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James Callow Folklore Archive

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The James T. Callow Folklore Archive

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Tongue Twister

Following comment is made to someone who has insulted you. The slip of the tongue is intentional:

You're casting asparagus on my reputation.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs Added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Not really a tongue twister, is it?

Where learned: NEW YORK ; Syracuse University ; Syracuse

Keyword(s): INSULT ; Language ; PLAY ON WORDS ; PUN ; Reply ; REPUTATION ; RETORT ; WORDPLAY

Subject headings: SPEECH -- Formula

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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

Subject headings: SPEECH -- Formula

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Toast

Nazdravlje

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs Added By TRD

James Callow comment:

Translation?

Where learned: HUNGARY

Keyword(s): DRINK ; Hungary ; Language Serbian ; TOAST ; Well Wishes

Subject headings: SPEECH -- Formula

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Tongue Twister

Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.
If Peter Piper picked a pack of pickled peppers,
How many pickled peppers did Peter Piper pick?

Submitter comment:

From Childhood

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs Added By TRD

James Callow comment:

Verse?

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT

Keyword(s): ALLITERATION ; Entertainment ; GAME ; Language ; Peppers ; Peter ; Piper ; RHYME ; TONGUE TWISTER ; VERSE

Subject headings: Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Speech Speech

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Tongue Twister

Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers. A peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked; if Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers where is the peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked?

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs Added By TRD

James Callow comment:

Verse?

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; UNIVERSITY OF DETROIT ; DETROIT

Keyword(s): ALLITERATION ; GAME ; Language ; Peppers ; Peter ; Piper ; RHYME ; TONGUE TWISTER ; VERSE

Subject headings: Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Speech Speech

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Tongue Twister

Tangle Talk:

A Tutoe who tooted a flute
Tried to teach two young tooters to toot
Said the two to the tutor,
"is it harder to toot, or to tutor two tooters to toot?"

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs Added By TRD

James Callow comment:

Tongue Twister?

Original BN [C700] crossed out. Replaced with current classification.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT

Keyword(s): ALLITERATION ; Flute ; GAME ; Language ; Tangle ; TONGUE TWISTER ; Tutor

Subject headings: Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Speech Speech

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Entry filtered.

Saying

"That's Tits" means 'I definitely approve." This saying can be applied to anything animate or inanimate.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs Added By TRD

James Callow comment:

Original BN [V200] crossed out. Replaced with current classification.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT

Keyword(s): Animate ; Approval ; Approve ; Inanimate ; Language ; Saying ; SLANG ; Tits

Subject headings: SPEECH -- Formula
Filter - Mature Content

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Saying

Pull the latch string in or let it hang out

Submitter comment:

A saying or sign coming from the pioneers indicating whether a person or a thought is welcome within.

Ran across this while reading a book called The Well Springs of Truth  published in 1883 by the Nashville publishing Company. Written by W.W. Breese MD.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs Added By TRD

James Callow comment:

?

Otiginal BN [V400, S500] crossed out. Replaced with current classification.

Where learned: BOOK ; The Well Springs of Truth ; Nashville Publishing Company

Keyword(s): Language ; Latch ; Saying ; SIGN ; SLANG ; String ; Welcome

Subject headings: SPEECH -- Formula

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Language: Rhyme

Hickup Hickup go away
Come again another day
Hickup Hickup when I bake
I'll bake you a CAKE

Submitter comment:

Pastime.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs Added By TRD

James Callow comment:

Children sing this when they get the hiccups. Verse?

Original BN [C500, C730] crossed out. Replaced with current classification.

Keyword(s): Bake ; Cake ; CHILDREN ; GAME ; HICCUP ; Hickup ; Language ; Nursery ; RHYME ; SONG ; VERSE

Subject headings: SPEECH -- Formula

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Verse

"Surprise" Verse:

Question: Inchme and Pinchme were walking across the bridge. Inchme fell in. Who was left?

Answer: Pinchme. (At this, the person who responded recieves a pinch.)

Submitter comment:

Informant learned this through experience during childhood - Plymouth MI, 1940's.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs Added By TRD

James Callow comment:

Not Verse?

Original BN [C800] crossed out. Replaced with current classification.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT

Keyword(s): Answer ; Inch ; JOKE ; Language ; Pinch ; PRACTICAL JOKE ; QUESTION ; RHYME ; SURPRISE ; VERSE

Subject headings: SPEECH -- Formula

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Verse

Narrative Verse: (Circular):

That's Tough! What's Tough?

Life. What's Life? A Magazine.

How much? 10 cents. Only have 5cents.

That's Though! What's Tough?

Life. What's Life? A Magazine.

How Much? 10 cents. Only have 5.

That's Tough! etc.etc.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs Added By TRD

James Callow comment:

Original BN [C720] crossed out. Replaced with current classification.

Really a Verse?

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT

Keyword(s): A Round ; Answer ; Circular ; GAME ; Language ; LIFE ; MAGAZINE ; MONEY ; QUESTION ; Tough ; VERSE

Subject headings: SPEECH -- Formula

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Verse

Telephone Answer:

"Ring...."

"City Morgue, you stab 'em, we slab 'em." (sic)

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs Added By TRD

James Callow comment:

Verse?

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; WESTLAND

Keyword(s): Answer ; JOKE ; Language ; Morgue ; RHYME ; Slab ; Stab ; TELEPHONE

Subject headings: SPEECH -- Formula

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Verse

Salutations:

Say when you answer the telephone:

"City Morgue...you stab 'em, we slab 'em."

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs Added By TRD

James Callow comment:

Verse?

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT

Keyword(s): GAME ; GREETING ; Language ; Morgue ; RHYME ; Salutation ; Slab ; Stab ; TELEPHONE

Subject headings: SPEECH -- Formula

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Retort

Sticks and stones may break my bones but names will never hurt me.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs Added By TRD

James Callow comment:

Verse?

Keyword(s): Language ; NAMES ; RETORT ; RHYME ; Sticks ; STONES ; TAUNT ; Tease ; VERSE

Subject headings: SPEECH -- Formula

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Entry filtered.

Saying

Shake your ass.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs Added By TRD

James Callow comment:

Original BN [V700] crossed out. Replaced with  current classification.

Original Title [Proverb] crossed out.

Keyword(s): ASS ; Language ; Saying ; Shake ; SLANG

Subject headings: SPEECH -- Formula
Filter - Mature Content

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Entry filtered.

Language: Rhyme

Historical record from James Callow Folklore Archive.

If you're white you're right.
If you're brown stick around.
If you're black get back.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs Added By TRD

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; UNIVERSITY OF DETROIT ; DETROIT

Keyword(s): Black ; Brown ; COLOR ; Ethnicity ; Language ; RACE ; RACISM ; Racist ; RHYME ; Saying ; SKIN ; White

Subject headings: Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Speech Speech
Filter - Mature Content

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Entry filtered.

Tongue Twister

I'm neither a fig plucker nor a fig plucker's son but I pluck your figs till the fig plucker comes.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs Added By TRD

James Callow comment:

Original BN [C730.329] crossed out. Replaced with current classification.

Plucker? Yes.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; UNIVERSITY OF DETROIT ; DETROIT

Keyword(s): ALLITERATION ; Fig ; Language ; Plucker ; RHYME ; Saying ; TONGUE TWISTER ; VERSE

Subject headings: Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Speech Speech
Filter - Mature Content

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Language: Rhyme

Nonsense Rhyme:

Of all the fishies in the brook,
I'd rather be a bass.

I'd climb up on the biggest rock
And slide down on my hands and knees.

Submitter comment:

Undetermined Origin

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs Added By TRD

James Callow comment:

Original BN [C730] crossed out. Replaced with current classification.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; ROYAL OAK

Keyword(s): Brook ; FISH ; Fishies ; Hands ; Knees ; Language ; NONSENSE ; RHYME ; Rock ; Slide

Subject headings: Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Speech Speech

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Childrens' Rhyme

Everyday we go to shop
At the bakery, I like to stop
And point my finger and say "let's try it."
But my mother replies, "You're on a diet."

Oh, how happy I will be
When Mother no longer says to me:

"You can't eat this, You can't eat that,
Cause this and that will make you fat."

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs Added by TRD

Where learned: TENNESSEE ; NASHVILLE

Keyword(s): Bakery ; CHILDREN ; Eat ; Fat ; Language ; MOTHER ; RHYME ; Shop ; SONG ; VERSE

Subject headings: Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Lyrical Verse Lyrical Verse

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Verse in Formula

I was told to cheer up;
"Things could be worse"
So I cheered up,
And sure'nuff, things got worse.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs Added by TRD

Keyword(s): ; Cheer UP ; Formula ; Language ; PLAY ON WORDS ; PUN ; RHYME ; VERSE ; Worse

Subject headings: Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Speech Speech

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