Dr. James T. Callow publications
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The James T. Callow Folklore Archive
Your search for TIC returned 389 results.
Custom: Holiday
"NO ONE REALLY KNOWS WHO ENJOYED THE FIRST APRIL FOOL'S
DAY GUFFAWS. SOME SAY THE DAY OF BUFFOONERY BEGAN IN
FRANCE IN 1564, WHEN NEW YEAR'S DAY WAS CARRIED BACK
TO JANUARY 1 INSTEAD OF BEING CELEBRATED ON MARCH 25.
THOSE PEOPLE WHO OBJECTED TO THE TIME JUGGLE WERE
GIVEN MOCK NEW YEAR'S GIFTS ON APRIL 1, WHICH USED TO
BE THE FINAL DAY OF MERRYMAKING. THE PRACTICAL JOKE
CUSTOM POPPED UP IN BRITAIN BY THE 18TH CENTURY, AND
THE BRITISH EXPORTED THE ZANY PRACTICE TO NORTH
AMERICA."
Data entry tech comment:
Updated and Motifs added / 02-28-2011 / TRD
Keyword(s): APRIL FOOL'S DAY ; Britain ; CUSTOM ; France ; holiday ; JOKE ; New Years ; Origin ; PRACTICAL JOKE ; Prank
| Subject headings: | CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- April 1 April Fools CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- April 1 April Fools CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- March 21 equinox to June 20 |
Proverb
A watched pot never boils.
Submitter comment:
If you stand and watch something, it seems to take twice as long.
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
Where learned: HOME ; MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
Keyword(s): ANTICIPATION ; Aphorism ; Apothegm ; Boil ; Kettle ; Maxim ; Pot ; PROVERB ; VERSE ; Watch ; Watched ; WATER
| Subject headings: | PROVERB -- Proverbial Metaphor |
Proverb
The watched pot never boils.
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
Keyword(s): ANTICIPATION ; Aphorism ; Apothegm ; Boil ; Maxim ; METAPHOR ; Pot ; PROVERB ; VERSE
| Subject headings: | PROVERB -- Proverbial Metaphor |
Proverb
Don't count your chickens before they're hatched.
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
James Callow comment:
Original BN [V300] crossed out. Replaced with current classification.
Where learned: HOME ; MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
Keyword(s): Anticipate ; Aphorism ; Apothegm ; Bet ; Chicken ; Egg ; Gamble ; Hatch ; Maxim ; PROVERB ; VERSE ; Wager
| Subject headings: | PROVERB -- Proverbial Metaphor |
Proverb
Don't put all your eggs in one basket.
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
Keyword(s): Anticipate ; Aphorism ; Apothegm ; Basket ; Eggs ; Gamble ; Maxim ; PROVERB ; VERSE
| Subject headings: | PROVERB -- Proverbial Metaphor |
Proverb
Don't count your chickens before they hatch.
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
James Callow comment:
Original BN [V600] crossed out. Replaced with current classification.
Keyword(s): Anticipate ; Aphorism ; Apothegm ; Chicken ; Egg ; Expectation ; Gamble ; Hatch ; Maxim ; PROVERB ; VERSE
| Subject headings: | PROVERB -- Proverbial Metaphor |
Proverb
A watched kettle never boils.
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
Where learned: HOME ; MICHIGAN ; DEARBORN
Keyword(s): Anticipate ; Aphorism ; Apothegm ; Boil ; Kettle ; Maxim ; PROVERB ; VERSE ; Watch
| Subject headings: | PROVERB -- Proverbial Metaphor |
Autograph Rhyme
Autographs Rhyme:
U R
2 Sweet
2 B
4 got 10
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
Keyword(s): Arithmetic ; AUTOGRAPH ; NUMBERS ; Signature ; VERSE
| Subject headings: | Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Verse without Music |
Autograph Rhyme
Album Verse:
Yours till the Atlantic ocean wears rubber pants to keep its bottom dry.
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
Keyword(s): Album ; Atlantic ; AUTOGRAPH ; Ocean ; PLAY ON WORDS ; PUN ; Rubber Pants ; SEA ; Signature ; VERSE ; WORDPLAY
| Subject headings: | Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Verse without Music |
Prank
Dorm Doorknobs:
I have often heard of this trick praticed in college dormatories and once actually saw it being done. One night, quiet [sic] late when most everyone had gone to sleep a girl on muy floor took a ball of string and tied either end to doorknobs which faced one another. The idea of this is that the next morning when girls began leaving for class they would be unable to open their doors. You can well imagine the shouting which occured the "morning after" this trick.
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
Keyword(s): COLLEGE ; Doorknob ; Dorm ; Dormitory ; JOKE ; PRACTICAL JOKE ; Prank ; String
| Subject headings: | Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- C537 |
Wedding Custom
Wedding Custom:
At Jewish weddings there is a practice of the bride and groom smashing their champagne glass againsst the floor during the ceremony to symbolize that marriage sometimes involves disorder and discontent.
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
Keyword(s): CEREMONY ; Cultural ; Culture ; DISCONTENT ; Disorder ; GLASS ; Jewish ; MARRIAGE ; Practice ; RELIGION ; Smash ; SYMBOL ; Symbolic ; Symbolize ; tradition ; WEDDING
| Subject headings: | CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- Marriage |
Wheat Harvesting
In Kansas, we grow wheat in our section, and when it was tim eto cut and thrash the wheat, the neighbors would all help each _take turbns, first Mr. J's wheat. Then when finished, go the next day to Mr. H_then Mr. W_ etc._ All men in neighborhood would go and work with the other neighbors_and the wives of all of the men would meet at the home where the men were working, and help that housewife cook dinner for all, then next day to another house_this way everyone helped each other and had no wages to pay and the ladies loved being together.
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
Where learned: FLORIDA ; Plant City
Keyword(s): Agricultural ; Barter ; Community ; CUSTOM ; Domestic ; FARMING ; Harvesting ; LIFE ; Wheat
| Subject headings: | CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- Work Commerce Business |
Special Memory Quilts
A lot of mothers made "memory quilts" that was pieces of material from dresses or skirts of all in the family like-a scrap of Baby's first colored dress or their first year in school dress, little boys first year, and first year school shirt. Any occassion that meant a lot to them, they would enter the material of what that person wore-no pattern, just sew any shape togehter. It was called "Memories' Crazy Quilt"
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
Where learned: FLORIDA ; Plant City
Keyword(s): Babies ; CHILDREN ; Craft ; Domestic ; Heirloom ; Keepsake ; MEMORIES ; Quilting ; Textiles
| Subject headings: | ART CRAFT ARCHITECTURE -- Finished Product |
Method of Cleaning Silverware
Clean aluminum pan. Dissolve in it:
1 teaspoon baking sode
1 teaspoon table salt
Immerse silverware until tarnish is removed. Then rinse in clean, warm water and rub dry with clean soft cloth.
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
Where learned: TENNESSEE ; NASHVILLE
Keyword(s): Baking Soda ; Cleaning ; Domestic ; Household ; Ingredients ; METAL ; RECIPE ; Salt ; Silver ; Silverware ; Table Salt
| Subject headings: | ART CRAFT ARCHITECTURE -- Household furniture and utensil |
Belief
The pishtace are nocturnal murderers of Indians. The pishtaco murder Indians in order to obtain human fat to be sold as lubricants for machinery and to be used in pharmacuticals.
The legend derives from 16th and 17th centurey Spanish practices of using human body fats as treatment for wounds and diseases. the people who tell this tale are poor Indians and the pishtaco are usually wealthy industrial men in the area. The tale helps draw lines of social class.
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
Where learned: Journal of American Folklore ; The Pishtaco: Institutionalized Fear in Highland Peru
Keyword(s): BODY ; Cultural ; Culture ; Fat ; FEAR ; HORROR ; INDIAN ; INDUSTRY ; Kill ; Lubrication ; Machinery ; MEDICINE ; MURDER ; Native American ; Peru ; Peruvian ; Pharmaceutical ; Pishtaco ; Poor ; Social Class ; Wealthy
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Product or activity of man or animal |
Elves
Idea tht elves come in when no one is about to do household chores, etc. -Ireland
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs Added by TRD
Where learned: TENNESSEE ; NASHVILLE
Keyword(s): Chores ; Clean ; Cultural ; Domestic ; Elves ; ETHNIC ; FANTASY ; IRELAND ; MYTH ; REGIONAL
| Subject headings: | PROSE NARRATIVE -- Fairy Elf Goblin Gnome |
Jump Rope Rhyme
Jump-Rope Rhyme:
Teacher, teacher with a stick
What's my grade in arithmetic?
A..B..C..D..E..F..A..B..C..
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs Added by TRD
Where learned: TENNESSEE ; NASHVILLE
Keyword(s): Arithmetic ; Entertainment ; GAME ; Grade ; Jump Rope ; RHYME
| Subject headings: | Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Game Verse |
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
| Subject headings: | CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- Measure of time Routine activity |
Verse
"Surprise" Verse:
Question: Inchme and Pinchme were walking across the bridge. Inchme fell in. Who was left?
Answer: Pinchme. (At this, the person who responded recieves a pinch.)
Submitter comment:
Informant learned this through experience during childhood - Plymouth MI, 1940's.
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs Added By TRD
James Callow comment:
Not Verse?
Original BN [C800] crossed out. Replaced with current classification.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
Keyword(s): Answer ; Inch ; JOKE ; Language ; Pinch ; PRACTICAL JOKE ; QUESTION ; RHYME ; SURPRISE ; VERSE
| Subject headings: | SPEECH -- Formula |