Dr. James T. Callow publications
Browse by
Questions or comments on this site? Please email davidsor@udmercy.edu.
The James T. Callow Folklore Archive
Your search for Play returned 157 results.
COLOR TAG
A PERSON IS IT. HE LOOKS AROUND THE AREA THE
PLAYERS ARE SITTING (IN) AS FAR AS HE CAN SEE.
HE DECIDES ON SOME OBJECT IN VIEW AND SAYS TO THE
OTHERS, "I'M THINKING OF A COLOR AND IT'S (WHATEVER COLOR
THE OBJECT IS)." THE OTHER PLAYERS TAKE TURNS
TRYING TO GUESS WHAT OBJECT IN VIEW IT IS. THE
FIRST TO DO SO, WAS "IT" NEXT TIME. IF EVERYONE
GAVE (UP) THEN THE PERSON WHO WAS IT HAD ANOTHER
TURN.
Submitter comment: PLAYED BY THE KIDS ON MY BLOCK WHEN I WAS 6-9 YEARS OLD.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; UNIVERSITY OF DETROIT ; DETROIT
James Callow Keyword(s): AGE OF PLAYERS
| Subject headings: | Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Guessing |
Date learned: 04-00-1967
Language: Rhyme
Jump Rope Rhyme:
Down in the meadow where the green grass grows, there sat ____ sweet as a rose.
Along came ____ and kissed her on the cheek: How many kisses did she get?
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
Keyword(s): Entertainment ; Jump ; Jump Rope ; Language ; Play ; RHYME ; Rope
| Subject headings: | Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Game Verse |
Language
Grace Parody:
Our Heavenly Fahter
Holy Ghost
Whoever eats the fastest
Gets the most!
Submitter comment:
Found in autograph book from the 1880's
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
Keyword(s): Eat ; GRACE ; JOKE ; Language ; PARODY ; PLAY ON WORDS ; PRAYER ; PUN ; RHYME ; VERSE ; WORDPLAY
| Subject headings: | Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Lyrical Verse Lyrical Verse |
NOT GIVEN
I PHELTA DELTA
I ATA BETA
I PHELTA THIGH
Submitter comment:
THESE ARE FICTITIOUS SORORITY NAMES WHICH ALL COLLEGE
BOYS ARE FAMILIAR WITH.
Where learned: TENNESSEE ; NASHVILLE
Keyword(s): WORDPLAY
| Subject headings: | PROVERB -- Proverbial Metaphor |
Date learned: NOT GIVEN
PROVERB
"I SEE," SAID THE BLIND MAN, AS HE PICKED UP HIS HAMMER
AND SAW.
Submitter comment:
THERE IS AN INTERNAL CONTRADICTION HERE. A BLIND MAN CANNOT
SEE. SO THE PERSON WHO UTTERS THIS STATEMENT MEANS THAT HE
DOESN'T SEE OR UNDERSTAND SOMETHING.
Where learned: TENNESSEE ; NASHVILLE
Keyword(s): IRONY WORDPLAY
| Subject headings: | PROVERB -- Wellerism Quotation |
Date learned: 02-13-1972
PROVERBIAL COMPARISON
ROAMIN (ROMAN) HANDS AND RUSHIN (RUSSIAN) FINGERS!
Where learned: NASHVILLE ; TENNESSEE, ASSUMED
Keyword(s): WORDPLAY
| Subject headings: | PROVERB -- Proverbial Metaphor |
Date learned: 05-03-1969
PROVERBIAL PHRASE
WATCH OUT FOR FALLING ROCK, HE'S BOLDER THAN YOU THINK.
Submitter comment:
THIS IS WHAT YOU SAY WHEN YOU PAST (PASS) THE SIGN ON THE
HIGHWAY THAT SAYS "WATCH FOR FALLING ROCK" OR "FALLEN ROCK
ZONE." FIRST YOU READ THE SIGN OUT LOUD, THEN SAY "WATCH
OUT . . . ." AND THEN LAUGH REAL LOUD. EVERYBODY ELSE
GOES "OHHHHH." GIVEN TO ME BY LYNN FISHER, WHEN SHE WAS
NINE YEARS OLD, LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY, 1968 SUMMER.
Where learned: KENTUCKY ; LOUISVILLE
Keyword(s): WORDPLAY
| Subject headings: | PROVERB -- Proverbial Apothegm Maxim |
Date learned: 06-00-1968
WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A STOVEPIPE AND A CRAZY DUTCHMAN?
ONE'S A SILLY HOLLANDER AND THE OTHER'S A HOLLOW CYLINDER.
Where learned: BUFFALO ; NEW YORK
Keyword(s): WORD PLAY
| Subject headings: | RIDDLE -- Riddle Question |
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A BUS DRIVER AND A BAD COLD?
ONE KNOWS THE STOPS, AND THE OTHER STOPS THE NOSE.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
Keyword(s): WORD PLAY
| Subject headings: | RIDDLE -- Riddle Question |
Date learned: 04-00-1968
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A SIGH, A HOME, AND A DONKEY?
A SIGH IS "OH, DEAR"; A HOME IS "SO DEAR"; AND A DONKEY IS "YOU DEAR"
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
Keyword(s): WORD PLAY
| Subject headings: | RIDDLE -- Riddle Question |
Date learned: 00-00-1965
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A TEACHER AND A TRAIN?
THE TEACHER SAYS, "TAKE THAT GUM OUT OF YOUR MOUTH"; THE TRAIN
SAYS, "CHOO, CHOO".
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
Keyword(s): WORD PLAY
| Subject headings: | RIDDLE -- Riddle Question |
Date learned: 11-10-1967
WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MILK AND BREAD?
IF YOU DON'T KNOW, I WOULDN'T SEND YOU TO THE STORE.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
Keyword(s): WORD PLAY
| Subject headings: | RIDDLE -- Riddle Question |
Date learned: 00001967 WINTER
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A BIRD WITH ONE WING AND A BIRD WITH
TWO WINGS? A DIFFERENCE OF A PINION.
Submitter comment:
THIS IS A TYPE OF JOKE THAT I HAVE HEARD MORE THAN ONCE FROM MORE
THAN ONE PERSON IN THE UNIVERSITY OF DETROIT CHORUS. IT IS NOT
INTENDED TO STAND ALONE, BUT TO RATHER TYPIFY THE TYPR OF WIT THAT
RUNS LOOSE IN THE CHORUS. I HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO FIND A
CLASSIFICATION FOR THINKING, BUT IF FOLKLORE CAN COVER CUSTOMS AND
HABITS, I FEEL IT SHOULD ALSO COVER THE THINKING PATTERNS BEHIND
THESE HABITS BECAUSE IN MANY CASES THEY ARE UNIQUE TO THE
PARTICULAR PEOPLE.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
Keyword(s): WORK PLAY
| Subject headings: | RIDDLE -- Riddle Question |
Date learned: 00-00-1969
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A HOUSE ON ONE SIDE OF A FIELD AND
A HOUSE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE FIELD? A LOT.
Where learned: UNKNOWN
Keyword(s): WORD PLAY
| Subject headings: | RIDDLE -- Riddle Question |
Date learned: 00-00-1969
Play on Words
Play on Words:
Paradox: Casey and Kildare...
(Pair of doc's)
Submitter comment:
Val Zelnick. Heard long ago in grade-school. It is a way of remembering the word and its meaning, besides being a play on words.
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs and BN added by TRD
James Callow comment:
Original BN [S300] crossed out. Nothing is written to replace it.
Submission card located in a pile marked To Be Classified.
Where learned: ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Keyword(s): Doctors ; MNEMONIC ; Mnemonic Device ; PARADOX ; SATIRE OF DOCTORS ; Wit ; WORDPLAY
| Subject headings: | Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Speech |
Entry filtered.
Entry filtered.
Play on Words
Thrones:
IN darkest Africa one time, there were some wicked men who terrorized the natives of the various tribes by exploiting them for their valuables. In fact, these men would go to the chief's hut and steal his throne, because they were usually adorned with gold and diamonds and all sorts of other precious stones.
Well, the word got around to one particular chief that thesemen were coming to his village. Not wanting his throne stolen, he had it hidden up in the attic of his grass hut. When the wicked men arrived, they only found a plain wooden chair as a throne. Thinking that this was not a worthwhile village profitably, they decided to leave. All of a sudden, without warning, the ceiling gave out, and the chief's magnificent throne fell to the ground in front of everybody. discovering this prize, the men packed it up and left the king with no throne.
The moral of this story: People who live in grass houses shouldn't stow thrones.
Submitter comment:
I heard this a few years ago, but I don't remember when. the informant has also slipped my mind. / I don't remember where or whom I heard this from.
Data entry tech comment:
Motif added by TRD
James Callow comment:
Original BN [S570] crossed out/replaced with current classification
Written underneath the BN: [Shaggy Dog - Pun Type]
Where learned: UNKNOWN
Keyword(s): DETECTION OF THIEF ; Fable ; JOKE ; PUN ; SHAGGY DOG STORY ; Throne ; WORD PLAY
| Subject headings: | PROSE NARRATIVE -- Formula tale |
Entertainment: Game
London Bridge:
London Bridges falling down, falling down. London Bridges falling down, my fair lady. Take the key and lock her up, lock her up. Take the key and lock her up, my fair lady. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday.
Everyone says the verse, two people hold each other's hands and walk around at Monday and when Sunday comes they put someone between them, swinging their arms back and forth and throwing the person away.
Data entry tech comment:
Entered by TRD
James Callow comment:
Original BN [C730.360, C523] crossed out. Replaced with current classification
Submission card located in a pile marked C750 Jump Rope Rhyme
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT ; Myself
Keyword(s): Bridges ; CHILDREN ; GAMES ; Jump Rope ; London ; Playground ; Rhymes
| Subject headings: | -- .C750500 |
Entertainment: Game
Method of Choosing IT:
To choose the "it" in a smae, the kids get together and someone would volunteer. Everyone eventually got chosen, and the ones that did not volunteer often enough were made "it" by mob rule. The informant learned it from the neighborhood kids.
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
James Callow comment:
Original BN [C570, C570.500] crossde out. Replaced with current classifications.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; UNIVERSITY OF DETROIT ; DETROIT
Keyword(s): CHILDREN ; Entertainment ; GAME ; Playground
| Subject headings: | Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Game Pastime |