The James T. Callow Folklore Archive

Custom

Bicycling:

In Belgium, where bicycles and bicycle racing is still very popular, it is very common to see people walking beside very nicely decorated bikes during a parade. Decorations could consist of colored paper, ribbons, or roses which might be interwoven in the spokes of the wheels, etc. This custom is continued for the spectacle and unique designs which appear.

Submitter comment:

Recorded on Tape.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Original BN [M247.6] crossed out and replaced with F536.

The word Bicycling is written across the top of the entry.

Where learned: PENNSYLVANIA ; RESIDENCE ; PITTSBURGH

Keyword(s): ADORNMENT BEAUTIFICATION ; Belgium ; Bicycle ; Bicycling ; CUSTOM ; Decorate ; ETHNIC ; Parade ; Ribbons ; Roses

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Language

Baby Bunting:

By bye baby bunting, daddy's gone a hunting, for to catch a rabbit skin to wrap the baby bunting in.

Submitter comment:

My mother repeated this to my brothers and sisters and myself when we were very young. It was told to her when she was a child. It is a small verse used to explain the absence of father when the child asks where he is.

Data entry tech comment:

Added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Verse?

Where learned: HOME ; MICHIGAN ; DETROIT

Keyword(s): BABY ; infant ; Language ; Parent ; Prose ; RHYME

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Retort

When someone tells you his accomplishments in some particular event, a common retort is to say "What do you want me to do, pin a rose on your nose?"

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Grammatical corrections.

Where learned: UNIVERSITY OF DETROIT

Keyword(s): Accomplishment ; COMEBACK ; NOSE ; Prize ; RETORT ; Rose ; Win

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Language: Tongue Twister

Tongue Holder:

How many sheets can a sheetcutter cut,

If a sheetcutter could cut sheets?

He'd cut all the sheets that a sheetcutter could, if a sheetcutter could cut sheets.

Submitter comment:

Spoken as rapidly as possible.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Verse?

Crossed out the word Holder in TongueHolder and wrote Twister.

Where learned: HOME

Keyword(s): ALLITERATION ; GAME ; Language ; Prose ; REPETITION ; RHYME ; TONGUE TWISTER ; VERSE

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Proverb

All is not gold that glitters.

Submitter comment:

From - Uncertain

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; GROSSE POINTE

Keyword(s): Aphorism ; Apothegm ; Glitter ; Gold ; Maxim ; Prose ; PROVERB ; Superficial ; VERSE

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Language: Rhyme

Roses Rhyme:

Roses are red, Violets are blue.

Sugar is sweet, And so are you.

Submitter comment:

This is a rhyme that is familiar to most everyone who has heard a "roses are red" rhyme...

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

Keyword(s): Blue ; COLOR ; Language ; poem ; Red ; RHYME ; Roses ; Sugar ; Sweet ; VERSE

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Autograph Rhyme

Cynical Autograph Rhyme;

Roses are red, Violets are green.

You have a shape like a submarine.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

Keyword(s): AUTOGRAPH ; COLOR ; Cynical ; FLOWERS ; poem ; Red ; RHYME ; Roses ; Signature ; Submarine ; VERSE ; Violets

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Autograph Rhyme

Roses are red, leaves are green.

You have a shape like a submarine.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

Keyword(s): AUTOGRAPH ; COLOR ; Cynical ; FLOWERS ; Green ; Leaves ; Red ; RHYME ; Roses ; Signature ; Submarine ; VERSE

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Autograph Verse

Album Rhyme:

Roses are red, Violets are blue

When it rains, I think of you.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

Keyword(s): Album ; AUTOGRAPH ; Blue ; COLOR ; poem ; Rain ; Red ; RHYME ; Roses ; Signature ; VERSE ; Violets

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Autograph Verse

Album Rhyme:

Roses are red, violets are blue,

Lend me $10.00, and then I'll love you.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

Keyword(s): Album ; AUTOGRAPH ; Blue ; COLOR ; FLOWERS ; LOVE ; MONEY ; poem ; Red ; RHYME ; Roses ; Signature ; VERSE ; Violets

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Autograph Verse

Album Rhyme:

Roses love Sunshine, Violets love dew

Angels in heaven know I love you.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

Keyword(s): Album ; ANGELS ; AUTOGRAPH ; Devotion ; Dew ; FLOWERS ; LOVE ; poem ; RHYME ; Roses ; Signature ; Sunshine ; VERSE ; Violets

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Autograph Rhyme

Album Verse:

Life is like a summer rose

That opens to the skies.

But there are shades of evening close

It is scattered on the ground to die.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

Keyword(s): Album ; AUTOGRAPH ; DEATH ; Devotion ; Evening ; Ground ; LOVE ; poem ; RHYME ; Rose ; Signature ; VERSE

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Autograph Rhyme

Album Rhyme:

Roses are Red

Violets are Black

You'd look better

With a knife in your back

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

Keyword(s): AUTOGRAPH ; Back ; Black ; COLOR ; ENEMY ; FLOWERS ; KNIFE ; poem ; Red ; RHYME ; Roses ; Signature ; VERSE ; VERSE ; Violets

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Prose Narrative Tale

Prose Narrative Tale:

Folktale of New England -- The Gingerbread Man.

Children's story of a runaway cookie including repeated theme: "rubn, run, as fast as you can. Can't catch me, I'm the Gingerbread man."

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs Added by TRD

Where learned: TENNESSEE ; NASHVILLE ; Bookhouse Volume One

Keyword(s): CATCH ; CHILDREN ; Cookie ; Fast ; Gingerbread ; Gingerbread Man ; Legend ; Narrative ; New England ; Prose ; REGIONAL ; Run ; Tale

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Custom

Grammaw's Average Day:

"...go milk the cow and put the milk in the springhouse...churn sum buttermilk 'n make the butter...'n make a batch of hominy...rest a little whilst shelling peas...hoe and weed the garden 'n carry sum vegetables back to the cabin...take sic Mandy Lou sum soup on the next farm 'n gather sum herbs to doctor wid later on...shell sum butterbeans...gather sum pears 'n make sum preserves...git the aigs outta the nests 'n get the goat outta the garden...cook three meals a day."

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs Added by TRD

Where learned: TENNESSEE ; NASHVILLE ; Boiling and Baking ; Booger Hollow

Keyword(s): ; Average ; Beans ; Chores ; CUSTOM ; Day ; Domestic ; Excerpt ; FARMING ; GARDEN ; Goat ; Grandma ; Narrative ; Peas ; Prose ; Shell ; Story ; VEGETABLE ; WORK

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ROSES ARE RED,
VIOLETS ARE BLUE,
YOUR NOSE LOOKS LIKE A B-52.

Data entry tech comment:

Updated by TRD

Where learned: OHIO ; TROTWOOD

Keyword(s): Autograph Rhyme ; B-52 ; Blue ; COLOR ; FLOWERS ; NOSE ; poem ; Red ; RHYME ; Roses ; Signature ; Violets

Date learned: 04-00-1972

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Prose Narrative - Weather

Cold weather's coming cuz the hogs is carrying sticks.

Data entry tech comment:

Entered by TRD

Where learned: TENNESSEE ; Ashland City

Keyword(s): Folk ; Maxim ; Narrative ; Prose ; Saying ; VERSE ; WEATHER

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Prose-Weather

When you hear the first whipoorwhill call, its the right time to plant the corn.

Data entry tech comment:

Entered by TRD

Where learned: TENNESSEE ; Ashland City

Keyword(s): AGRICULTURE ; BIRDS ; CORN ; FARMING ; GARDENING ; PLANT ; Prose

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Prose Narrative - Weather

When the moon is a half cresent, it's going to rain because the moon is going to tip up and spill the rain out of the corners.

Data entry tech comment:

Entered by TRD

Where learned: TENNESSEE ; NASHVILLE

Keyword(s): MOON ; Narrative ; Prose ; Rain ; TALL TALE ; WEATHER

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Rain-Prose

If the rain drops hang from the tree limbs - cold weather is coming.

Data entry tech comment:

Entered by TRD

Where learned: TENNESSEE ; NASHVILLE

Keyword(s): Cold ; Narrative ; PREDICTION ; Prose ; Rain ; Tree ; WEATHER ; WINTER

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