Dr. James T. Callow publications
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The James T. Callow Folklore Archive
Your search for JOKE returned 176 results.
Custom
Chimney Sweep:
In Belgium, or Europe for that matter, each house usually had two or more chimneys. Since they needed cleaning periodically, chimney sweeps were common. Some of these were employed by the cities for the purpose. But, in each case, it was good practice to give the sweeper a good tip, for if you didn't he would play tricks on you. For instance, he might come back to clean your chimney at a future date, but not tell you. Then you would be unprepared and the soot would come into the house because you didn't close the soot door in time.
Submitter comment:
Recorded on Tape
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
James Callow comment:
Original BN [M848] crossed out and replaced with F534
Where learned: PENNSYLVANIA ; PITTSBURGH
Keyword(s): BUSINESS ; Chimney Sweep ; CUSTOM ; Gratuity ; OCCUPATIONS: CHIMNEY SWEEPING ; PRACTICAL JOKE ; TIPPING ; WORK
| Subject headings: | CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- Work Commerce Business |
Prank
Fletcher Tube:
The Fletcher Tube us a non-existent piece of equipment. When freshmen are having problems in lab, you tell them that a Fletcher Tube will do the trick. They go to the stockroom to check one out and are laughed at.
Submitter comment:
Informant said that he pulled this gag while he was a graduate student.
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; UNIVERSITY OF DETROIT ; DETROIT ; CLASSROOM ; CHEMISTRY BUILDING
Keyword(s): ACADEMIC JOKES ; Chemistry ; COLLEGE ; COLLEGE PRANK ; COLLEGE PRANK ; Entertainment ; Freshman ; Hazing ; JOKE ; Laboratory ; PRACTICAL JOKE ; Prank
| Subject headings: | CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- Entertainment Diversion |
Prank
TeePee-ing Houses:
A group of people go to a house late at night and throw toilet paper up into the trees, decorate the shrubbery and generally create a real mess.
Submitter comment:
This was done to my house by a group of friends who had attended Roosevelt High School in Wyandotte, MI. It was done in May of 1968. It seems that this was not an uncommon practice for them to do to their friends.
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
Where learned: Myself
Keyword(s): Amusement ; CUSTOM ; Diversion ; Entertainment ; JOKE ; PRACTICAL JOKE ; Prank ; Shrubbery ; Toilet Paper
| Subject headings: | CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- Entertainment Diversion |
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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 |
Trick
Trick:
A trickster points at your tie or shirt and asks, "what's that?"
When you look down at your tie to see what's there he raises his finger and drags his finger up over your face.
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
Where learned: HOME
Keyword(s): JOKE ; Prank ; Tease ; TRICK ; TRICKSTER
| Subject headings: | CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- Entertainment Diversion |
Trick
Trick:
A tricky person will point at a button on your clothing and ask "Do you want that?" If you say "yes," then he rips it off and gives it to you. If you are unfortunate enough to say "no," he rips it off and throws it away.
Submitter comment:
Be careful who you pull this trick on. He should not be Dick the Bruiser.
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
Where learned: HOME
Keyword(s): BULLY ; Button ; CLOTHING ; JOKE ; Prank ; Tease ; TRICK ; TRICKSTER
| Subject headings: | CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- Entertainment Diversion |
Jokes
How do you fit four elephants in a Volkswagon?
Two in the front, and two in the back.
Data entry tech comment:
Entered by TRD
Where learned: LOUISIANA ; New Orleans
Keyword(s): AUTOMOBILE ; ELEPHANT ; Funny ; JOKE ; Volkswagon
| Subject headings: | RIDDLE -- Riddle Question |
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Language
Tongue Twister:
Onse smart fellow, he felt smart. Two smart fellows, they both felt smart. Three smart fellows, they all felt smart.
Data entry tech comment:
Say three times fast.
Motifs added by TRD
James Callow comment:
Pointless? - Not much of a tongue twister?
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
Keyword(s): FLATULENCE ; JOKE ; Language ; TONGUE TWISTER
| Subject headings: | Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Speech Speech |
Language
Humorous Verse:
This is a retort a person should use when he says something that he shouldn't have said:
My tongue got in the way of my eye teeth and I couldn't think of what I was saying.
Data entry tech comment:
motifs added by TRD
James Callow comment:
Original BN [C700.328] crossed out / replaced with current classification
Keyword(s): Humorous ; JOKE ; Language
| Subject headings: | SPEECH -- Formula |
Entry filtered.
Language
Tongue Twister:
I slit a sheet, a sheet I slit. upon the slitted sheet I sit.
Submitter comment:
From Childhood
Data entry tech comment:
Motif added by TRD
James Callow comment:
Already typed as prose
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
Keyword(s): JOKE ; Language ; TONGUE TWISTER
| Subject headings: | Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Speech Speech |
Language
Tongue Twister:
Slit the sheet, the sheet I slit, I slept upon a slitted sheet.
Submitter comment:
AS told in Holden Hall (dorm room at UofD)
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
Where learned: UNIVERSITY OF DETROIT
Keyword(s): JOKE ; Language ; TONGUE TWISTER
| Subject headings: | Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Speech Speech |
Language
Tongue Twister:
I slit a sheet, A sheet I slit, Upon a slitted sheet I sit.
Submitter comment:
This one was told to me by my mom many years ago.
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
Where learned: Myself
Keyword(s): HUMOR ; JOKE ; Language ; TONGUE TWISTER
| Subject headings: | Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Speech Speech |