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James Callow Folklore Archive

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POLISH PROVERB

THAT KIND OF CHICKEN, THAT KIND OF SKIN (LITERALLY),
OR : ONCE A THIEF, ALWAYS A THIEF.
JAKA KURA TAKA SKORA (SKOORA)

Where learned: HOME ; MICHIGAN ; DETROIT

Keyword(s): TRANSLATED BY MRS. K. J. UNIECHOWSKI

Subject headings: Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Proverb C880.700

Date learned: 10-01-1967

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THOSE WHO NEVER DO MORE
THAN THEY'RE PAID FOR
NEVER GET PAID FOR
ANY MORE THAN THEY DO

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT

Keyword(s): JUSTICE

Subject headings: PROVERB -- Proverbial Apothegm Maxim

Date learned: 08-09-1964

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TO GIVE HIM HIS COMEUPPANCE

Where learned: HOME

Keyword(s): JUSTICE

Subject headings: PROVERB -- Proverbial Phrase

Date learned: 10-23-1968

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VIRTUE IS ITS OWN REWARD.

Submitter comment: FROM - UNCERTAIN.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; GROSSE POINTE

Keyword(s): JUSITCE

Subject headings: PROVERB -- Proverbial Apothegm Maxim

Date learned: 00001964 (SUMMER)

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ROTC=ROTTEN OLD TIN CANS.

Data entry tech comment:

Updated by TRD

Where learned: HOME

Keyword(s): ACRONYM ; JOKE ; MILITARY ; PLAY ON WORDS ; PUN

James Callow Keyword(s): ACRONYM ; ROTC:MILITARY TRAINING UNIT. ; SATIRE

Subject headings: CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- School
BELIEF -- P535
SPEECH -- To Be Seen

Date learned: 02-15-1970

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RETORT

THAT IS ABOUT AS FUNNY AS SCREENS ON A SUBMARINE.

Where learned: HOME ; MICHIGAN ; GROSSE POINTE WOODS

Keyword(s): REACTION TO SUPPOSED JOKE

Subject headings: SPEECH -- Formula

Date learned: 02-02-1971

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RETORT

THAT IS AS FUNNY AS A BRING 'EM BACK ALIVE STICKER ON A HEARSE.

Where learned: HOME ; MICHIGAN ; GROSSE POINTE WOODS

Keyword(s): REACTION TO SUPPOSED JOKE

Subject headings: SPEECH -- Formula

Date learned: 03-03-1971

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Remedy - Animal

Whoever carries the right eye of a wolf fastened inside his right sleeve, remains free from all injury.

Where learned: INDIANA ; VEEDERSBURG

Keyword(s): "NATURAL" REMEDY ; AMULET ; ANIMAL ; BELIEF ; CLOTHING ; CURE ; Injury ; MEDICAL ; PREVENTION ; talisman

James Callow Keyword(s): "NATURAL" REMEDY ; ANIMAL ; BELIEF ; REMEDY

Subject headings:

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Japanese Snake Medicine

Japanese may eat snakes because of their belief in its medicinal value, especially when charred black.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by T.R. Davidson

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT

Keyword(s): ANIMAL ; COOKING ; Culinary ; CURE ; Japanese ; MEDICINE ; Natural Remedy ; PREVENTION

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Animal

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Entry filtered.

An Unpleasant Surprise

Historical record from James Callow Folklore Archive.

There was a young engaged couple from a small town who had come home from a date one night. Nobody was home and the house was dark. On the table there was a note for the girl which said to close the basement windows. Seeing that noone was around, the young couple stripped down naked. The girl got on the boy's shoulders piggy-back and they started down the stairs. As they reached the last step all the lights went on - it was surprise bridal shower for the girl!

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Original Boggs number [B600] has been crossed out and replaced with B646

Where learned: DURING A VISIT

Keyword(s): ALLUSION TO SEXUAL INTERCOURSE ; Engagement ; HUMOR ; JOKES ; MARRIAGE ; Modesty ; Moral ; PARTY ; Prank ; SEX ; SURPRISE ; YOUTH

Subject headings: PROSE NARRATIVE -- Romantic Realistic
Filter - Mature Content

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The Nun in the Bar

A guy picked up a nun in the street and invited her into a bar to have a drink with him. "I really shouldn't," said the nun. But the man finally convinced her. when they got into the bar she told him she'd have a double martini, but to bring it in a coffee cup so that other people wouldn't knwo she was drinking. "Hey bartender," the man yelled out. "Give me a double martini in a coffee cup!" "oh," replied the bartender, "That nun's back again."

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

Keyword(s): BAR ; Bartender ; Bartender Jokes ; Comic dialogue ; DIALOGUE ; DRINKING HUMOR ; HUMOR ; JOKES ; Pub ; RELIGION ; RELIGIOUS ; Religious Jokes

Subject headings: PROSE NARRATIVE -- Religious

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ONCE THERE WAS AH...AH COLORED MAN, A WHITE MAN IN SLAVERY TIME.
HE HAD TWO NEGROES WORKING ON HIS PLANTATION. AND ONE DAY HE TOLD
HIM SAY LISTEN THERES A BEAR DOWN THERE IN THERE IN THAT BOTTOM
EATING MY CORN. SAY JOHN GO DOWN THERE AND BRING THAT BEAR UP
HERE. GOES DOWN THERE AND GET THAT BEAR AND BRING HIM ON UP HERE.
JOHN GOT OUT HE DID THAT MORNING EARLY THAT MORNING... WENT ON
DOWN THERE THERE IN THE BOTTOM HE DID AND HE SEEN THE BEAR. AND
THE BEAR HAD AN ARM OF CORN. SO HE TOLD HIM HEY PUT DOWN THAT
CORN. AND THE BEAR THROWD THE CORN DOWN AND GOT AFTER HIM AT
JOHN. JOHN JUST...HE WENT TO THE BARN. HE RAN JUST AS HARD AS
HE COULD UP TO THE HILL. TILL HE GOT TO THE BARN. HE WENT IN THE
BARN DOOR AND CLOSE...AND WENT ON DOWN TO THE FLOOR AND THE BEAR
COME ON IN THE BARN AND HE CLOSED IT AND COME ON THE OUTSIDE
AND CLOSED THE DOORS. OK, SAY, NOW HE WENT ON UP TO THE HOUSE, TO
OLE MASTER'S HOUSE, HE SAY. JOHN YOU GET THAT BEAR(?) / . SAY YEA, I
GOT THAT BEAR. SAY WHERE'S HE AT? HE UP THERE IN THE BARN. WELL,
YOU TAKE THIS KNIVE AND GO ON UP THERE AND KILL THE BEAR NOW.
JOHN SAY LISTEN BOSS, I WENT AND BROUGHT THE BEAR HERE WHY DON'T
YOU MAKE THE OTHER GUY KILL HIM. SAY YEA, MRS SAY, YEA. JOHN
DONE BROUGH THE BEAR HERE. LET THE OTHER FELLA KILL HIM. SO SLE
JOHN HE WENT IN DOWN THERE AND GOT ON TOP OF THE FENCE. AND THE
OTHER FELLA WHEN IN THE BARN WHERE THE BEAR WAS, AND OUT CAME
HIM AND THE BEAR. DOWN ACROSS THE FIELD HIM AND THE BEAR WENT.
AND HE GOT DOWN DOWN THERE IN THE FIELD A GOOD WAYS AND SAID AH
JOHN HOW DID YOU BRING THAT BEAR HERE? JUST LIKE HE GOT THE SON
OF A BITCH TO COME DOWN ACROSS THAT FIELD.

James Callow comment:

SOME SPELLING HAS BEEN CORRECTED

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT

Keyword(s): Fable ; Slave

James Callow Keyword(s): AN EPISODE ; CAPTURE BY ESCAPE, AS IN \"JACK AND THE VARMINTS\"

Subject headings: PROSE NARRATIVE -- Romantic Realistic

Date learned: 10-00-1974

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Play on Words

Did you hear about the nearsighted optician who fell into a lens-grinding machine and made a spectacle of himself?

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Original Boggs Numbers [W400, B667] crossed out and B660 Substituted.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT

Keyword(s): Anecdote ; HUMOR ; IRONY ; Jest ; Optician ; PUN ; Silly

Subject headings: PROSE NARRATIVE -- Jest Anecdote
Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Autograph Verse Translations, plays on words, symbol writing

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Did you hear about the butcher who backed into a meat cutting machine and got a little behind in his work?

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Original Boggs Numbers [W400, B667] are crossed out and B660 is substituted.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT

Keyword(s): Butcher, Meat, Machine ; EUPHEMISM ; Jest, Anecdote, Pun, Joke, Irony ; PARODY

Subject headings: PROSE NARRATIVE -- Jest Anecdote
Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Autograph Verse Translations, plays on words, symbol writing

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The Cat

Joe called up Jim and said "How's my cat?" Jim told him, "He's dead." Joe said "You shouldn't have come out and said 'he's dead.' You should have said 'He's up on the roof' and then I'd call back later and you could say 'he fell off the roof and he's in the hospital.' Then a few days later you should say 'he's very sick in the hospital,' and then a few days after that you should say 'he passed away.' That way the shock wouldn't be so much for me."

Jim then said "I'm sorry. I'll do it like that next time." Joe said "OK. By the way, how's my mother?" Jim said "she's up on the roof."

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Original Boggs Numbers [B620, F546] have been crossed out and B667 written nest to them. The number 2 is written on top of the number 7 in the new boggs number.

Keyword(s): CAT ; DIALOGUE ; Humorous ; JOKE ; MOTHER ; Roof ; Stupid

Subject headings: PROSE NARRATIVE -- Stupid man or woman

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Jokes

A man walked into a rest-room and seen a ten dollar bill laying on a table. As he picked it up and started to put it ini his pocket he heard a weird voice say: "I'm the ghost of Betty Grable and I say the ten dollar bill stays on the table." The man grew frightened, threw the ten dollar bill back on the table and ran out.

Another man walked in , picked up the ten dollar bill and started to walk out. Again the voice came and repeated the same line. The man laughed and put the ten dollar bill back on the table and walked out. A third man came in and picked up the ten dollar bill and put it in his pocket. As he was leaving he heard the haunting voice say: "I'm the ghost of Betty Grable and I say the ten dollar bill stays on the table." The man smiled, and said: "*I am the ghost of Davy Crockett, and I say the ten dollar bill stays in my pocket!"

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs Added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Original BN [B667] crossed out and replaced with B660

Editing marks for spelling errors. ( crossed out an errant tin the word laughed).

Where learned: Myself

Keyword(s): Anecdote ; BATHROOM ; Betty Grable ; Davy Crockett ; GHOST ; GHOSTLY VOICES ; Jest ; MONEY ; Voice ; Wit

Subject headings: PROSE NARRATIVE -- Jest Anecdote

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Caught

Three men: a Catholic, Jew and Protestant; were digging a ditch in front of a house of inequity. They looked up and saw the Rabbi coming down the street. The Rabbi stopped in front of the house, looked both ways and ran up the steps. When this happened the Catholic and Protestant really gave it to the Jew. A little later, the Protestant minister came down the street, stopped in front of the house, looked both ways and ran up the steps. Well now it was the Protestant's turn to be razzed. A little later the three saw a Catholic priest walk up to the front of the house, look both ways and run up the steps. The Catholic man yelled "There must be somebody sick in there!"

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT

Keyword(s): ALLUSION TO PROSTITUTION ; Catholic ; HUMOR ; Jewish ; JOKE ; PROSTITUTION ; Protestant ; RELIGION

Subject headings: PROSE NARRATIVE -- Jest Anecdote

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Entry filtered.

Poor Wording

A number of GI's in England during the war decided to hold a horse race to keep up the morale of the base. For some reason they were short of active animals for the event. Now it happened that the local parish priest had a donkey and they obtained his permission to use it to make up the field. The donkey to the surprise of everyone came in third in the first race. Where upon the camp newspaper came out with the headline "Padre's Ass Shows."

This naturally caused no small scandal among the people of the parish and eventually reached the bishop. However, when called to ask about it by the bishop the padre managed to mollify the good man by explaining it was only an American slang expression. The next day a race was held and the donkey came in first. The paper then announced "Padre's Ass Out in Front."

This called for further episcopal disapproval, but again the padre succeeded in mollifying the bishop. The third day's race the donkey finished second and the paper reported "Padre's Ass back in Place." This was the last straw for the bishop and he ordered the priest to withdraw the animal from the race. The camp then came forth with the sad news: "Bishop Scratches Padre's Ass."

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Original BN [ B667 ] modified: the number zero is written over the seven. Additionally, the entire BN is crossed out and replaced with B660.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT

Keyword(s): AMERICAN ; Anecdote ; Culture Clash ; DONKEY ; European ; GAMBLING ; HORSE ; Jest ; Language ; MILITARY ; NEWSPAPER ; PUN ; RACING ; RELIGION ; SLANG

Subject headings: PROSE NARRATIVE -- Jest Anecdote
Filter - Mature Content

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Entry filtered.

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

Subject headings: PROSE NARRATIVE -- Jest Anecdote

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Entry filtered.

Rape is assault with a friendly weapon.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs and BN added by TRD

James Callow comment:

The original BN [W200] is crossed out. It is not replaced with another BN.

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

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; BIRMINGHAM

Keyword(s): ANTIFEMINISM ; Distasteful Jokes ; Female ; Harm ; JOKE ; Male ; Misogyny ; POWER ; Rape ; SICK JOKE

Subject headings: PROSE NARRATIVE -- Product or activity of man or animal
Filter - Mature Content

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