The James T. Callow Folklore Archive

Irish Blessing

May the road rise to meet you
May the wind be always at your back
May the sun shine warm upon your face

The rains fall soft upon your fields and
Until we meet again...
May God hold you in the palm of His hand.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs Added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Leave Taking?

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT

Keyword(s): Back ; BLESSING ; Culture ; ETHNIC ; Field ; God ; Irish ; Rain ; Road ; TRAVEL ; Wind

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Saying

Out of Cite [sic]

This saying, used by young people, means that something is enjoyable, pleasing, or otherwise good. It can be paralleled with such jargon as "cool," "bad," or "mellow."

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs Added by TRD

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; WESTLAND

Keyword(s): Bad ; Cite ; Cool ; Era ; Jargon ; Language ; Mellow ; Nickname ; SLANG

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Language

Tongue Twister:

Blue bottom trousers, buttons made of brass, loose around the ankles tight around the ass. Ask me any questions surely I won't tell, if you don't believe me you can go to WELL...hello operator give me number nine; if the line is busy give me back my dime.

Other endings might be "you look like frankenstein" or any "-ine" ending.

Submitter comment:

He learned it in school when he was about 10 or 11

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs Added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Taste? Also, Verse?

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT

Keyword(s): Blue ; Button ; Dime ; GAME ; Jump Rope ; Language ; Operator ; PLAY ON WORDS ; PUN ; RHYME ; SONG ; TONGUE TWISTER ; Trousers ; WORDPLAY

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Proverbial Saying

Curiosity killed the cat.

(usually answered with:)

Satisfaction brought it back.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs Added by TRD

James Callow comment:

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

Not a Proverb?

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT ; PLAYGROUND

Keyword(s): CAT ; CURIOSITY ; Killed ; PROVERB ; Resurrection ; Satisfaction ; Saying

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Proverbial Saying

Retort:

Can't come in cans; cans come in success.

Submitter comment:

In school, 7th grade St. Theodore, SSJ, had on blackboard.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs Added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Meaning?

Where learned: HOME

Keyword(s): Aphorism ; CAN ; Can't ; Language ; Maxim ; PLAY ON WORDS ; PROVERB ; PUN ; RETORT ; SUCCESS ; VERSE ; WORDPLAY

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Retort

Next day after never when two Sundays come together.

Submitter comment:

I heard it from my father.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs Added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Should be under Rotten Verse?

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT

Keyword(s): COMEBACK ; Day ; Language ; Never ; Never ; Next ; RETORT ; RHYME ; SLANG ; Sundays

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Retort

A traditional reply to the word "hey" is "hay is for horses"

When a person, in conversation, pauses and says "well," then traditional answer is "wells are for water."

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs Added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Original BN [V400, V300, S260] crossed out. Replaced with current classification.

Where learned: HOME

Keyword(s): COMEBACK ; Hay ; Hey ; HORSES ; Language ; RETORT ; SLANG ; WATER ; Well

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Retort

At dinner time, a parental question/statement as a result of crude behavior is "were you raised in a barn?"

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs Added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Original BN [V400, V300] crossed out. Replaced with current classification.

Where learned: HOME

Keyword(s): Barn ; Crude ; Language ; MANNERS ; Raised ; RETORT ; Rude ; Saying

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Retort

Following comment is made to someone who has insulted you:

"I resemble that remark."

The slip of the tongue is intentional.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs Added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Sense?

Classification?

The words Tongue Twister have been crossed out.

Where learned: NEW YORK ; Syracuse University ; Syracuse

Keyword(s): INSULT ; Language ; PLAY ON WORDS ; PUN ; Resemble ; Resent ; RETORT ; WORDPLAY

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Verse

Good night

Sleep tight

Don't let the bed bugs bite.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs Added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Verse?

Keyword(s): ; Bed Bugs ; Bite ; Lullabye ; Night ; RHYME ; SLEEP ; VERSE

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Salutation

Yours till the ocean wears rubber pants to keep its bottom dry.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs Added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Leave-Talking?

Where learned: HOME

Keyword(s): Album ; AUTOGRAPH ; Devotion ; Farewell ; Ocean ; Pants ; PLAY ON WORDS ; PUN ; Rubber ; Salutation ; Signature ; WORDPLAY

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Verse

Sleep tight, don't let the bedbugs bite.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs Added by TRD

Keyword(s): Bed ; Bedbugs ; Bite ; bugs ; SLEEP ; Tight ; VERSE

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Verse

Nightime Safety:

Sleep tight so the bed bugs don't bite.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs Added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Original BN [V600] crossed out. Replaced with current classification.

Keyword(s): Bed ; bugs ; Nighttime ; SAFETY ; Saying ; SLEEP ; Tight ; VERSE

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Saying

See you later alligator.
In a while, Crocodile
Not too soon, baboon.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs Added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Original BN [S550, S57] crossed out. Replaced with current classifications.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT

Keyword(s): Alligator ; Baboon ; Crocodile ; Expression ; SLANG ; Term

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Toast

Here's to you, as good as you are,
And to me, as bad as I am.
And as bad as I am,
I'm as good as you are
As bad as I am.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT

Keyword(s): Bad ; Good ; GREETING ; INSULT ; Me ; TOAST ; You

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Toast

Drink:

Here's to you, as good as you are,
and to me, as bad as I am.
And as bad as I am,
I'm as good as you are -as bad as I am

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Original BN [N400, C855] crossed out. Replaced with current classification.

Keyword(s): Bad ; DRINK ; Good ; GREETING ; Me ; TOAST ; You

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Toast

Here's to you, as good as you are,
and here's to me, as bad as I am.

But as good as you are
And as bad as I am,

I'm as good as you are
as bad as I am

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs Added by TRD

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; UNIVERSITY OF DETROIT ; DETROIT

Keyword(s): Bad ; DRINK ; Good ; GREETING ; INSULT ; Me ; TOAST ; You

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Toast

Here's to you, as good as you are, and to me, as bad as I am.
But as good as you are, and as bad as I am,
You're as bad as I am, as good as you are.

And here's to me, as bad as I am.
And to you, as good as you are.
But as bad as I am and as good as you are,
I'm as good as you are, as bad as I am

Submitter comment:

Undetermined Origin

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs Added by TRD

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; ROYAL OAK ;

Keyword(s): Bad ; DRINK ; Good ; INSULT ; Me ; TOAST ; You

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Irish Blessing

An Irish Blessing

May the road rise to meet you.
May the wind be always at your back
May the sun shine warm upon your face
And Grains fall soft upon your fields
And until we meet again
May God hold you in the hollow of his hand.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs Added By TRD

James Callow comment:

Leave-Talking?

Too long, so not included.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT

Keyword(s): BLESSING ; Culture ; God ; Grain ; Irish ; Road ; TRAVEL ; VERSE ; Well Wishes ; Wind

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Toast

Here's to you as good as you are, here's to me as bad as I am. As good as you are and as bad as I am I'm as good as you are as bad as I am.

Submitter comment:

An old drinking refrain uttered at the 20's

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs Added By TRD

James Callow comment:

Original BN [C700] crossed out. Replaced with current classification

NOT in verse form

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT

Keyword(s): Bad ; CHARACTER ; DRINKING ; Good ; PLAY ON WORDS ; PUN ; TOAST ; VERSE

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