There was once a traveling salesman whose car broke down in the rain. He ran to the closest farmhouse and quickly knocked at the door. An old farmer answered and the salesman pleaded for a place to spend the night.

"I'll give you board," the farmer said, "but I ain't got no daughter for you to sleep with."

"Oh." said the salesman. "Then how far is the next house?"

Submitter comment:

I remember this from Awrey's Bakery, where I worked this summer.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Submission card located in pile marked These don't sound traditional - Do Not File Yet.

Keyword(s): Anti-feminist ; CUSTOMS ; DAUGHTER ; FARMER ; HOSPITALITY ; HUMOR ; JOKE ; Rain ; Salesman ; Stranded

Subject headings:

PROSE NARRATIVE -- Jest Anecdote
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Play on Words

Historical record from James Callow Folklore Archive.

Traveling Salesman:

There once was a salesman who was forced to take the train home one night. While sleeping in his bunk the beautiful young girl in the bunk below him asked him if he would get an extra blanket for her. He leaned over and opened her curtains and with a wise look said, "would you like to play like we are married?"

"O.K." she said, blushing.

"Well then," he quickly answered. "Go get it yourself."

Submitter comment:

I remember it from Awrey Bakery, where I worked last summer.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Submission card located in pile marked These don't sound traditional - Do Not File Yet.

Keyword(s): Blanket ; Consent ; Favor ; Girl ; HUMOR ; JOKE ; MARRIAGE ; Married ; PUN ; Salesman ; SEX ; Train

Subject headings:

PROSE NARRATIVE -- Jest Anecdote
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Play on Words

Women's Clothes:

It's come to the point where you can't judge a girl by her clothes...There isn't enough evidence.

Submitter comment:

I heard this at Awrey Bakery, where I worked last summer.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Submission card located in pile marked These don't sound traditional - Do Not File Yet.

Keyword(s): CLOTHING ; Fashion ; Female ; Girl ; HUMOR ; JOKE ; Judge ; PUN ; Woman

Subject headings:

PROSE NARRATIVE -- B300

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Play on Words

The reason the modern girl's bathing suit is real cool is that most of it is real gone.

Submitter comment:

Heard it at Awrey's Bakery where I worked last summer.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Submission card located in pile marked These don't sound traditional - Do Not File Yet.

Keyword(s): Bathing Suit ; Bikini ; Fashion ; Female ; Girl ; HUMOR ; JOKE ; MODERN ; PUN ; Woman

Subject headings:

PROSE NARRATIVE -- Jest Anecdote

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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

Subject headings:

Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Speech Speech
SPEECH -- Formula

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Toast

"Noroc si bani" - Romanian

"Good luck and money"

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

Where learned: HOME

Keyword(s): DRINKING ; ETHNIC ; LUCK ; MONEY ; ROMANIAN ; Social ; TOAST

Subject headings:

Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Speech Speech
SPEECH -- Formula

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Toast

"Noroc si sanatate" - Romanian

"Good Luck and Health"

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

Where learned: HOME

Keyword(s): DRINKING ; ETHNIC ; HEALTH ; LUCK ; ROMANIAN ; Social ; TOAST

Subject headings:

Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Speech Speech
SPEECH -- Formula

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Retort

When someone burps, reply to him:

"Excuse the hog, the pig just left."

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT

Keyword(s): Burp ; COMEBACK ; Hog ; INSULT ; MANNERS ; Pig ; RETORT ; SARCASM ; Wisecrack

Subject headings:

SPEECH -- Formula

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Proverb

Old fisherman never die, they just smell that way.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

Keyword(s): Aphorism ; Apothegm ; DEATH ; Fisherman ; Maxim ; PROVERB ; Smell ; VERSE

Subject headings:

PROVERB -- Blason Populaire

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Proverb

Old fisherman never die, they just smell that way.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

Keyword(s): Aphorism ; Apothegm ; DEATH ; FISH ; Fisherman ; Maxim ; Old ; PROVERB ; Smell ; VERSE

Subject headings:

PROVERB -- Blason Populaire

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Proverb

A whistling woman a cackling hen / will always come to a no good end.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

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

Where learned: HOME ; MICHIGAN ; SAINT CLAIR SHORES

Keyword(s): Aphorism ; Apothegm ; Cackle ; FATE ; Girl ; Hen ; Maxim ; PROVERB ; RHYME ; VERSE ; Whistle ; Woman

Subject headings:

Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Proverb Proverb

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Proverb

The Early Man:

Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT

Keyword(s): Aphorism ; Apothegm ; Early ; HEALTH ; Man ; Maxim ; PROVERB ; RHYME ; VERSE ; WEALTH ; WISDOM ; Wise

Subject headings:

PROVERB -- Proverbial Apothegm Maxim

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Language: Rhyme

DAN, DAN A DIRTY OLD MAN
WASHED HIS FACE IN THE FRYING PAN
HE COMBED HIS HAIR WITH THE LEG OF A CHAIR
DAN, DAN THE DIRTY OLD MAN.

Submitter comment:

INFORMANT SAYS IT HAS A TUNE BUT SHE CAN'T REMEMBER IT.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD 02-22-2011

Where learned: PENNSYLVANIA ; SCRANTON

Keyword(s): Dan ; Dirty ; Man ; NAME ; Old ; Pan ; RHYME ; RIDICULE ; Tucker

Subject headings:

Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Ill humor Ridicule Mockery

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Proverb

Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

Keyword(s): Aphorism ; Apothegm ; Bed ; Early ; HEALTH ; Man ; Maxim ; PROVERB ; Rise ; VERSE ; WEALTH ; WISDOM ; Wise

Subject headings:

PROVERB -- Proverbial Apothegm Maxim

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Proverb

Absence makes the heart grow fonder.

Submitter comment:

Informant heard this in Norwalk, Ohio.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Original Bn [V880] crossed out. Replaced with current classification.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; FERNDALE

Keyword(s): Absence ; Absent ; Aphorism ; Apothegm ; DISTANCE ; Fond ; HEART ; LOVE ; Maxim ; PROVERB ; ROMANCE ; VERSE

Subject headings:

PROVERB -- Proverbial Apothegm Maxim

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Proverb

Man has his will, but woman has her way.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Original BN [V400] crossed out. Replaced wtih current classification.

Where learned: UNIVERSITY OF DETROIT

Keyword(s): Aphorism ; Apothegm ; gender ; Man ; Maxim ; PLAY ON WORDS ; PROVERB ; PUN ; Sexes ; VERSE ; Way ; Will ; Woman

Subject headings:

PROVERB -- Proverbial Apothegm Maxim

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Proverb

Man has his will - but woman has her way.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Original BN [V400] crossedout. Replaced with current classification.

Where learned: MACKENZIE HIGH SCHOOL

Keyword(s): Aphorism ; Apothegm ; gender ; Man ; Maxim ; PROVERB ; PUN ; Sexes ; Way ; Will ; Woman

Subject headings:

PROVERB -- Proverbial Apothegm Maxim

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