Ima don lak Detroit worth a sheet. I check inna hotel and go down for breakfast an I tella da girl I wanna ham and eggs and two piece a toast. I tella her I wanna two peese. She say if you wanna to peese go to da toilet. I say you no unnerstand, I wanna two peese on my plate. She say you don peese on your plate, you sonna ma beech. I no eat, I go to my room.

At lunch time I go donna da street for my lunch inna Drake Hotel. The waitress brings me a knife an a napkin but no foke. I tella her I wanna foke. She say whatta you talk, everybody wanna foke. I say you no unnerstand, I wanna foke on the table. She say you don care where you foke, you sonna ma bech. So when she call me sonna ma beech, I go back to hotel.

When I get inna da room I got no sheet on my bed, so I calla da manager and tell him I wanna sheet on my bed. He says don sheet on your bed, go to the bathroom. You no unnerstand, I say, I wanna sheet on the bed. He say you better not sheet on your bed, you sonna ma beech. So when he call me a sonna ma beech, I go check out. I go to da desk to check out to New York, and when I leave the manacer say Peace on You. I say peese on you too, you sonna ma beech cause I go back to Italy.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs and BN added by TRD

James Callow comment:

The word Italian is written in the upper left hand corner of the submission.

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

Where learned: HOME ; MICHIGAN ; SAINT CLAIR SHORES

Keyword(s): AMERICAN ; Cultural Divide ; EUPHEMISM ; HUMOR ; Italian ; Language ; Language Barrier ; NEW YORK ; OBSCENE IMPLICATION ; SPEECH ; Stereotype

James Callow Keyword(s): Italian

Subject headings:

PROSE NARRATIVE -- Jest Anecdote
ITAL

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Proverb

A penny saved is a penny earned

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Original BN [V200, V300] crossed out. Replaced with current classifications.

Located in pile marked Duplicates and Other Rejects

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT ;

Keyword(s): COIN ; EARNED ; MISER ; MONEY ; Penny ; Save ; Scrimp ; THRIFT

Subject headings:

PROVERB -- Proverbial Metaphor

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Proverb

Penny wise, pound foolish

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

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

Located in pile marked Duplicates and Other Rejects

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT ;

Keyword(s): COIN ; Dollar ; MONEY ; Penny ; Pound ; Save ; Scrimp ; Spend ; THRIFT

Subject headings:

PROVERB -- Proverbial Metaphor

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Proverb

Old Proverb:

You can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear.

Submitter comment:

Informant's grandmother says this quite often.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

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

Located in pile marked Duplicates and Other Rejects

Where learned: HOME ; MICHIGAN ; DETROIT

Keyword(s): BEAUTY ; Improvement ; Pig ; Purse ; Silk ; Sow ; UGLINESS

Subject headings:

PROVERB -- Proverbial Metaphor

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Retort

If you speak of someone who you see in the near future you say:

"Speak of the devil and the imp appears."

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Taunt?

Keyword(s): COMEBACK ; DEVIL ; Imp ; INSULT ; RETORT ; SARCASM ; SPEECH ; Wisecrack

Subject headings:

SPEECH -- Formula

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Proverb

A watched kettle never boils.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

Where learned: HOME ; MICHIGAN ; DETROIT

Keyword(s): Aphorism ; Apothegm ; Boil ; Impatient ; Kettle ; Maxim ; PATIENCE ; PROVERB ; VERSE ; Wait ; Watch

Subject headings:

PROVERB -- Proverbial Metaphor

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Proverbial Saying

A dimple in your cheek,
Many hearts you will seek.
A dimple in your chin,
Many hearts you will win.

Submitter comment:

My grandmother used to tell me this because I have a dimple in
my chin, and did not like it.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Puckett, Ohio, no. 12841: "A dimple on the chin, /
Many lovers you will win." -- Irish - Dutch - German informant.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; ROSEVILLE

Keyword(s): Apothegm ; Cheek ; Dimple ; LOVE ; Maxim ; PROVERB

Subject headings:

Favorites
Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Lyrical Verse
BELIEF -- Body part Senses
BELIEF -- Marriage

Date learned: 00001950S

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Proverbial Saying

Dimples:

A dimple in your cheek, Gentle and Meek.

A dimple in your chin, Devil within.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

Where learned: Anonymous

Keyword(s): Apothegm ; DEVIL ; Dimple ; Gentle ; Maxim ; Meek ; PROVERB ; Saying ; VERSE

Subject headings:

Favorites
Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Lyrical Verse
BELIEF -- Body part Senses
BELIEF -- Marriage

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Expression

"go off half-cocked" means to do something on impulse

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

Where learned: TENNESSEE ; NASHVILLE

Keyword(s): Expression ; Half-cocked ; Heated ; Impulse ; Language ; Saying ; TEMPER

Subject headings:

SPEECH -- Vocabulary of Special Group

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BED BELIEF

LEAVE YOUR BEDS UNCOVERED IN THE MORNING FOR A WHILE
TO LEAVE THE IMPURE ELEMENTS THAT LEFT YOUR BODY DURING THE
NIGHT OUT.

Data entry tech comment:

Updated by TRD

Keyword(s): Bed ; BELIEF ; Detox ; ELEMENTS ; Energy ; Housekeeping ; Impurity ; SUPERSTITION

James Callow Keyword(s): ADVICE ; FUNCTION ; Positive ; SANITATION

Subject headings:

BELIEF -- Body part Senses
BELIEF -- Home

Date learned: 04-00-1968

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Use baby urine on your face to remove pimples and keep your
skin smooth.

Data entry tech comment:

Updated by TRD

Where learned: ILLINOIS ; Waukegan

Keyword(s): BABY ; Home Remedy ; Homeopathy ; Pimples ; Skincare ; URINE

Subject headings:

BELIEF -- Remedy

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BELIEF

A DIMPLE IN YOUR CHEEK --
YOU ARE GENTLE AND MEEK
A DIMPLE IN YOUR CHIN --
THE DEVIL IS WITHIN

Data entry tech comment:

Updated by TRD

Where learned: HOME ; TOLD AT

Keyword(s): Cheek ; Demeanor ; DEVIL ; Dimple ; PREDICTION ; RHYME ; SONG

James Callow Keyword(s): BELIEF ; QUATRAIN

Subject headings:

BELIEF -- Devil Demon
BELIEF -- Use of Object P860.438

Date learned: 02-03-1970

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PENNSYLVANIA GERMANS (NATIONALITY GROUP)

A COLONY OF AMISH PEOPLE NOW LIVE IN COLON, MICHIGAN. THEY MOVED
HERE FROM PENNSYLVANIA TO ESCAPE PROBLEMS WITH THEIR TEACHERS NOT
HAVING CERTIFICATES. NOW THEY ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM IN COLON.
ONE CAN TELL AN AMISH HOUSE IN COLON, MICH. BECAUSE THE WINDOWS
NEVER HAVE CURTAINS. THEY ONLY HAVE SHADES. THERE IS NO ELECTRICITY
OR LUXURIES IN THEIR HOUSES. THE PEOPLE OFTEN TAKE THEIR
HORSE AND BUGGY TO THE LOCAL SUPERMARKET, LEAVING THE HORSE TIED
TO A HITCHING POST OFF TO THE SIDE. THEY WILL NEVER BUY FOOD WITH
PRESERVATIVES AND PREFER TO EAT A RATHER THICK TASTING BREAD.
THE INFORMANT SAID THAT SHE TASTED THE BREAD AND COULD NOT STAND
MORE THAN A FEW BITES BECAUSE IT WAS SO RICH.

Submitter comment:

THE INFORMANT FIRST LEARNED OF THE AMISH WHILE GOING TO A FAMILY
COTTAGE IN COLON, MICH. IN 1978. HER DESCRIPTION SOUNDS TYPICAL OF
THE CLASSIC PENNSYLVANIA DUTCH ATTIRE AND ATTITUDE. SIMPLICITY
AND KEEPING TO OLD TRADITIONS ARE INHERENT TO HER DESCRIPTION.
UPON VISITING COLON WITH THE INFORMANT, THE COLLECTOR NOTICED THE
SAME CUSTOMS. ONE HEARS ON THE NEWS ABOUT THE CURRENT PROBLEMS
WITH TEACHING, STRESSING THAT NEW DIFFICULTIES ARE ALWAYS ARISING
WITH THE AMISH.

Data entry tech comment:

Updated by TRD

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; ALLEN PARK

Keyword(s): Amish ; BREAD ; Buggy ; Curtains ; GERMAN ; HORSE ; Preservatives ; Shades ; Simplicity ; Technology

Subject headings:

Favorites
CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- Daily Life
CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- School
Food Drink -- Plant food Cereal
BELIEF -- P439

Date learned: 10-00-1980 ; 00-00-1978

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