The James T. Callow Folklore Archive

Verse

The Wind:

When the wind is in the East,

'Tis good for neither man nor feast;

When the wind is in the North,

The skillful fisher goes not forth;

When the wind is in the South,

It blows the bait in the fishes' mouth;

When the wind is in the West,

Then 'tis at its very best.

Submitter comment:

Discovered in a paper placement, printed in Rhode Island. Paper then discovered at Audio's Pizzaria in Detroit.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Dup. of WPP

Where learned: Rhode Island

Keyword(s): Bait ; DIRECTION ; East ; FISH ; Fisherman ; FOOD ; Formula ; North ; Ocean ; PREDICTION ; RHYME ; Sailor ; SEA ; Sky ; SONG ; South ; Sport ; VERSE ; WARNING ; West ; Wind

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Belief: Weather

Red sky at night is the sailors delight.

Red sky at morning - sailors take warning

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Dup of WPP

Keyword(s): COLOR ; NATURE ; Nautical ; Ocean ; PREDICTING WEATHER ; PREDICTION ; RHYME ; Sailor ; Sky ; WARNING ; WEATHER

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Belief: Weather

Time for Rain:

Rain before seven, quit before eleven.

Submitter comment:

My mother says in the country this was a common saying.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Dup. of WPP

Where learned: HOME ; MICHIGAN ; DETROIT

Keyword(s): NATURE ; PREDICTING WEATHER ; PREDICTION ; Rain ; RHYME ; Sky ; TIME ; WEATHER

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Belief: Weather

Red skies at night, sailors delight. Red skies in the morning, sailors take warning.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Dup of WPP

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT

Keyword(s): COLOR ; NATURE ; Nautical ; Ocean ; PREDICTING WEATHER ; PREDICTION ; RHYME ; Sailor ; Sky ; WARNING ; WEATHER

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Belief: Weather

April Showers bring May flowers

Submitter comment:

Informant heard this in Ferndale, MI

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

The A in April and the C in Cissell are both underlined in red.

Dup of WPP

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; FERNDALE

Keyword(s): April ; FLOWERS ; May ; Month ; NATURE ; PREDICTING WEATHER ; PREDICTION ; Rain ; RHYME ; Sky ; TIME ; WEATHER

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Proverb

A house without a woman and firelight is like a body without a soul or sprite.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Original BN [V700] crossed out. Replaced with current classfication.

Located in a pile marked Duplicates and Other Rejects

Keyword(s): BODY ; Domesticity ; Feminine ; FIRE ; Firelight ; PROVERB ; RHYME ; Soul ; SPIRIT ; Warmth ; Woman

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Retort

If six turned out to be nine, then I don't mind.

Submitter comment:

Said in reply to ridiculous questions.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

The question [When Said?] is written next to the collector's comment.

Keyword(s): COMEBACK ; Nine ; NUMBERS ; RETORT ; RHYME ; SARCASM ; Six ; Wisecrack ; Wit

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RHYME

A HAMMER HAS A HEAD, BUT NEVER WEARS A HAT,/
ALTHOUGH A SHIRT HAS A TAIL, IT'S NO RELATION TO A CAT.

Submitter comment:

A SIMPLE PLAY ON WORDS WHICH PERSONIFIES A HAMMER AND
GIVES LIFE TO A SHIRT.THE INFORMANT REMEMBERS THIS RHYME
FROM HIS CHILDHOOD DAYS. IT'S SIMPLY A NICE LITTLE RHYME THAT
CAN BE INTERPRETED TO SUIT THE SITUATION.

Data entry tech comment:

Updated by TRD

Where learned: HOME

Keyword(s): CAT ; Contrary ; Hammer ; Hat ; HEAD ; Opposition ; PERSONIFICATION ; RHYME ; RIDDLE ; Shirt ; Tail

Date learned: 11-10-1971

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Proverb

Hast makes Waste

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

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

Where learned: UNIVERSITY OF DETROIT

Keyword(s): Aphorism ; Apothegm ; Haste ; Maxim ; PROVERB ; RHYME ; VERSE ; Waste

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Proverb

Disk Jockey's Credo:

You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, and you can make a fool of yourself anytime.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT

Keyword(s): Aphorism ; Apothegm ; Fool ; Maxim ; PROVERB ; RHYME ; VERSE

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Proverb

Whistling women and crowing hens are bound to come to some bad end.

Submitter comment:

From - Uncertain

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; GROSSE POINTE

Keyword(s): Aphorism ; Apothegm ; Crow ; FATE ; Hen ; Maxim ; PROVERB ; RHYME ; VERSE ; Whistle ; WOMEN

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Proverb

Early to bed, Early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

Where learned: HOME ;

Keyword(s): Aphorism ; Apothegm ; Bed ; Early ; HEALTH ; Maxim ; PROVERB ; RHYME ; Rise ; TIME ; VERSE ; WEALTH ; WISDOM ; Wise

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Proverb

"Oh! What tangled webs we weave when first we practice to deceive."

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

Submission is a direct quote from Sir Walter Scott, a Scottish Novelist (1771-1832): Marmion, Canto vi, Stanza 17.

James Callow comment:

Original BN [V300, V:C880.300] crossed out. Replaced with current classification.

Where learned: HOME ; MICHIGAN ; BERKELEY

Keyword(s): Aphorism ; Apothegm ; Consequence ; Deceive ; Deception ; Lie ; Maxim ; PROVERB ; Quote ; RHYME ; VERSE ; Web

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Proverb

A whistling girl and a crowing hen, both come to a bad end.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Original BN [V300, C880.300] crossed out. Replaced with current classifications.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT

Keyword(s): Aphorism ; Apothegm ; Crow ; FATE ; Girl ; Hen ; Maxim ; PROVERB ; RHYME ; VERSE ; Whistle

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Proverb

Good, Better, Best / Never let it take a rest / Till your good is better / And your better best.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Original Bn [V700] crossed out. Replaced with current classification.

Where learned: OHIO ; TOLEDO

Keyword(s): Ability ; Aphorism ; Apothegm ; Best ; Better ; Good ; Maxim ; PROVERB ; RHYME ; VERSE

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Proverb

A daughter is a daughter for the rest of your life, but a son is only a son until he gets a wife.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

Keyword(s): Aphorism ; Apothegm ; DAUGHTER ; Inequality ; Maxim ; Parent ; PROVERB ; RHYME ; Son ; VERSE ; Wife

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Proverb

Whistling girls and cackling hens always come to a bad end.

Submitter comment:

I heard this as a child in Ferndale, MI

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Original Bn [C880.400] crossed out. Replacedw tih current classification.

Keyword(s): Aphorism ; Apothegm ; Cackle ; Crow ; FATE ; Girl ; Hen ; Maxim ; PROVERB ; RHYME ; VERSE ; Whistle

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Proverb

Whistling girls and crowing hens are sure to come to some bad end.

Submitter comment:

She heard this from her mother.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT

Keyword(s): Aphorism ; Apothegm ; Crow ; Girl ; Hen ; Maxim ; PROVERB ; RHYME ; VERSE ; Whistle

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Proverb

A whistling girl and a crowing hen, will always come to some bad end.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Original Bn [C760, C700] crossed out. Repalced with current classification.

In autograph book?

Where learned: HOME

Keyword(s): Aphorism ; Apothegm ; Crow ; Girl ; Hen ; Maxim ; PROVERB ; RHYME ; VERSE ; Whistle

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Proverb

An apple a day keeps the doctor away.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

Where learned: INDIANA ; Jeffersonville

Keyword(s): Aphorism ; Apothegm ; Apple ; Day ; DOCTOR ; HEALTH ; Maxim ; PROVERB ; RHYME ; VERSE

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