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James Callow Folklore Archive

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The James T. Callow Folklore Archive

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FROM THE AGE OF EIGHT TO 22, I PLAYED ORGANIZED
BASEBALL AND ALWAYS RAN ACROSS THE BELIEF THAT
STEPPING ON THE (CHALKED) LINES IS BAD LUCK.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT ; NEW YORK ; LONG ISLAND ; HEMPSTEAD

Subject headings: Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Special Object or Implement
BELIEF -- Bad luck Games Pastimes Sports

Date learned: 12-00-1971

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Birthday Song

To the tune of "Happy Birthday to You":

May you live a hundred years,
May you drink a million beers,
Get pastered you....bad boy,
Happy birthday to you!

 

Data entry tech comment:

Informant and collector share the same surname.

Where learned: BUFFALO ; NEW YORK

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

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Song for Jump Rope

On a mountain stands a lady
Who she is I do not know
All she wants is gold and silver
All she needs is a nice young man
So jump in my _____(name)_____
And jump in my _____(name)_____

 

Data entry tech comment:

Informant and collector are the same person.

 

Where learned: NEW YORK CITY ; NEW YORK

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

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Children's Joke Verse or Mocking Verse

The child makes a companion look at something that isn't there; when the companion looks the jokester says:

I made you look
I made you look
I made you buy
A penny book.

 

Submitter comment:

Sometimes sung.

 

Data entry tech comment:

Informant and collector are the same person.

 

Where learned: NEW YORK CITY ; NEW YORK

Subject headings: Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Lyrical Verse C730.334
Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Game Verse

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Autograph Saying

2 young
2 drink
4 Roses

 

Data entry tech comment:

Informant and collector are the same person.

 

Where learned: NEW YORK CITY ; NEW YORK

James Callow Keyword(s): DIGITAL SPELLING

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

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Autograph Saying in Verse

Roses are red
Violets are black
You'd look better
With a knife in your back.

 

Data entry tech comment:

Informant and collector are the same person.

 

Where learned: NEW YORK CITY ; NEW YORK

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

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Children's Game

Form of hide-and-go-seek in which the person who is it "hides his eyes" while everyone hides. He then looks for those hiding and tags them if he finds them. In the meantime others have a chance to run to the tree and top it. If this happens and the person who is it has not tagged anyone out the person touching the tree yells "Home Free All" and the person who was it has to be it again.

 

Data entry tech comment:

Informant and collector are the same person.

 

Where learned: NEW YORK CITY ; NEW YORK

Subject headings: Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- C5

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Children's Game

Played alone with a rubber ball.
The ball is bounced. Each time an item is named the leg goes over the ball.

Example:
The child says:
A my name is Alice (or some name beginning with A)
And my husband's name is Alfred
We come from Alabama
And we eat Apples

The child does this through the whole alphabet.


 

Data entry tech comment:

Informant and collector are the same person.

 

Where learned: NEW YORK CITY ; NEW YORK

James Callow Keyword(s): ALLITERATION

Subject headings: Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Special Object or Implement

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Children's Game: Three Steps Over Germany

Someone is designated "it." This "it" stands at a designated spot a certain distance from the other children. He calls out the number of steps these children may take. The last child to get to the other side is "it." This game usually requires that the child is tall or that he is a good jumper.

 

Data entry tech comment:

Informant and collector are the same person.

Where learned: NEW YORK CITY ; NEW YORK

Subject headings: Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- C5

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Children's Jumprope Game

The child jumps rope and the other girls playing say "Down the Mississippi where the boats go push!" When they say push another girl jumps in with the girl jumping and pushes her out. If while someone is jumping in the rope gets tangled the cause of the tangle must turn the rope.

 

Data entry tech comment:

Informant and collector are the same person.

 

Where learned: NEW YORK CITY ; NEW YORK

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

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Entry filtered.

To someone who is wishing for something:
Wish in one hand and s____ in the other one, and see which one gets full first.


 

Data entry tech comment:

Informant and collector share the same surname.

 

Where learned: NEW YORK CITY ; NEW YORK

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Expression of Fixed Form
SPEECH -- Formula

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Verse
Here is the church, here is the steeple.
Open the doors and see all the people.

Dramatization
Using hand and fingers for church, steeple and people.

 

Data entry tech comment:

Informant and collector are the same person.

 

Where learned: NEW YORK CITY ; NEW YORK

Subject headings: Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- C5
Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Game Verse

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Superstition

Catholic school children learn to make the sign of the cross when an ambulance goes by.

 

Data entry tech comment:

Informant and collector are the same person.

 

Where learned: NEW YORK CITY ; NEW YORK

Subject headings: SPEECH -- Gesture

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Grape Riddle

Question: What's purple and lives in the ocean?
Answer: Moby Grape

Question: Who was purple and conquered the East?
Answer: Alexander the Grape

 

Data entry tech comment:

Informant and collector are the same person.

 

Where learned: NEW YORK CITY ; NEW YORK

Subject headings: RIDDLE -- Riddle Question

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Riddle

Question: Why did the moron throw the clock out the window?

Answer: To see time fly.

 

Data entry tech comment:

Informant and collector are the same person.

 

Where learned: NEW YORK CITY ; NEW YORK

Subject headings: RIDDLE -- Riddle Question

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Riddle

Question: What did Tarzan say when he saw the elephants coming?

Answer: Here come the elephants.

 

Data entry tech comment:

Informant and collector are the same person.

 

Where learned: NEW YORK CITY ; NEW YORK

Subject headings: RIDDLE -- Riddle Question

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Riddle

Question: What's yellow and goes click, click?

Answer: A ballpoint banana.

 

Data entry tech comment:

Informant and collector are the same person.

 

Where learned: NEW YORK CITY ; NEW YORK

Subject headings: RIDDLE -- Riddle Question

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DANDELION BELIEF

AS CHILDREN IN MAMARONECK, NEW YORK, WE BELIEVED THAT IF YOU PICKED A DANDELION, YOU'D HAVE TO URINATE.

Submitter comment:

Learned in late 1940s.

Data entry tech comment:

Informant and collector appear to be the same person.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT ; NEW YORK ; MAMARONECK

Keyword(s): COLOR ; HOMEOPATHIC MAGIC

James Callow Keyword(s): PLANT WEED ; YELLOW COLOR ASSOCIATES WITH URINATION?

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Plant
BELIEF -- Fate Destiny Luck Chance

Date learned: 12-00-1971

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