Dr. James T. Callow publications
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The James T. Callow Folklore Archive
Your search for RIDDLE returned 68 results.
What did the monkey say when it backed into the
fan? "It won't be long now."
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; LENNON
James Callow Keyword(s): Wellerism posed as a riddle
| Subject headings: | Favorites PROVERB -- Wellerism Quotation RIDDLE -- Riddle Question |
Date learned: 00-00-1981
A popular joke in school was:
If a rooster is on top of a roof, on a peak,
and lays an egg, which direction will the egg roll?
Answer, roosters do not lay eggs.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
James Callow Keyword(s): Catch Riddle
| Subject headings: | RIDDLE -- True Riddle |
Date learned: 00001970S
Love
There was a little girl who lived all alone, her parents were
dead. All she had was a dog named Love. One day a murderer
broke into her house and said the only way he would let her
live is if she can think of a riddle that he could not guess.
She had three days to come up with the riddle. The man then
left. The girl thought and thought and thought. She stroked
her dog and rocked in her chair. On the third day the man
returned. The little girl had on a pair of gloves, a pair of
boots and a thick pair of pants. This was her riddle.
Love I sit
Love I stand
Love I hold, in my right hand.
I can see Love,
But Love can't see me.
If you can unriddle this,
You can hang me.
The man thought and thought and thought. The girl rocked and
rocked and rocked. Finally the man left, he could not figure
out the riddle. He never returned again and the girl spared
her life. The answer to the riddle was she had cut up her
dog. She placed a piece of the dog named Love under her
bottom as she sat in the chair. She placed another piece of
the dog in her boot and still another in her glove of her
right hand. She could still see the dog, but it, being dead,
could not see her.
Where learned: TENNESSEE ; Sparta
James Callow Keyword(s): neck riddle
| Subject headings: | Favorites PROSE NARRATIVE -- Ordinary Tale |
Date learned: 00-00-1950
SAYING
I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT BUT A
QUESTION THA'S BEEN AROUND FOR A LONG TIME IS "WHICH CAME
FIRST, THE CHICKEN OR THE EGG?"
Where learned: TENNESSEE ; NASHVILLE
Keyword(s): RIDDLE
| Subject headings: | PROVERB -- Proverbial Metaphor RIDDLE -- Riddle Question |
Date learned: 08-06-1968
Entertainment: Catch Tale
Catch Tale Designed to Make Listener Ridiculous and/or Surprised:
Speaker: "I can make a match burn twice."
Listener: "How?"
Speaker: "Watch."
Speaker lights match and then blows it out, whereupon he quickly touches the skin of the listener with the still hot match, thus making it "burn" twice.
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
James Callow comment:
Original BN [B667] crossed out. F536 written next to it.
Where learned: Myself
Keyword(s): Catch Riddle ; CATCH TALE ; Diversion ; Entertainment ; MATCH ; MATCHES ; RIDDLE
| Subject headings: | CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- Entertainment Diversion |
Entertainment: Catch Tale
TELL VICTIM YOU CAN MAKE A MATCH BURN TWICE. LIGHT MATCH, AND BLOW
OUT. THEN STICK THE TIP INTO THE VICTIM'S HAND.
Data entry tech comment:
Edited on 11-30-2010/ added Motifs,Keywords,BN. -TRD
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
Keyword(s): CATCH ; Catch Riddle ; CATCH TALE ; Diversion ; Entertainment ; MATCH ; MATCHES ; MOCK EPIC FIRE
| Subject headings: | CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- Entertainment Diversion |
Date learned: 11-16-1968
Proverb
Ask me no Questions:
Ask me no questions and I'll tell you no lies.
Submitter comment:
Heard this in High School.
Data entry tech comment:
Added by TRD
James Callow comment:
The A in Ask is underlined in red.
Dup. of WPP
Keyword(s): Ask ; Lie ; Maxim ; PROVERB ; QUESTION ; RIDDLE
| Subject headings: | PROVERB -- Proverbial Apothegm Maxim |
RHYME
A HAMMER HAS A HEAD, BUT NEVER WEARS A HAT,/
ALTHOUGH A SHIRT HAS A TAIL, IT'S NO RELATION TO A CAT.
Submitter comment:
A SIMPLE PLAY ON WORDS WHICH PERSONIFIES A HAMMER AND
GIVES LIFE TO A SHIRT.THE INFORMANT REMEMBERS THIS RHYME
FROM HIS CHILDHOOD DAYS. IT'S SIMPLY A NICE LITTLE RHYME THAT
CAN BE INTERPRETED TO SUIT THE SITUATION.
Data entry tech comment:
Updated by TRD
Where learned: HOME
Keyword(s): CAT ; Contrary ; Hammer ; Hat ; HEAD ; Opposition ; PERSONIFICATION ; RHYME ; RIDDLE ; Shirt ; Tail
| Subject headings: | Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Riddle True Riddle |
Date learned: 11-10-1971
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
| Subject headings: | Favorites PROSE NARRATIVE -- Formula tale |
Date learned: CA00001970
riddle
Question: What's black and white and red all over?
Answer: A newspaper.
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
Keyword(s): Black ; COLOR ; Homophone ; Language ; NEWSPAPER ; PLAY ON WORDS ; PUN ; Read ; Red ; RIDDLE ; White ; WORDPLAY
| Subject headings: | RIDDLE -- Riddle Question |
Food: Recipe
Wheat Griddle-Cake:
Sift Together:
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons baking powder
Beat three eggs and add to 3 cups sweet milk and tablespoon of melted butter; mix all into smooth batter, as thick as will run in a stream from the lips of a pitcher.
Bake on a well grease, hot griddle, a light nice brown. Very good.
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
Where learned: TENNESSEE ; NASHVILLE
Keyword(s): Baking Powder ; Eggs ; Flour ; FOOD ; Griddle ; Griddlecakes ; RECIPE ; Salt ; Wheat
| Subject headings: | Food Drink -- Manner of preparation Process Food Drink -- Plant food Cereal |
Riddle
What's black and white and red all over?
Variations of answers:
1) Newspaper
2) Skunk with a diaper rash
3) Penguin with a sunburn
4) Blushing zebra
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs Added by TRD
Where learned: TENNESSEE ; NASHVILLE
Keyword(s): Black ; Blush ; Brain Teaser ; COLOR ; Diaper Rash ; JOKE ; NEWSPAPER ; PLAY ON WORDS ; PUN ; Red ; RIDDLE ; SKUNK ; Sunburn ; White ; WORDPLAY ; Zebra
| Subject headings: | RIDDLE -- Riddle Question |
Riddle
WHAT IS BLACK AND WHITE AND RED ALL OVER?
VARIATIONS:
-A NEWSPAPER
-A SUNBURNED ZEBRA
-A COMMUNIST NUN
-AN EMBARRASSED NUN
-A SKUNK WITH DIAPER RASH
Data entry tech comment:
Updated by TRD
Where learned: OHIO ; TROTWOOD
Keyword(s): Black ; COLOR ; GAME ; Language ; Red ; RIDDLE ; White
| Subject headings: | RIDDLE -- Riddle Question |
Date learned: 04-00-1972
Riddle
WHY DID THE BOY PUT HIS CAR IN THE OVEN?
HE WANTED A HOT ROD.
Data entry tech comment:
Updated by TRD
Where learned: TENNESSEE ; NASHVILLE
Keyword(s): Boy ; Car ; Hot Rod ; JOKE ; Oven ; PLAY ON WORDS ; PUN ; RIDDLE ; WORDPLAY
| Subject headings: | RIDDLE -- Riddle Question |
Date learned: 03-00-1972
Riddle
WHAT'S WHITE ON THE OUTSIDE AND GREEN ON THE INSIDE AND
IT HOPS?
A FROG SANDWICH
Data entry tech comment:
Updated by TRD
Where learned: TENNESSEE ; NASHVILLE
Keyword(s): COLOR ; FROG ; Green ; Hop ; JOKE ; Jump ; RIDDLE ; Sandwich ; White
| Subject headings: | RIDDLE -- Riddle Question |
Date learned: 04-00-1972
WHY DO BIRDS FLY SOUTH?
BECAUSE IT'S TOO FAR TO WALK.
Data entry tech comment:
Updated by TRD
Where learned: TENNESSEE ; NASHVILLE
Keyword(s): BIRDS ; Fly ; JOKE ; RIDDLE ; South ; Walk
| Subject headings: | RIDDLE -- Riddle Question |
Date learned: 02-00-1972
Riddle
WHAT DID THE DOG SAY WHEN HE SAT ON THE SANDPAPER?
RUFF, RUFF (ROUGH, ROUGH).
Data entry tech comment:
Updated by TRD
Where learned: TENNESSEE ; NASHVILLE
Keyword(s): JOKE ; PLAY ON WORDS ; PUN ; RIDDLE ; WORDPLAY
| Subject headings: | RIDDLE -- Riddle Question |
Date learned: 04-00-1972
Entry filtered.
Riddle
Flour of England, Fruit of Spain-
Met together in a shower of rain.
Put in a bag and tied round with a string-
If you'll tell me this riddle
I'll give you a ring.
Answer: Plum Pudding
Data entry tech comment:
Entry by TRD
Where learned: TENNESSEE ; Normandy
Keyword(s): England ; Language ; Plum Pudding ; RHYME ; RIDDLE ; Spain
| Subject headings: | RIDDLE -- True Riddle |
Riddle
Long legs, crooked thighs, little head and no eyes.
Answer: Tongs
Data entry tech comment:
No informant or collector data given.
Entry by TRD
Keyword(s): BODY PARTS ; PUZZLE ; RHYME ; RIDDLE ; Tongs ; UTENSILS
| Subject headings: | RIDDLE -- True Riddle |