Dr. James T. Callow publications
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The James T. Callow Folklore Archive
Your search for Stupid returned 20 results.
PROVERBIAL COMPARISON
DUMB AS A DOORKNOB
Submitter comment:
USED WHEN POINTING OUT HOW IGNORANT A PERSON OR ANIMAL IS IN A
GIVEN SITUATION. INFORMANT USES THIS SOMETIMES WHEN HE WAS ANGRY.
HE HAS HEARD IT USED BY MANY OTHERS AT WORK.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
James Callow Keyword(s): ALLITERATION ; STUPIDITY
| Subject headings: | PROVERB -- Proverbial Comparison |
Date learned: 11-05-1971
PROVERB
DUMBER THAN A BOX OF ROCKS.
IN INDIANAPOLIS, IN ORDER TO INDICATE THAT SOMEONE ISNT VERY
BRIGHT, WE SAY THAT HE IS : DUMBER THAN A BOX OF ROCKS.
Where learned: NOT GIVEN
James Callow Keyword(s): STUPIDITY
| Subject headings: | PROVERB -- Proverbial Comparison |
Date learned: NOT GIVEN
PROVERB
DUMBER THAN YOU LOOK
Where learned: BUFFALO ; NEW YORK, ASSUMED
James Callow Keyword(s): STUPIDITY
| Subject headings: | PROVERB -- Proverbial Comparison |
Date learned: 11-00-1968
SILENCE
BETTER TO REMAIN SILENT AND BE THOUGHT A FOOL, THAN TO SPEAK OUT
AND REMOVE ALL DOUBT.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
James Callow Keyword(s): ADVICE: NEGATIVE ; CONTRAST ; ELLIPSIS ; STUPIDITY
| Subject headings: | PROVERB -- Proverbial Apothegm Maxim |
Date learned: 04-01-1968
PROVERB
THE BLIND LEAD THE BLIND.
Submitter comment: FROM UNCERTAIN.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; GROSSE POINTE
James Callow Keyword(s): OBSERVATION ; STUPIDITY?
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Physically handicapped Deformed BELIEF -- Body part Senses Eyes, evil eye PROVERB -- Proverbial Metaphor |
Entry filtered.
Entry filtered.
AUTOGRAPH
ROSES ARE RED
VIOLETS ARE BLUE
SUGAR IS SWEET
AND SO ARE YOU. MM
BUT WHEN ROSES ARE WILTED
AND VIOLETS ARE DEAD
SUGAR IS LUMPY
AND SO IS YOUR HEAD.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; HARPER WOODS
Keyword(s): ALLITERATION ; COMPLIMENT ; CONTRAST ; FLOWERS ; HUMOR ; INSULT ; METER: IAMBS ; METER: TROCHEES ; QUATRAINS ; SARCASM ; STUPIDITY ; SURPRISE ENDING
| Subject headings: | Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Autograph Verse Roses are red and other such associations |
Date learned: NOT GIVEN
DRINKING JOKE
ALL OF US WERE AT THE BAR. I KNOW THERE WERE FIVE OF US DRINKING.
LET'S SEE: THE TWO MC CARTHYS WERE ONE, YOU WERE TWO, I WAS THREE,
O'BRIEN WAS FOUR, I KNOW THERE WERE FIVE DRINKS IN EVERY ROUND SO
WHO WAS THE FIFTH GUY? LET'S GO OVER IT AGAIN. THE TWO MC CARTHYS
WERE ONE, YOU WERE TWO, I WAS THREE, O'BRIEN WAS FOUR, I KNOW
THERE WERE FIVE DRINKS IN EVERY ROUND SO WHO WAS THE FIFTH GUY?
LET'S GO OVER IT AGAIN...........
Where learned: FLORIDA ; KEY BISCAYNE
James Callow Keyword(s): STUPIDITY: COUNTING TWO AS ONE
| Subject headings: | PROSE NARRATIVE -- Stupid man or woman |
Date learned: 09-00-1981
Entry filtered.
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 |
IT'S LIKE HE WAS SLAPPED BY THE HAND OF GOD.
Submitter comment:
FOR A DUMB LOOKING PERSON, THE FLEMISH SAY: {PROVERB}
TOLD BY MOTHER
Where learned: UNIVERSITY OF DETROIT ; HOLDEN HALL
Keyword(s): STUPIDITY
| Subject headings: | PROVERB -- Proverbial Comparison |
Date learned: 09-00-1967
PROVERBIAL APOTHEGM MAXIM
THERE'S A FOOL BORN EVERY MINUTE.
Where learned: HOME ; MICHIGAN ; DETROIT ; TOLD AT
Keyword(s): STUPIDITY
| Subject headings: | PROVERB -- Proverbial Apothegm Maxim |
Date learned: 11-07-1971
THIMK
Keyword(s): STUPIDITY FOLLY ERROR ABSURDITY THOUGHT
| Subject headings: | PROVERB -- Proverbial Apothegm Maxim |
INDIAN EXPRESSION
WALKING WITH A TUMBLER HALF FULL OF WATER
Submitter comment:
THE MAN WHO KNOWS NOTHING OR LITTLE ABOUT A SUBJECT
IS DESCRIBED AS....
THIS IS BECAUSE A PERSON WHO IS KNOWLEDGABLE ON A
SUBJECT (ONE WITH A FULL TUMBLER) WILL BE CAREFUL AND WILL
SPILL NONE. THE NOT-SO-LEARNED WILL TALK OF ALL HE KNOWS
THOUGH IT IS LITTLE, JUST AS THE PERSON WITH THE HALF-FULL
GLASS IS CARELESS AND SPILLS SOME HERE AND THERE
Keyword(s): STUPIDITY
| Subject headings: | PROVERB -- Proverbial Phrase |
Date learned: 02-29-1968
Entry filtered.
Mnemonic Device
S,P,D,F
Stupid People Die First
(Shells Permitted in Atomic Orbitals)
Data entry tech comment:
Motif and BN added by TRD
BN selected by previous similar classifications.
James Callow comment:
Submission card located in a pile marked To Be Classified.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; UNIVERSITY OF DETROIT ; DETROIT
Keyword(s): Atomic ; MNEMONIC ; Mnemonic Device ; Stupid People
| Subject headings: | ART CRAFT ARCHITECTURE -- MNEM |
Entry filtered.
Proverb
It's better to keep silent and let people think you are stupid than to open your mouth and prove it.
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
James Callow comment:
You can't recall someone?
Where learned: J L HUDSONS
Keyword(s): Aphorism ; Apothegm ; Maxim ; Mouth ; Proof ; PROVERB ; SILENCE ; Stupid ; VERSE
| Subject headings: | PROVERB -- Proverbial Apothegm Maxim |
Proverb
Too soon old, too late smart.
Submitter comment:
A favorite saying of informant's German grandfather.
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
Where learned: UNIVERSITY OF DETROIT ; RATHSKELLER
Keyword(s): AGE ; Aphorism ; Apothegm ; Fool ; Late ; Maxim ; Old ; PROVERB ; Smart ; Soon ; Stupid ; VERSE ; Wise ; Young
| Subject headings: | PROVERB -- Proverbial Apothegm Maxim |