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The James T. Callow Folklore Archive

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Belief: Children's Song

STEP ON A CRACK, BREAK THE DEVIL'S BACK.

Data entry tech comment:

Updated on 12-01-2010 / Motifs and Keywords added by TRD

Where learned: HOME

Keyword(s): AA ; Back ; BELIEF ; CHILDHOOD ; CHILDREN ; Crack ; DEVIL ; GAME ; MOTHER ; RELIGION ; RHYME ; SONG ; Spine ; SUPERSTITION ; VERSE

Subject headings: Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Lyrical Verse Lyrical Verse
Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Belief Belief
BELIEF -- Devil Demon

Date learned: 11-19-1969

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Belief: Children's Song

(1) DON'T STEP ON A CRACK OR YOU'LL BREAK YOUR MOTHER'S BACK.
(2) IF YOU STEP ON A LINE YOUR MOTHER DRINKS WINE.

Submitter comment:

MY BLACK NEXT DOOR NEIGHBOORS TOLD ME THESE TALES WHEN I WAS A KID.

Data entry tech comment:

Updated on 12-01-2010 / Motifs and Keywords added by TRD

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; FRANKLIN VILLAGE

Keyword(s): ALCOHOL ; Back ; BELIEF ; CHILDHOOD ; CHILDREN ; Crack ; GAME ; Line ; MOTHER ; RHYME ; SONG ; Spine ; SUPERSTITION ; VERSE ; Wine

James Callow Keyword(s): NEGRO

Subject headings: Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Lyrical Verse Lyrical Verse
Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Belief Belief

Date learned: 00001960S

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Belief: Children's Song

STEP ON A CRACK, BREAK YOUR MOTHER'S BACK. STEP ON A LINE
BREAK YOUR FATHER'S SPINE.

Submitter comment:

INFORMANT USED TO SING THIS WHEN SHE PLAYED HOPSCOTCH ON
THE SIDEWALK.

Data entry tech comment:

Updated on 12-01-2010 / Motifs and Keywords added by TRD

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT

Keyword(s): Back ; BELIEF ; CHILDHOOD ; CHILDREN ; Crack ; Father ; GAME ; Line ; MOTHER ; RHYME ; SONG ; Spine ; SUPERSTITION ; VERSE

James Callow Keyword(s): GAME SONG

Subject headings: Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Children
Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Singing Dancing Marching
Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Lyrical Verse
Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Belief Belief

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Belief: Children's Song

WHEN WALKING DOWN THE STREET SOME CHILDREN WILL CAREFULLY WATCH
WHERE THEY STEP AND SAY, "IF YOU STEP ON A CRACK YOUR MOTHER'S
GOT A BROKEN BACK, AND IF YOU STEP ON A LINE YOUR FATHER DRINKS
WINE.

Submitter comment:

I USED TO PLAY THIS GAME.

Data entry tech comment:

Updated on 12-01-2010 / Motifs and Keywords added by TRD

Keyword(s): ALCOHOL ; Back ; BELIEF ; CHILDHOOD ; CHILDREN ; Crack ; Father ; GAME ; Line ; MOTHER ; RHYME ; SONG ; Spine ; SUPERSTITION ; VERSE ; Wine

James Callow Keyword(s): COUNTING

Subject headings: Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Lyrical Verse
Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Game Verse C750.520
Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Custom Festival C840.533
Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Belief Belief

Date learned: 00001958-00001966

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Belief: Children's Song

STEP ON A CRACK (AS IN A SIDEWALK) (SIC) BREAK YOUR MOTHER'S BACK.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs and Keywords added by TRD

Where learned: TENNESSEE ; NASHVILLE ; ASSUMED

Keyword(s): Back ; BELIEF ; CHILDHOOD ; CHILDREN ; Crack ; GAME ; MOTHER ; RHYME ; SONG ; Spine ; SUPERSTITION ; VERSE

James Callow Keyword(s): ELLIPSIS

Subject headings: Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Lyrical Verse
Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Belief C860.533
Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Belief Belief
BELIEF -- Curse

Date learned: 06-00-1972

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Belief: Children's Song

If you step on a crack you'll break your mother's back.

Submitter comment:

Stepping on Cracks Superstition

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Original BN [P880] crossed out and replaced with C860.740

Where learned: CHILDHOOD ; MICHIGAN ; DETROIT ; Myself

Keyword(s): Back ; BELIEF ; CHILDHOOD ; CHILDREN ; Crack ; GAME ; Line ; MOTHER ; RHYME ; SONG ; Spine ; SUPERSTITION ; VERSE

Subject headings: Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Belief Belief

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Entry filtered.

Ethnic Joke: Jewish

Irishman, Scotchman and Jew visiting dead friend in funeral parlor. Sign on dead man's chest says, "I'd like to take some money with me when I go." Irishman puts out $500. So does the Scotchman. Jew writes a $1500 check and takes the $1000 as change.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs and BN added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Original BN [B66] crossed out

Submission card located in pile marked [?]

Where learned: BUFFALO ; NEW YORK ; Collection

Keyword(s): AFTERLIFE ; BURIAL ; Dead ; Distasteful ; ETHNIC ; Funeral ; Irish ; Jewish ; JOKE ; MONEY ; Offensive ; Penny-pincher ; SCOTTISH ; Stereotype

James Callow Keyword(s): Jewish

Subject headings: Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Ill humor Ridicule Mockery

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Custom: Animal

Hunter's and Woodsman's Belief:

Although there is an open season on them all year a Good Sportsmen or Hunter will never shoot a porcupine. This is because if a person was ever lost in the woods without any food or a gun a porcupine can be easily killed with a stick or a club and the meat is very nutritious.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Original BN [P752] crossed out. Replaced with current classification.

Keyword(s): ANIMAL ; Club ; FOOD ; Gun ; Hunt ; LOST ; Porcupine ; Survival ; Woods

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Mammal

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Entry filtered.

Play on Words

Historical record from James Callow Folklore Archive.

There was a man who was bothered by the idea of how porcupines have sex. He even went so far as to ask a zoologist. He was told "Carefully, very carefully."

Submitter comment:

He had heard it from a friend.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Submission card located in pile marked These don't sound traditional - Do Not File Yet.

Where learned: D' ; Anna, Ben

Keyword(s): HUMOR ; Porcupine ; PUN ; SEX ; Zoologist

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

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Proverb

So many heads, So many opinions.

Submitter comment:

Italian Proverb

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Original BN [P800] crossed out. Replaced with current classficiation.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT

Keyword(s): Aphorism ; Apothegm ; ETHNIC ; HEAD ; Italian ; Maxim ; Opinion ; PROVERB ; VERSE

Subject headings: PROVERB -- Proverbial Apothegm Maxim

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Autograph Rhyme

When you get married and your husband gets cross,

Pick up the rolling pin and say "I'm Boss!"

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

Keyword(s): AUTOGRAPH ; Boss ; HUSBAND ; Married ; poem ; RHYME ; Rolling Pin ; Signature ; VERSE ; Wife

Subject headings: Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Verse without Music

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Autograph Rhyme

Album Rhyme:

Yours till hairpins get seasick from riding permanent waves.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

Keyword(s): Album ; AUTOGRAPH ; Devotion ; HAIR ; Perm ; Permanent ; Pin ; PLAY ON WORDS ; PUN ; Signature ; Wave ; WORDPLAY

Subject headings: Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Verse without Music

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Autograph Rhyme

Album Rhyme:

When evening pulls its curtains,

and pins it with a sstar,

Remember you have a friend indeed,

no matter where you are.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

Keyword(s): Album ; AUTOGRAPH ; Curtains ; Devotion ; DISTANCE ; Evening ; Friend ; Night ; Pin ; poem ; RHYME ; Signature ; Sky ; Star ; VERSE

Subject headings: Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Verse without Music

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Language: Rhyme

When you get married and have twins

Don't come to me for safety pins.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

Keyword(s): Album ; AUTOGRAPH ; BABY ; Language ; Pins ; poem ; RHYME ; SAFETY ; Signature ; TWINS ; VERSE

Subject headings: Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Verse without Music
Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Lyrical Verse Lyrical Verse

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Entertainment: Song

Song:

I gave my love a cherry that had no stone.
I gave my love a chicken that had no bone.
I gave my love a ring that had no end.
I gave my love a baby with no crying.

How can there be a cherry that has no stone?
How can there be a chicken that has no bone?
How can there be a ring that has no end?
How can there be a baby with no crying?

A cherry when it's bloomin', has no stone.

A chicken when it's pippin', it has no bone.

A ring when it's rollin', it has no end.

A baby when it's sleeping, has no crying.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

Where learned: TENNESSEE ; NASHVILLE

Keyword(s): BABY ; Blooming ; Bone ; Cherry ; Chicken ; CRYING ; Entertainment ; Folksong ; MUSIC ; Pippin ; RHYME ; RING ; Rolling ; Sleeping ; SONG ; STONE

Subject headings: Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Love

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Saying

Let sleeping dogs lie

(Don't bring up the past)

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

Where learned: FLORIDA ; Plant City

Keyword(s): Dogs ; Dredge ; HISTORY ; Miscellaneous Motifs ; PAST ; Sleeping

Subject headings: SPEECH -- Vocabulary

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Environmental Factor

Background and Environmental Factors:

Bottle Pinnacle, Wyoming - rare name - named for its shape.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs Added by TRD

Where learned: TENNESSEE ; NASHVILLE ; American Place Names

Keyword(s): Background ; Bottle ; ENVIRONMENT ; ETYMOLOGY ; Nickname ; Pinnacle ; REGIONAL ; SHAPE ; Topographical ; Wyoming

Subject headings: PROSE NARRATIVE -- Explanation of a name

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Verse

"Surprise" Verse:

Question: Inchme and Pinchme were walking across the bridge. Inchme fell in. Who was left?

Answer: Pinchme. (At this, the person who responded recieves a pinch.)

Submitter comment:

Informant learned this through experience during childhood - Plymouth MI, 1940's.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs Added By TRD

James Callow comment:

Not Verse?

Original BN [C800] crossed out. Replaced with current classification.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT

Keyword(s): Answer ; Inch ; JOKE ; Language ; Pinch ; PRACTICAL JOKE ; QUESTION ; RHYME ; SURPRISE ; VERSE

Subject headings: SPEECH -- Formula

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FREQUENT STOOPING IN PREGNANCY CAUSES VARICOSE VEINS.

Data entry tech comment:

Updated by TRD

Where learned: MISSISSIPPI ; BELZONI

Keyword(s): BELIEF ; PREGNANCY ; Squatting ; Stooping ; Varicose Veins

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Birth
BELIEF -- Means of Causing or Avoiding Illness

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IF A SNAPPING TURTLE BITES YOUR TOE, HE WON'T LET GO
UNTIL IT THUNDERS.

Data entry tech comment:

Updated by TRD

Where learned: TENNESSEE ; CORNERSVILLE

Keyword(s): Turtle, Snapping, Bite, Thunder, Toe

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Animal
BELIEF -- Lightning Thunder

Date learned: 00001972-00001973 (ASSUMED)

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