The James T. Callow Folklore Archive

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

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A Joke

Informant told me that it is a standing joke among the Jewish people he knows that no two Jews can agree on anything except on what the third Jew should give.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

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

The original BN's [A566, B660] have the lightest ink mark running through them. It may be that they were crossed out, or it may simply be a very light, very faint pen mark.

Submission card located in a pile marked To Be Classified.

Where learned: TELEPHONE ; TOLD BY

Keyword(s): ETHNIC JOKE ; HUMOR ; Jewish ; JOKE ; Stereotype

James Callow Keyword(s): Jewish

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A prostitute is a busy lady.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs and BN added by TRD.

James Callow comment:

Original BN [W200, P666] crossed out. Nothing written to replace them.

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

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; BIRMINGHAM

Keyword(s): HUMOR ; PROSTITUTE ; PROSTITUTION

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Ethnic Joke: Italian

Three Italian men are talking about their individual sons' success in America. One says to the other two: "My son Luigi, he go to America, he go to college, he becomes a lawyer, he earns $30,000.00 dollars a year!"

On of the other two guys replies "Oh, that's nothing! My son Josephie, he go to America, he go to college, he becomes a doctor, he earns $50,000.00 a year!"
 But the third guy replies "That's Nothing!"

"My Vincenti, he go to America, he doesn't go to college, and he earns $200,000.00 a year!" The other two ask in amazement, "But what does your son do?" He replies, "He's a sports-mechanic. He fixes football games, basketball games, baseball games..."

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs and BN added by TRD

James Callow comment:

The word Italian is written in the top left corner of the submission card.

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

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; UNIVERSITY OF DETROIT ; DETROIT

Keyword(s): ETHNIC JOKE HUMOR ; GAMBLING ; HUMOR ; Professions ; Stereotype

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Parody on a Proper Name

Sister Edith Kathleen was discussing current novels one day in our English class when she asked "Have you heard the latest book, 'Catch Her in the Raw? (A parody on the book Cathcher in the Rye)

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs and BN added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Original BN [S580] crossed out. Nothing written in place.

Submission card located in pile labeled To Be Classified.

Where learned: CLASS

Keyword(s): BOOK TITLE ; Classroom ; CLASSROOM HUMOR ; EDUCATION ; LITERATURE ; PARODY ; PUN ; WORDPLAY

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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

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Ethnic Joke: Black

Negro:

Excited negro bank bandit says "OK you mudder stickers, this is a fuck up."

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs and BN added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Submission card located in a pile marked [?]

Where learned: BUFFALO ; NEW YORK ; Collection

Keyword(s): Black ; DEROGATORY ; ETHNIC ; HUMOR ; Language ; NEGRO ; Offensive ; SLANG ; Stereotype ; TONGUE TWISTER

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Ethnic Joke: Jewish

Descriptions of a Jewish Christmas Card: on the front it has a tree, and strung from the tree, instead of the usually bulbs [sic], it has 32 colored Matzo Balls, and on the top, instead of the star of Bethlehem, it has a Jewish star, not the star adavin [sic], but a picture of Sammy Davis Jr. or Liz Taylor, you can take your pick.

Submitter comment:

Sammy Davis Jr. and Liz Taylor are Jewish movie stars.

Data entry tech comment:

I believe that adavin is supposed to be "of David."

Motifs and BN added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Submission card located in pile marked [?]

Where learned: HOME ; MICHIGAN ; OAK PARK

Keyword(s): CHRISTMAS ; Decoration ; Distasteful ; ETHNIC ; Hollywood ; HUMOR ; Jewish ; JOKES ; Offensive ; Stereotype ; Tree

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Ethnic Joke: Italian

Why couldn't Christ have been born in Italy?

There aren't three wise men or any virgins...

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs and BN added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Italian

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; WARREN

Keyword(s): Christ ; ETHNIC ; HUMOR ; Italian ; JOKE ; Off-Color ; Stereotype ; Virgin

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Historical record from James Callow Folklore Archive.

DID YOU HEAR ABOUT THE NEW CEREAL "QUEERIOS?"
YOU POUR ON THE MILK AND THEY EAT THEMSELVES.

Data entry tech comment:

Updated by TRD on 12-21-2010

Where learned: Massachusetts

Keyword(s): DEROGATORY ; Homophobia ; HOMOSEXUAL ; HUMOR ; JOKE ; Off-Color ; Stereotype

Date learned: 00-00-1972

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