The James T. Callow Folklore Archive

Legend

CROSS ON WHICH CHRIST WAS CRUCIFIED WAS SUPPOSEDLY
OF DOGWOOD. THUS THE DOGWOOD FLOWER IS SHAPED LIKE A
CRUCIFIX AS A REMINDER OF THE CRUCIFIXTION. THE TEAR
DROP IN THE CENTER OF THE FLOWER REPRESENTS A TEAR
WHICH IS SHED FOR THE DEATH OF CHRIST.

Submitter comment:

ORIGIN: UNKNOWN

Data entry tech comment:

Updated 02-22-2011 by TRD

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT

Keyword(s): Christ ; CRUCIFIXION ; CURSE ; DEATH ; Dogwood ; FLOWER ; Legend ; RELIGION ; Story ; Tale ; Tear ; Tree

Date learned: 07-30-1964

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WINDOW IN THE DOGGIE JOKE

THERE WAS AN ECCENTRIC OLD LADY WHO HAD A LITTLE DOG
THAT SHE LOVED VERY MUCH AND JUST DOTED ON. THE DOG WAS
GETTING OLD AND HADN'T BEEN FELLING WELL, SO THE LADY TOOK
IT TO THE VET. THE DOCTOR TOLD HER THAT THE DOG HAD A
WEAK HEART AND WOULDN'T BE AROUND MUCH LONGER. HE SAID
HE JUST HAD A DOG WHO DIED AND SUGGESTED A HEART TRANSPLANT.
THE LADY CONSENTED AND THE DOCTOR WAS REALLY EXCITED
BECAUSE THIS WAS A FIRST--A HEART TRANSPLANT IN A DOG. THE
LADY WAS WATCHING THE DELICATE OPERATION AND THE SKILLFUL
DOCTOR ASKED THAT SINCE HE WAS ALREADY OPERATING, COULD
HE PUT A WINDOW IN THE DOG SO THEY COULD WATCH THE NEW
HEART WORK. THE LADY BEGAN TO WORRY ABOUT MONEY, BUT
CONSENTED ANYWAY.
FINALLY SHE GOT SO WORRIED ABOUT THE COST OF THE OPERATION
AND EVERYTHING THAT SHE THOUGHT SHE {HAD} BETTER INQUIRE
ABOUT IT. SHE ASKED THE DOCTOR, "HOW MUCH IS THAT WINDOW
IN THE DOGGIE?"

Where learned: INDIANA ; University of Notre Dame

Keyword(s): SONG: HOW MUCH IS THAT DOGGIE IN THE WINDOW.

James Callow Keyword(s): HOW MUCH IS THAT DOGGIE IN THE WINDOW?

Date learned: 03-28-1971

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Superstition

Superstition: Bad Luck:

A howling dog means someone will die shortly.

Submitter comment:

[Informant] learned from her grandmother.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Original BN [P880] crossed out and replaced with P870

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT ; J L HUDSONS COMPANY

Keyword(s): BAD LUCK ; BELIEF ; DOG ; Howling ; OMEN ; SUPERSTITION

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Play on Words

Thrones:

IN darkest Africa one time, there were some wicked men who terrorized the natives of the various tribes by exploiting them for their valuables. In fact, these men would go to the chief's hut and steal his throne, because they were usually adorned with gold and diamonds and all sorts of other precious stones.

Well, the word got around to one particular chief that thesemen were coming to his village. Not wanting his throne stolen, he had it hidden up in the attic of his grass hut. When the wicked men arrived, they only found a plain wooden chair as a throne. Thinking that this was not a worthwhile village profitably, they decided to leave. All of a sudden, without warning, the ceiling gave out, and the chief's magnificent throne fell to the ground in front of everybody. discovering this prize, the men packed it up and left the king with no throne.

The moral of this story: People who live in grass houses shouldn't stow thrones.

Submitter comment:

I heard this a few years ago, but I don't remember when. the informant has also slipped my mind. / I don't remember where or whom I heard this from.

Data entry tech comment:

Motif added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Original BN [S570] crossed out/replaced with current classification

Written underneath the BN: [Shaggy Dog - Pun Type]

Where learned: UNKNOWN

Keyword(s): DETECTION OF THIEF ; Fable ; JOKE ; PUN ; SHAGGY DOG STORY ; Throne ; WORD PLAY

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Ethnic: German

Superstition:

In German villages it is believed that if a boy has a dog and the dog runs away, then the boy must follow the dog in search of his fortune. If the dog returns without his master, then the boy is dead. If the dog does not return, the boy has found his fortune.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Original BN [P800] crossed out. Replaced with current classification.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT

Keyword(s): Boy ; DIVINATION ; DOG ; ETHNIC ; FATE ; fortune ; GERMAN ; Ordaining ; SUPERSTITION

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Proverb

Barking dogs never bite.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Dup of WPP

The B in Barking is underlined in red.

Where learned: HOME ; MICHIGAN ; DEARBORN

Keyword(s): Bark ; Bite ; Dogs ; Maxim ; Misdirection ; PROVERB ; SIGN

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Proverb

Let sleeping dogs lie.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Located in Pile marked Duplicates and Other Rejects.

Where learned: HOME ; MICHIGAN ; SAINT CLAIR SHORES

Keyword(s): ANIMAL ; Disturb ; Dogs ; Passive ; SLEEP

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Maxim

Dog Proverb:

Love me, love my dog.

Submitter comment:

Informant incessantly repeats this.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Located in pile marked Duplicates and Other Rejects.

Where learned: HOME ; MICHIGAN ; DETROIT

Keyword(s): ANIMAL ; DOG ; LOVE ; TOLERANCE

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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

You can't teach an old dog new tricks.

Submitter comment:

You can't always teach an old person the enw way certain things are done.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Located in pile marked Duplicates and Other Rejects.

Where learned: HOME ; MICHIGAN ; DETROIT

Keyword(s): AGE ; ANIMAL ; DOG ; METAPHOR ; New ; Old ; Tricks ; YOUTH

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Joke

THIS STORY IS TOLD WITH THE INTENTION OF MAKING SOMEONE FEEL FOOLISH
OR UNCOMFORTABLE. THE STORY GOES: A MAN AND HIS DOG WALK INTO THIS
RESTAURANT AND SIT DOWN AT A TABLE. A WAITRESS WALKS UP AND ASKS
"WHAT'LL YOU HAVE?" AND THE MAN SAYS "I'LL HAVE A STEAK, WELL DONE,
SOME MASHED POTATOES, AND A SALAD. AND BRING ME A PIECE OF APPLE PIE
FOR MY DOG." THE WAITRESS REPLIES, "I'M SORRY SIR, WE DON'T HAVE ANY
APPLE PIE, WILL PEACH PIE DO?"
AT THIS POINT SEVERAL PEOPLE WHO ARE "IN" ON WHAT IS HAPPENING LAUGH
HYSTERICALLY. OF COURSE, THE OUTSIDER DOESN'T, AND PREFERABLY SOME
OF THE CONSPIRATORS DON'T EITHER. THE NARRATOR EXPRESSES DISBELIEF
THAT THE POINT OF THE STORY WAS MISSED, AND ASKS THAT SOMEONE ELSE
TELL IT("MAYBE I DIDN'T TELL IT WELL."). THE CONSPIRATORS TAKE TURNS
TELLING THE STORY AND EACH TIME ANOTHER PERSON JOINS IN THE LAUGHTER
("I GET IT NOW}"). FINALLY ONLY THE OUTSIDER IS LEFT CONFUSED OVER
THE MEANING OF THE STORY.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT

Keyword(s): ABSURD ; DOG ; JOKE ; Pie ; Pointless ; POTATO ; RIDDLE ; Waitress

James Callow Keyword(s): BRUNVAND ; SHAGGY DOG STORY

Date learned: CA00001970

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PROVERB

IF YOU SLEEP WITH DOGS--YOU GET UP WITH FLEAS.

Data entry tech comment:

Updated / 02-24-2011 / TRD

Keyword(s): Aphorism ; Apothegm ; Association ; Company ; DOG ; Fleas ; FRIENDS ; Lay ; Lie ; Maxim ; PROVERB ; Society ; VERSE

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Proverb

A barking dog never bites.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

Keyword(s): ANIMAL ; Aphorism ; Apothegm ; Bark ; Bite ; DOG ; Maxim ; METAPHOR ; PROVERB ; Signal ; VERSE

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Proverb

You can't teach an old dog new tricks.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT

Keyword(s): Adapt ; AGE ; Aphorism ; Apothegm ; Change ; DOG ; Maxim ; New ; Old ; PROVERB ; TRICK ; Tricks ; VERSE ; Young

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Proverb

If you lay down with dogs, you'll get up with fleas.

Submitter comment:

The informant warns many female teens to be careful about freely engaging in sex because they may wind up "caught" (pregnant). She says this all the time.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

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

Where learned: MARYLAND ; BALTIMORE

Keyword(s): Aphorism ; Apothegm ; Company ; Dogs ; Fleas ; Maxim ; PROVERB ; Relationships ; VERSE

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Belief: Weather

It's raining cats and dogs.

Submitter comment:

The phrase refers to a hard rain. I don't know where the symbolism of animals comes in.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

Keyword(s): BELIEF ; Cats ; Dogs ; METAPHOR ; PREDICTION ; Rain ; WEATHER

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Urban Legend

Nashville Reservoir

The reservoir used to be a place for many people to sight-see. They could climb to the top of the wall and look in at our city's water supply. A locked gate was placed there becasue so many people were using the water supply to unload unwanted cats, dogs, babies, and trash.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

Keyword(s): Babies ; Cats ; Dogs ; Litter ; Nashville ; Reservoir ; TRASH ; Urban Legend

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Red Hots

Hot Dog vendors often yell this phrase at baseball, football, basketball, etc, any sports activity, when trying to sell their weiner: "get your red-hots right here!"

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

Where learned: Anonymous

Keyword(s): BASEBALL ; Basketball ; Football ; Hot ; Hot Dog ; Red ; SALE ; Sell ; SPORTS ; Vendor

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Autograph Rhyme

Album Rhyme:

I'm yours till hotdogs have pups and corn have ears.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

Keyword(s): Album ; AUTOGRAPH ; CORN ; Dogs ; EARS ; Hot Dogs ; PLAY ON WORDS ; PUN ; Puppies ; Pups ; RHYME ; Signature ; VERSE ; WORDPLAY

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Saying

Let sleeping dogs lie

(Don't bring up the past)

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

Where learned: FLORIDA ; Plant City

Keyword(s): Dogs ; Dredge ; HISTORY ; Miscellaneous Motifs ; PAST ; Sleeping

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