A FARM PARTY FROM INDIANA, AND THEIR NAME
WAS HERMAN, WELL THE NAME STUCK, AND WHENEVER ANYONE WITH A
FARM OR BUMPKIN APPEARANCE TAKES A TOUR, THE GUIDES REFER TO
THEM AS HERMANS.

Submitter comment:

THUS THE INFORMANT INVENTED THE TERM AND IT HAS BECOME A
TRADITIONAL WORD.

Data entry tech comment:

Updated by TRD

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DEARBORN

Keyword(s): Bumpkins ; ETYMOLOGY ; Hermans ; Museum ; Nickname ; Tour ; Tourist

Subject headings:

BELIEF -- Explanation of a name

Date learned: SUMMER 00001963

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LAKE SUPERIOR BELIEF

LAKE SUPERIOR IS KNOWN AS THE LAKE THAT DOES NOT GIVE UP ITS
DEAD. THE REASON FOR THIS IS THAT BECAUSE THE LAKE IS SO COLD,
THE BODIES DON'T DECOMPOSE AND RISE TO THE SURFACE.

Data entry tech comment:

Updated by TRD

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DEARBORN

Keyword(s): BELIEF ; Dead ; Decompose ; Lake ; Lake Superior ; Nickname ; Origin ; TEMPERATURE ; WATER

Subject headings:

BELIEF -- Still water Small body.
BELIEF -- Death Funeral Burial

Date learned: NOT GIVEN

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THE ORIGIN OF THE SANDWICH

DID YOU KNOW THAT WHAT WE CALL A SANDWICH TODAY IS NOT REALLY A
SANDWICH? IT'S A SHREWSBURY} I'M SURE YOU HEARD THE STORY ABOUT
THE EARL OF SANDWICH INVENTING THAT DELICACY,
BUT THAT STORY IS FALSE, IT WAS INVENTED BY THE DUKE OF SHREWSBURY,
TO CELEBRATE HIS INVENTION, THE DUKE INVITED ALL OF THE NOBILITY
FROM FAR AND NEAR TO A BANQUET, WHERE HE WAS GOING TO INTRODUCE
THE SHREWSBURY. HE HAPPENED TO INVITE THE EARL OF SANDWICH.
THE EARL RECOGNIZED WHAT A GOOD THING THIS WAS, SO HE INVITED
THE DUKE OVER TO HIS CASTLE THE NEXT DAY.
WHEN THE EARL SAW THE DUKE ABOUT TO ENTER THE CASTLE, HE LIFTED UP
THE DRAWBRIDGE, AND THE DUKE FELL IN THE MOAT. HE THEN PULLED THE
PLUG AND THAT WAS THE LAST ANYONE SAW OF THE DUKE. THE EARL OF
SANDWICH TOOK THE INVENTION AND MADE IT POPULAR AND THAT IS WHY WE
CALL IT A SANDWICH.

Submitter comment:

THE INFORMANT HEARD THE STORY FROM SOMEONE AT WESTERN MICHIGAN
UNIVERSITY, WHERE HE IS A STUDENT. HE WAS NOT SURE OF THE FELLOW'S
NAME, BUT HE KNEW THAT HE WAS FROM MASSACHUSETTS.

Data entry tech comment:

Updated by TRD

Where learned: LOCATION NOT RECORDED BY COLLECTOR

Keyword(s): FOOD ; Invention ; NAME ; Origin ; Sandwich

Subject headings:

Food Drink -- Pastry Sweet Dessert Bread, rolls, etc.
SPEECH -- Folk etymology

Date learned: 04-10-1965

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FOLK ETYMOLOGY: SHYSTER

THIS WORD IS THE CURRENT NAME OF AN UNSCRUPULOUS LAWYER. A
GERMAN LAWYER OF NEW YORK ONCE APPLIED FOR A WARRANT FOR A
CLIENT WHO HAD SLANDERED HIM BY CALLING HIM A VULGAR NAME
WHICH, AS PRONOUNCED BY THE LAWYER, SOUNDED LIKE SHYSTER.

Data entry tech comment:

Updated by TRD

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT

Keyword(s): Name calling ; SLANG ; Vulgar ; XX

Subject headings:

CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- Common law

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EXPLANATION OF NAME, "MURDER HILL"

THERE IS A STRETCH OF NARROW, WINDING ROAD ON THE SIDE OF A HILL
JUST OUTSIDE OF LITTLE VALLEY, NEW YORK. SIGNS AT EACH END OF THIS
LONG ROAD CALL IT "MURDER HILL."
ONE EXPLANATION OF THE NAME IS THE FACT THAT A FATAL ACCIDENT
COULD EASILY HAPPEN THERE.
ANOTHER EXPLANATION IS A LEGEND THAT A MAN KILLED HIS WIFE AND
THEN HIMSELF IN A HOUSE NOT FAR FROM THE ROAD.

Data entry tech comment:

Updated by TRD

Where learned: NEW YORK ; FRANKLINVILLE

Keyword(s): Murder Hill ; Origin of Name ; Tale ; Urban Legend

Subject headings:

BELIEF -- Street Trip Relations between relatives, friends, host and guest Social class Rank
BELIEF -- Death Funeral Burial
SPEECH -- S478

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FINGER LAKES BELIEF

THE IROQUOIS BELIEVED THAT THE FINGER LAKES OF UPPER NEW YORK STATE WERE
FORMED BY THE HAND OF GOD, DESCENDING IN BLESSING UPON THE LAND.

Submitter comment:

MR. WYATT LEARNED OF THE LEGEND WHILE LIVING IN GENEVA, NEW YORK,
HIS HOME. GENEVA IS ONE OF THE FINGER LAKES.

Data entry tech comment:

Updated by TRD

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT

Keyword(s): AMERICAN INDIAN ; CREATION ; Entomology ; Finger Lakes ; God ; Indigenous ; Iroquois ; NAME ; NEW YORK

Subject headings:

Food Drink -- Meat Bred animal
BELIEF -- Still water Small body.

Date learned: 10-22-1965

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HOW GOD MADE "FLUTTER-BYS"

WELL, THE LORD HAD JUST FINISHED MAKING THE WORLD AND HE SAT BACK
IN HIS BIG OL' ROCKER TO LOOK IT OVER. "NOT A BAD JOB, IF I SAY SO
MYSELF." HE LIT UP A BIG, FINE CIGAR AND WAS FEELING PRETTY GOOD
ABOUT IT UNTIL HE NOTICED THAT THE WORLD LOOKED KIND OF BARE. THE
FACT OF THE MATTER WAS THERE WASN'T A THING TO THE WORLD EXCEPT LAND,
TREES AND A LOTS OF WATER. THERE WAS EVEN MORE WATER THAN LAND.
"WONDER HOW I DID THAT," THE LORD SAID. "SEEMS TO ME I'D PLANNED FOR
THERE TO BE MORE LANDTHAN WATER." WELL, HE SHRUGGED HIS SHOULDERS AND
TURNED HIS MIND TO MAKE THE WORLD LOOK A BIT PRETTIER. "GIMME MY
PRUNING SHEARS," HE CALLED OUT AND ONE OF THE CUTE, LITTLE ANGELS RAN
AND GOT THEM. THEN THE GREAT LORD ALMIGHTY LEANED OUT OF HIS ROCKING
CHAIR, TRIMMED THE TREES, AND THREW THE TRIMMINGS ALL OVER THE EMPTY
GROUND. THAT'S WHAT MADE THE GRASS, BUSHES, AND ALL THE FLOWERS.
"NOW THAT DON'T LOOK TOO BAD," HE SAID AND LEANED BACK. "YESSIRY
I'VE DONE MADE A AWFUL PRETTY WORLD." AND SO SAYING, HE WENT TO BED
TO REST UP FROM ALL THAT WORK. THE NEXT MORNING THE LORD HADN'T EVEN
HAD ONE EYE OPEN YET, WHEN HE HEARD THE FLOWERS WHISPERING AMONG
THEMSELVES, "IT'S LONELY DOWN HERE"; THE OTHER FLOWER SAID, "WE
WERE PUT HERE TO KEEP THE GROUND COMPANY AND MAKE EVERYTHING LOOK
PRETTY, BUT IT SURE IS MIGHTY LONELY." THE LORD SHOOK HIS HEAD IN
DISGUST. "HAVE MERCY, FATHER. YOU GET THROUGH MAKING ONE THANG AND
AND THE NEXT THANG YOU KNOW YOU GOTTA MAKE SOMETHING TO GO WITH THE
FIRST. GIMME THEM LITTLE SHEARS, ONE OF YOU ANGELS, PLEASE." AN
ANGEL BROUGHT HIM THE TEENICHY PAIR OF SHEARS AND HE BENT OVER TO THE
EARTH AND STARTED SNIPPING LITTLE PIECES OFF OF EVERYTHING - THE SKY,
THE GROUND, THE TREES, THE ANIMALS, THE BUSHES, THE FLOWERS;
EVERYTHING HE PUT HIS SHEARS ON, GOT SNIPPED. "THE VERY IDEA OF
GETTING COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE WORLD AND IT AIN'T EVEN A DAY OLD.
THAT'S GRATITUDE." THE LORD HAD A FEELING HE WAS GOING TO BE GETTING
COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE WORLD FROM THEN ON. HE WAS SO MAD THAT HE DID
NOT CARE WHAT HE SNIPPED - SNIP, SNIP, ALL MORNING LONG. WELL, WHEN
THE FOLKS LOOKED UP AND SAW THE TINY CLIPPINGS FLUTTERING AROUND.
THEY CALLED THEM FLUTTER-BYS. THE BLUE FLUTTER-BYS HAD BEEN SNIPPED
FROM THE SKY; THE YELLOW FLUTTER-BYS HAD BEEN CLIPPINGS FROM THE SUN;
AND THERE WERE THE LORD'S WHITE FLUTTER-BYS THAT WERE CLIPPINGS FROM
THE STARS. EVERY COLOR FLUTTER-BY YOU COULD THINK OF WAS FLUTTERING
AROUND.

Submitter comment:

THIS IS ANOTHER LONG NARRATIVE WITH A STRONG BLACK IMAGE, AS REFERRED
TO IN MY COLLECTION'S SEQUENCE NUMBER 731772-1; I GET THE
IMPRESSION THAT THIS IS A BLACK GOD.

Data entry tech comment:

Updated by TRD

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT

Keyword(s): Butterfly ; CREATION ; ETYMOLOGY ; God ; NAME ; Origin ; PERSONIFICATION ; Tale

James Callow Keyword(s): PERSONIFICATION

Subject headings:

Favorites
PROSE NARRATIVE -- Creation and Order of Animal Life
SPEECH -- Proper Name

Date learned: 00-00-1954

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