Dr. James T. Callow publications
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The James T. Callow Folklore Archive
Your search for fortune returned 24 results.
PROVERBIAL APOTHEGM
NEVER RETURN SALT BECAUSE YOUR FRIENDSHIP WILL BE DISSOLVED
Submitter comment: LEARNED IN GLOUCESTER, OHIO AND STILL BIDES BY IT TODAY
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
James Callow Keyword(s): MISFORTUNE ; OBSERVATION ; PESSIMISM
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Mineral BELIEF -- Mineral BELIEF -- Number Emptiness, nothingness, zero PROVERB -- Proverbial Apothegm Maxim |
Date learned: 05-11-1965
PROVERB IN VERSE
NOTHING IS HARDER TO TAKE THAN A TIME OF OVERABUNDANCE (IN THE
SENSE THAT WEALTH CAN RUIN THE CHARACTER OF A HUMAN BEING)
Submitter comment:
INFORMANT HEARD THIS IN MUNICH, GERMANY
THIS IS SIMILAR TO AN ENGLISH SAYING THAT I HAVE HEARD
OFTEN IN FERNDALE MICHIGAN. MONEY IS THE ROOT OF ALL EVIL
Data entry tech comment: ORIGINAL 5 X 8 CARD CONTAINS GERMAN TEXT
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; FERNDALE
James Callow Keyword(s): GOOD FORTUNE ; IRONY
| Subject headings: | Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Proverb Proverb |
Date learned: 12-04-1967
PROVERBS OF A MATH TEACHER
NOTHING SUCCEEDS LIKE SUCCESS
James Callow comment: CREDIT SHOULD GO TO OSCAR WILDE--F. M. PAULSEN
Where learned: UNKNOWN
James Callow Keyword(s): GOOD FORTUNE ; IRONY ; OBSERVATION ; SUCCESS BREEDS ITSELF
| Subject headings: | PROVERB -- Proverbial Apothegm Maxim |
Date learned: 12-04-1968
IT IS BAD LUCK IF SOME ONE GIVES YOU BABY ARTICLES AS SOON AS YOU
KNOW YOU ARE PREGNANT.
Where learned: LOCATION NOT RECORDED BY COLLECTOR ; TOLD AT HER HOME
Keyword(s): IMPLIED WARNING ; MISFORTUNE
James Callow Keyword(s): GIFT-GIVING
| Subject headings: | CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- Birth BELIEF -- Birth BELIEF -- Number Emptiness, nothingness, zero BELIEF -- Bad luck |
Date learned: 02-15-1970
PROVERBIAL METAPHOR
IT NEVER RAINS BUT WHAT IT POURS.
WHEN TROUBLE COMES - IT COMES IN BUNCHES.
Where learned: HOME ; MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
Keyword(s): WEATHER MISFORTUNE
| Subject headings: | PROVERB -- Proverbial Metaphor |
Date learned: 11-06-1971
GESTURE
WHEN SOMEONE IS COMPLAINING ABOUT HIS BAD LUCK OR MISFORTUNE,
OFTEN ONE WILL RUN HIS INDEX FINGER AND THUMB TOGETHER LIGHTLY
AND REMARK, "DO YOU KNOW WHAT THAT IS? IT'S THE WORLD'S SMALLEST
VIOLIN PLAYING HEARTS & FLOWERS FOR YOU."
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
Keyword(s): MISFORTUNE
| Subject headings: | SPEECH -- Formula |
Date learned: 03-00-1971
When Mrs. Bergen poured me a cup of hot tea, she said "Look at all the money that I gave you." The "money" refers to all the air bubbles which accumulate in your cup and gather at the center, which look like silver change is one stretches his imagination.
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs and BN added by TRD
James Callow comment:
Original BN [N446 f578.4] crossed out. Nothing Replaces them.
Submission card located in a pile marked To Be Classified.
Where learned: HOME ; MICHIGAN ; FARMINGTON ; Shiawassee Apartments ; Farmington Place
Keyword(s): BELIEF ; COIN MONEY ; Fortune Telling ; MONEY ; SUPERSTITION ; TEA
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Use of Object BELIEF -- Use of Object Food PROVERB -- Proverbial Apothegm Maxim |
Ethnic: German
Prosperity Belief:
It is an old German belief that if you eat herring and shake coins in a tin box, you will not go hungry and will always have money.
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
James Callow comment:
Original BN [P740, P880] crossed out/replaced with current classifications.
Where learned: HOME ; MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
Keyword(s): BELIEF ; COIN ; ETHNIC ; FOOD ; fortune ; GERMAN ; Herring ; LUCK ; MONEY ; PROSPERITY
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Fish BELIEF -- Fate Destiny Luck Chance |
Ethnic:Ugandan
Cocks and Misfortune:
If a family keeps poultry, and is a cock among them crows between sun-set and mid-night [sic], that particular bird must be strangled immediately to overt misfortune!
Submitter comment:
The superstition is proper to the Batooro tribe of about 100,000 poeple of Uganda.
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
James Callow comment:
Original BN [P530, P880] crossed out/replaced with current classifications
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
Keyword(s): ANIMALS ; BELIEF ; CUSTOM ; ETHNIC ; FARMING ; MISFORTUNE ; Omens ; Poultry ; SUPERSTITION ; Tribe ; Uganda
| Subject headings: | Observation BELIEF -- Bird |
Ethnic: German
Superstition:
In German villages it is believed that if a boy has a dog and the dog runs away, then the boy must follow the dog in search of his fortune. If the dog returns without his master, then the boy is dead. If the dog does not return, the boy has found his fortune.
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
James Callow comment:
Original BN [P800] crossed out. Replaced with current classification.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
Keyword(s): Boy ; DIVINATION ; DOG ; ETHNIC ; FATE ; fortune ; GERMAN ; Ordaining ; SUPERSTITION
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Mammal |
Ethnic: Polish
House Initiation / Polish Custom:
Put a cat in a house before you move into it and there will always be good luck.
Submitter comment:
A neighbor came over to borrow our cat for one of their relatives who had just bought a new house. These relatives of ournaighbors had just recently come over from Poland. I don't know the people's names and the neighbor doesn't live around here any more.
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
James Callow comment:
Original BN [F532] crossed out. Replaced with current classifications.
Message on the bottom of card:
[Please copy this item on the yellow card below so it will ALSO be filed under F686]
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT ; Myself
Keyword(s): CAT ; ETHNIC ; fortune ; Good ; House ; Housewarming ; LUCK ; OMEN ; POLAND ; POLISH ; SUPERSTITION
| Subject headings: | CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- Initiation rite Hazing BELIEF -- Mammal |
Play on Words
There is a secret method of coming back from Vegas with a small fortune: Go with a large fortune.
Submitter comment:
He heard it from a friend.
Data entry tech comment:
Motif added by TRD
James Callow comment:
Submission card located in pile marked These don't sound traditional - Do Not File Yet.
Keyword(s): fortune ; GAMBLING ; HUMOR ; Large ; MONEY ; PUN ; SIZE ; Small ; Vegas
| Subject headings: | PROSE NARRATIVE -- Jest Anecdote |
Toast
Na zdrowia (Polish Toast)
Translated = "To your health"
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
James Callow comment:
The word [Toast] is written across the top of the card. Also written on the bottom, right hand corner of the card: [Your name and address go here on ALL cards.]
Where learned: HOME
Keyword(s): ETHNIC ; GOOD FORTUNE ; HEALTH ; POLISH ; Social ; TOAST
| Subject headings: | Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Speech Speech SPEECH -- Formula |
Toast
may your children have rich parents.
Submitter comment:
She heard this from a Polish disk jockey who was from Chicago.
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
Keyword(s): CHILDREN ; DRINKING ; ETHNIC ; fortune ; PARENTS ; POLISH ; Riches ; Social ; TOAST ; WEALTH
| Subject headings: | Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Speech Speech SPEECH -- Formula |
Proverb
Happy is the bride the sun shines on.
Submitter comment:
My mother said this was a commonly repeated proverb in the country, when she was young.
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
Where learned: HOME ; MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
Keyword(s): Aphorism ; Apothegm ; Bride ; fortune ; Happy ; Maxim ; OMEN ; PROVERB ; Sun ; VERSE ; WEDDING
| Subject headings: | PROVERB -- Proverbial Apothegm Maxim |
Room Location
The master bedroom should be located in the northeastern corner of the house to maintain harmony and fortune in the family.
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
Where learned: VIRGINIA ; Roanoke
Keyword(s): Bedroom ; Feng Shui ; fortune ; Harmony ; House ; LOCATION ; Master
| Subject headings: | ART CRAFT ARCHITECTURE -- Plan, design, color, building material, and technic |
IF EITHER HAND ITCHES, YOU WILL SOON RECEIVE SOME MONEY.
Data entry tech comment:
Updated on 09-01-11
Where learned: TENNESSEE ; NASHVILLE
Keyword(s): fortune ; GOOD LUCK ; Hand ; ITCH ; LUCK ; MONEY ; OMEN
| Subject headings: | Observation BELIEF -- Measure of quality Monetary systemMoneyWealth BELIEF -- Sensations and involuntary actions Itching hands and feet |
Date learned: 07-19-1973
IF YOUR LEFT HAND ITCHES, YOU'RE GOING TO GET SOME
MONEY.
Data entry tech comment:
Updated by TRD
Where learned: TENNESSEE ; CORNERSVILLE
Keyword(s): fortune ; Hand ; ITCH ; LEFT ; MONEY ; OMEN ; SIGN
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Measure of quality Monetary systemMoneyWealth BELIEF -- Sensations and involuntary actions Itching hands and feet |
Date learned: 00001972-00001973 (ASSUMED)
NEW YEAR' BELIEF FOR GOOD LUCK: PLACE A DIME IN A BIG BOWL
OF BLACK-EYED PEAS AND AS EACH PERSON IS SERVED WHOEVER HAS THE DIME IN HIS OR HER BOWL
HAS BETTER LUCK THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
Data entry tech comment:
Updated by TRD
Where learned: TENNESSEE ; NASHVILLE
Keyword(s): BELIEF ; Black-Eyed Peas ; Dime ; FOOD ; fortune ; holiday ; LUCK ; MONEY ; New Years
James Callow Keyword(s): COIN
Date learned: 07-08-1973
SLEEP WALKING SUPERSTITION
IF YOU WALK OR TALK IN YOUR SLEEP, YOU ARE FORETELLING
SOMETHING OF THE FUTURE.
Data entry tech comment:
Updated by TRD
Where learned: SAINT HYACINTH SCHOOL
Keyword(s): Fortune Telling ; FUTURE ; Portent ; Sleep-talking ; Sleepwalking ; Somnambulism ; Talking in your sleep
| Subject headings: | BELIEF -- Product or activity of man or animal |
Date learned: 02-29-1972