The James T. Callow Folklore Archive

Verse

The Wind:

When the wind is in the East,

'Tis good for neither man nor feast;

When the wind is in the North,

The skillful fisher goes not forth;

When the wind is in the South,

It blows the bait in the fishes' mouth;

When the wind is in the West,

Then 'tis at its very best.

Submitter comment:

Discovered in a paper placement, printed in Rhode Island. Paper then discovered at Audio's Pizzaria in Detroit.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Dup. of WPP

Where learned: Rhode Island

Keyword(s): Bait ; DIRECTION ; East ; FISH ; Fisherman ; FOOD ; Formula ; North ; Ocean ; PREDICTION ; RHYME ; Sailor ; SEA ; Sky ; SONG ; South ; Sport ; VERSE ; WARNING ; West ; Wind

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Belief: Weather

Red sky at night is the sailors delight.

Red sky at morning - sailors take warning

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Dup of WPP

Keyword(s): COLOR ; NATURE ; Nautical ; Ocean ; PREDICTING WEATHER ; PREDICTION ; RHYME ; Sailor ; Sky ; WARNING ; WEATHER

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Belief: Weather

Red skies at night, sailors delight. Red skies in the morning, sailors take warning.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Dup of WPP

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT

Keyword(s): COLOR ; NATURE ; Nautical ; Ocean ; PREDICTING WEATHER ; PREDICTION ; RHYME ; Sailor ; Sky ; WARNING ; WEATHER

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Proverb

He that can have patience can have what he will.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

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

Located in pile marked Duplicates and Other Rejects

Keyword(s): PATIENCE ; Reward ; Virtue

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Proverb

He who laughs last, laughs best.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Original BN [O400] crossed out. Replaced with current classification.

Located in pile marked Duplicates and Other Rejects.

Where learned: HOME ; MICHIGAN ; DEARBORN

Keyword(s): Laugh ; Laughter ; PATIENCE ; Reward ; Virtue

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Proverbial Maxim

He who hesitates is lost.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Located in pile marked Duplicates and Other Rejects.

Keyword(s): ACTION ; Hesitation ; PATIENCE ; PUNISHMENT ; Reward

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Proverb

Last Laugh:

He who laughs last, laughs best.

Submitter comment:

Heard this in Grade School

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Located in pile marked Duplicates and Other Rejects.

Keyword(s): Laugh ; Laughter ; PATIENCE ; REVENGE ; Reward

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Proverb

Honesty is the best policy

Submitter comment:

As a youth

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Located in a pile marked Duplicates and Other Rejects

Keyword(s): HONESTY ; Lesson ; Maxim ; POLICY ; POLICY ; PROVERB ; Reward

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Proverb

A house without a woman and firelight is like a body without a soul or sprite.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

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

Located in a pile marked Duplicates and Other Rejects

Keyword(s): BODY ; Domesticity ; Feminine ; FIRE ; Firelight ; PROVERB ; RHYME ; Soul ; SPIRIT ; Warmth ; Woman

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Proverb

Caveat Emptor - Let the buyer beware.

Submitter comment:

...From HIgh School Economics and Latin class.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Located in a pile marked Duplicates and Other Rejects

KW:FFN

Keyword(s): Beware ; Buyer ; ECONOMICS ; Language ; LATIN ; PRUDENCE

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Proverb

Proverbial Metaphor:

Every dog has its day.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Located in pile marked Duplicates and Other Rejects.

KW: ALX,X4X

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT

Keyword(s): ANIMAL ; Day ; DOG ; PATIENCE ; Reward

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Proverb

The sleeping fox catches no poultry.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Original Bn [V600] crossed out. Replaced with current classifications.

Located in pile marked Duplicates and Other Rejects

Keyword(s): ANIMAL ; ATTENTION ; Aware ; Chicken ; Fox ; Hunt ; LAZY ; METAPHOR ; Poultry ; SLEEP

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Proverb

Unity:

United we stand, Divided we fall.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

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

Located in pile marked Duplicates and Other Rejects

Keyword(s): Alone ; Divided ; Division ; Fall ; NUMBERS ; Stand ; STRENGTH ; Unity ; WAR

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Toast

The Art of Toasting:

Toasting "healths" began hundreds of years BC when warriors offered drinks to Pagan Gods. Greeks drank at banquets to every God on Olympus. RomNS dded a pledge to Caesar - with a cup to each letter in his name. Norsemen drank to Thor, and Oden, plus cups to love, memories, absent friends. Merrymakers drank to each other's health. Pledging in these cutthroat days was very real. A man was especially vulnerable while drinking. When kinsman "pledged health," they swore to defend each other. Rowdy songs and chug-a-lugging begame part of health drinking as well as toasts to the ladies, wealth and success.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Not ONE example.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT

Keyword(s): Caesar ; DRINKING ; Greek ; HISTORY ; Kinship ; Kinsman ; Norse ; Oden ; Pagan ; Protect ; Romans ; Social ; SUCCESS ; Thor ; TOAST ; Viking ; Warriors ; WEALTH

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Proverb

A rainbow at night is a sailor's delight:

A rainbow in the morning is a sailor's warning.

Submitter comment:

Informant learned this from the rural community near Kinnecott, Ontario.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

Where learned: RECTORY ; HOLY NAME

Keyword(s): COLOR ; NATURE ; Nautical ; Ocean ; PREDICTING WEATHER ; PREDICTION ; RHYME ; Sailor ; Sky ; WARNING ; WEATHER

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Proverb

Make love, not war.

Submitter comment:

Sit-ins.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

The term [sit-ins] is circled, and this is written next to it:

It would be better to put these comments a line or two lower so they won't appear to be part of the proverb.

Keyword(s): Aphorism ; Apothegm ; LOVE ; Maxim ; PLAY ON WORDS ; Protest ; PROVERB ; PUN ; SLOGAN ; VERSE ; WAR

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Proverb

Virtue is its own reward.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

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

Keyword(s): Aphorism ; Apothegm ; Maxim ; PROVERB ; Reward ; VERSE ; Virtue

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Method of Cleaning Silverware

Clean aluminum pan. Dissolve in it:

1 teaspoon baking sode

1 teaspoon table salt

Immerse silverware until tarnish is removed. Then rinse in clean, warm water and rub dry with clean soft cloth.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

Where learned: TENNESSEE ; NASHVILLE

Keyword(s): Baking Soda ; Cleaning ; Domestic ; Household ; Ingredients ; METAL ; RECIPE ; Salt ; Silver ; Silverware ; Table Salt

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Retort

You're about as funny as a pay toilet in a dairy ward.

Submitter comment:

From his friend, Brian Battersby.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs Added By TRD

James Callow comment:

Diary Ward?

Where learned: HOME

Keyword(s): Diary ; Funny ; INSULT ; METAPHOR ; RETORT ; SIMILE ; SLANG ; Toilet ; Unfunny ; Ward

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IF YOU STEP OVER SOMEONE'S OUT STRETCHED LEGS, HE WILL
HAVE BAD LUCK UNLESS YOU STEP OVER THEM BACKWARDS.

Data entry tech comment:

Updated on 09-01-11

Where learned: TENNESSEE ; GALLATIN

Keyword(s): Backwards ; BAD LUCK ; BODY ; LEGS ; Limb ; LUCK ; Step

Date learned: 08-20-1973

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