A number of GI's in England during the war decided to hold a horse race to keep up the morale of the base. For some reason they were short of active animals for the event. Now it happened that the local parish priest had a donkey and they obtained his permission to use it to make up the field. The donkey to the surprise of everyone came in third in the first race. Where upon the camp newspaper came out with the headline "Padre's Ass Shows."

This naturally caused no small scandal among the people of the parish and eventually reached the bishop. However, when called to ask about it by the bishop the padre managed to mollify the good man by explaining it was only an American slang expression. The next day a race was held and the donkey came in first. The paper then announced "Padre's Ass Out in Front."

This called for further episcopal disapproval, but again the padre succeeded in mollifying the bishop. The third day's race the donkey finished second and the paper reported "Padre's Ass back in Place." This was the last straw for the bishop and he ordered the priest to withdraw the animal from the race. The camp then came forth with the sad news: "Bishop Scratches Padre's Ass."

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Original BN [ B667 ] modified: the number zero is written over the seven. Additionally, the entire BN is crossed out and replaced with B660.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT

Keyword(s): AMERICAN ; Anecdote ; Culture Clash ; DONKEY ; European ; GAMBLING ; HORSE ; Jest ; Language ; MILITARY ; NEWSPAPER ; PUN ; RACING ; RELIGION ; SLANG

Subject headings:

PROSE NARRATIVE -- Jest Anecdote
Filter - Mature Content

View just this record

Entry filtered.

Ethnic Joke: The Italian Who Came to Detroit

Ima don lak Detroit worth a sheet. I check inna hotel and go down for breakfast an I tella da girl I wanna ham and eggs and two piece a toast. I tella her I wanna two peese. She say if you wanna to peese go to da toilet. I say you no unnerstand, I wanna two peese on my plate. She say you don peese on your plate, you sonna ma beech. I no eat, I go to my room.

At lunch time I go donna da street for my lunch inna Drake Hotel. The waitress brings me a knife an a napkin but no foke. I tella her I wanna foke. She say whatta you talk, everybody wanna foke. I say you no unnerstand, I wanna foke on the table. She say you don care where you foke, you sonna ma bech. So when she call me sonna ma beech, I go back to hotel.

When I get inna da room I got no sheet on my bed, so I calla da manager and tell him I wanna sheet on my bed. He says don sheet on your bed, go to the bathroom. You no unnerstand, I say, I wanna sheet on the bed. He say you better not sheet on your bed, you sonna ma beech. So when he call me a sonna ma beech, I go check out. I go to da desk to check out to New York, and when I leave the manacer say Peace on You. I say peese on you too, you sonna ma beech cause I go back to Italy.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs and BN added by TRD

James Callow comment:

The word Italian is written in the upper left hand corner of the submission.

Submission card was located in a pile marked To Be Classified.

Where learned: HOME ; MICHIGAN ; SAINT CLAIR SHORES

Keyword(s): AMERICAN ; Cultural Divide ; EUPHEMISM ; HUMOR ; Italian ; Language ; Language Barrier ; NEW YORK ; OBSCENE IMPLICATION ; SPEECH ; Stereotype

James Callow Keyword(s): Italian

Subject headings:

PROSE NARRATIVE -- Jest Anecdote
ITAL

View just this record

Ethnic: Irish/Scottish Superstition

Good Luck:

No man would ever leave Irelannd or Scotland without a bit of heather and a small bag of soil. Without these life in the new wold would be bitter.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Original BN's [P880, F533, p880] crossed out and replaced with F533.

Where learned: HOME ; MICHIGAN ; WYANDOTTE

Keyword(s): BELIEF ; CUSTOM ; DIVINATION ; Earth ; ETHNIC ; Heather ; Herbal ; Irish ; LUCK ; NATURE ; New World ; SCOTTISH ; Soil ; SUPERSTITION ; TRAVEL

Subject headings:

CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- Street Trip Relations between relatives, friends, host and guest Social class Rank

View just this record

Entry filtered.

Ethnic: Newfoundland

Historical record from James Callow Folklore Archive.

Newfy:

A newfoundler was travelling on an airplane. While in flight one of the plane's four engines konked out. The pilot addressed himself to the passengers advising them not to worry because there were still three good engines.

A second engine konked out. The pilot again told the passengers not to worry because two engines would safely get the plane to the air-port. The third engine konked out. The pilot again told the passengers not to worry because they were nearing the airport and still had one good engine.

The fourth engine konked out. The Newfoundler lamented: "Damn, now we'll be in this airplane all day."

Submitter comment:

Informant found the joke amusing.

Informant found this quite amusing.

Data entry tech comment:

BN and Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Submission card located in pile marked [?]

Where learned: HOME

Keyword(s): Airplane ; ETHNIC ; HUMOR ; JOKE ; Newfoundland ; Offensive ; Pilot ; STUPIDITY

Subject headings:

PROSE NARRATIVE -- Stupid man or woman
Filter - Mature Content

View just this record

Entry filtered.

Ethnic Joke: Newfoundland

Historical record from James Callow Folklore Archive.

A minister is walking down the street of a small community in Newfoundland and runs into a drunk.

Minister: You shouldn't drink so much - you'll never get to heaven that way.

Drunk: I bet I'll get to heaven faster than you will.With that the drunk drops dead in the street and a few days later the minister passes on. The minister finds himself in Hell and asks the Devil for a reconsideration. The Devil lets him make a phone call to heaven to ask why he is in Hell.

Minister: Hello, is this Heaven?

Voice: Yes, this is Mary.

Minister: The Blessed Virgin Mary?

Mary: No - not since that Newfie came up here.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs and BN added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Submission card located in pile marked [?]

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT

Keyword(s): DEATH ; DEROGATORY ; DRUNKENNESS ; ETHNIC ; Icons ; Innuendo ; Minister ; Newfoundland ; RELIGION ; SEX ; VIRGIN MARY

James Callow Keyword(s): Newfoundland

Subject headings:

Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Ill humor Ridicule Mockery
Filter - Mature Content

View just this record

Maxim

It begins with you sinking into his arms and ends with your arms in the sink.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs and BN added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Submission card located in pile marked [?]

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT ; OFFICE

Keyword(s): Feminism ; MARRIAGE ; Newlywed ; OMEN ; ROMANCE

Subject headings:

PROVERB -- Proverbial Apothegm Maxim

View just this record

Custom

Lenten Customs:

About two weeks before the Lenten fasting begins, the people of New Orleans celebrate the festival of "Mardi Gras."

Actually, "Mardi Gras" means "Fat Tuesday," and this is the day before Ash Wednesday. But the people celebrate for a couple weeks beforehand, much the same way as most people celebrate Christmas.

Mardi Gras is characterized by its magnificaent parades. Various groups spend enormous amounts of time, effort and money to make their floats as beautiful as possible. throughout the parade, people sit on the floats and throw trinkets, beads and other cheap toys to the crowds who clamor to see who can catch the most. Many of these articles are virtually worthless, but I have seen expensive beads, gold pieces and even $20.00 bills being thrown too.

Besides this, each parade has its own particular name (eg- the Rex Parade) and throws off "dubloons" with the name of the parade and that year stamped on it. A "dubloon" is a silver-dollar sized plastic coin, always in purple, gold or green. Long after Mardi Gras is over, people continue to trade dubloons-to try to get a dubloon of each color from each parade. This collection of worthless plastic coins can be quite valuable.

So the parades, dubloons, balls and parties make Mardi Gras the most festive time of the whole year in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

Where learned: LOUISIANA ; New Orleans

Keyword(s): Beads ; Celebration ; CUSTOM ; Float ; Mardi Gras ; New Orleans ; Parade ; PARTY ; Trinkets

Subject headings:

CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- Spring Planting

View just this record

Superstition: Pregnancy

Cats:

Cats shouldn't be allowed in the same room as a sleeping baby because the smell of milk on a baby's breath will cause the cat to suffocate the baby when the cat attempts to suck the milk out of the baby through the baby's mouth.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Original BN [P400] crossed out / replaced with current classification

Where learned: HOME

Keyword(s): ANIMAL ; ASPHYXIATION ; BABY ; CAT ; CHILD ; DEATH ; FEAR ; Feline ; FOOD ; Kill ; Milk ; Newborn ; Offspring ; Suffocate ; SUPERSTITION

Subject headings:

BELIEF -- Mammal

View just this record

Superstition: Pregnancy

Cats and Babies:

Many mothers will not leace cats in the same room as an infant. They believe a cat can suck all the aior out of a baby's lungs and kill it.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; UNIVERSITY OF DETROIT ; DETROIT

Keyword(s): ASPHYXIATION ; BABY ; CAT ; CHILD ; FEAR ; Feline ; infant ; Newborn ; Suffocate ; SUPERSTITION

Subject headings:

BELIEF -- Mammal

View just this record

Superstition: Pregnancy

Cat Belief:

Never place a baby unattended in the same room as a cat, because the cat will leap up onto the child and take hold of the child's tongue and strangle the child.

Submitter comment:

Informant said she saw a cat do this and was able to save the child before the child expired.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Original BN [P740] crossed out / replaced with current classification

Where learned: HOME ; MICHIGAN ; KALAMAZOO

Keyword(s): ASPHYXIATION ; BABY ; CAT ; CHILD ; FEAR ; Feline ; infant ; Newborn ; STRANGULATION ; SUFFOCATION ; SUPERSTITION

Subject headings:

BELIEF -- Mammal

View just this record

Superstition: Animals

Turtles:

A belief in N.E. [New England?] states that if a snapping turtle bites you, it will hang on to you till the full moon and it will then let go.

Submitter comment:

I learned this from an old Fisherman.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Original BN [P600, P752] crossed out. Replaced with Current Classification

Where learned: UNKNOWN

Keyword(s): ANIMAL ; BELIEF ; Bite ; Full Moon ; New England ; Region ; Snap ; SUPERSTITION ; Turtle

Subject headings:

BELIEF -- Animal

View just this record

Superstition: Pregnancy

Birthmarks:

Mother always said "if a child was born with a birthmark, to do this, before the child got into the bath or anything." Take the afterbirth, the sack the baby grows in, take the lining from the sack and rub the baby all over with that. The skin would come out clean and the birthmark would be gone.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Original BN [P720, P760.750] crossed out. Replaced wtih current classifications

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT

Keyword(s): Afterbirth ; BABY ; BIRTH ; Birth Mark ; CURE ; CURSE ; Delivery ; Labor ; Newborn ; Placenta ; PREGNANCY ; REMEDY

Subject headings:

BELIEF -- Remedy

View just this record

Superstition: Pregnancy

To Spit on a New-Born Baby:

Whenever a woman looks at another's new-born baby, they must have a little saliva fall on the child. If not, the evil-eye is cast upon the baby.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Written in the bottom left hand corner of the card: [IA25 Mark again for S600 + S644]

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT

Keyword(s): BABY ; CHILD ; CURE ; CURSE ; EVIL EYE ; Newborn ; PREVENTION ; REMEDY ; Saliva

Subject headings:

BELIEF -- Means of Causing or Avoiding Illness
SPEECH -- Gesture
SPEECH -- Shame

View just this record

Ethnic:Polish Superstition

Superstitions:

A Polish pregnant woman must not eat twin pears, apples, or other fruits for fear of bearing attached twins.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

The card has been stamped as KEYPUNCHED, but the word has been crossed out.

Where learned: HOME

Keyword(s): BABY ; BELIEF ; Conjoined ; CURSE ; Eat ; ETHNIC ; FOOD ; FRUIT ; Newborn ; POLAND ; POLISH ; PREGNANCY ; SUPERSTITION ; TABU ; TWINS

Subject headings:

BELIEF -- Means of Causing or Avoiding Illness

View just this record

Proverb

Polish Proverb:

Narva miotta dobrze zamiata

Translation: A new broom sweeps clean

Submitter comment:

I know this from my parents.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Located in pile marked Duplicates and Other Rejects

Keyword(s): BROOM ; ETHNIC ; JOB ; METAPHOR ; New ; POLISH ; Task ; YOUTH

Subject headings:

PROVERB -- Proverbial Metaphor

View just this record

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

Subject headings:

PROVERB -- Proverbial Metaphor

View just this record

Proverb

Wedding Proverb:

On your wedding day, you should wear something new, something old, and something borrowed.

Submitter comment:

Mrs. Malony learned this when she was a child. She did not know the verse form of the tradition and left out the rhyming "blue."

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

BN chosen because submission card was located in pile - all cards in pile were marked V300

James Callow comment:

Original BN [c880] crossed out. Not replaced wtih any classification.

Keyword(s): Aphorism ; Apothegm ; BORROW ; Maxim ; New ; Old ; PROVERB ; SUPERSTITION ; VERSE ; WEDDING

Subject headings:

PROVERB -- Proverbial Apothegm Maxim

View just this record

Proverb

Something old, Something new. Something borrowed, something blue.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Meaning? C840.545? Collector says mother she was informant took this as applying to weddings. -dtc.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT

Keyword(s): Aphorism ; Apothegm ; Blue ; Borrowed ; Maxim ; New ; Old ; Prover ; RHYME ; VERSE ; WEDDING

Subject headings:

Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Proverb Proverb

View just this record

Proverb

No news is good news.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

Keyword(s): Aphorism ; Apothegm ; Good ; Maxim ; News ; PROVERB ; VERSE

Subject headings:

PROVERB -- Proverbial Apothegm Maxim

View just this record

prev | items | next