A poor decrepit Irishman, with a large family, was out of work and broke. He needed $50 very badly. He applied to his priest who advised him to search for work and pray, and he would find it. A week went by without results so the Irishman decided to appeal to the Lord directly. He wrote a stirring tearful letter asking for $50. he addresses the letter to the Lord God in care of Heaven, and mailed it, but did not put a stamp on it.

The postman, thinking it was only a child's letter, opened it and after reading same [sic] was deeply touched by the appeal. That night he took the letter with him to the Masonic Lodge meeting and brought it to the attention of the lodge in session. They promptly voted him $25, and they sent it to the Irishman.

A few days later the postman found another letter similar to the one addressed without a stamp. He opened it and read: Dear God, Thanks for the money, but please - next time send it by way of the Knights of Columbus because the goddamned Masons stole half of it.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs and BN added by TRD

James Callow comment:

The word IRISH is written in the top left corner of the submission.

Submission card located in a pile marked To Be Classified.

Where learned: HOME ; MICHIGAN ; DETROIT

Keyword(s): CHARITY ; GIFT MONEY ; HUMOR ; INGRATITUDE ; Irish ; IRISHMEN ; Knights of Columbus ; Masons ; MONEY ; POVERTY ; Stereotype ; STUPIDITY

James Callow Keyword(s): Irish

Subject headings:

PROSE NARRATIVE -- Stupid man or woman

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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

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Entry filtered.

Ethnic Joke: Black

Ethnic (Black) Joke:

Did you hear about the accident on the Lodge Freeway Yesterday?

A colored guy stuck his head out of the window while travelling 60 mph, and his lips beat him to death!

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs and BN added by TRD

James Callow comment:

The word negro is written in the top left hand corner of the submission card.

Submission card was located in a pile labeled To Be Classified.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT ; TOLD AT INFORMANTS HOME

Keyword(s): AUTOMOBILE ; DEROGATORY ; DEROGATORY SLANG ; Distasteful Jokes ; ETHNIC JOKE ; Freeway ; NEGRO ; RACISM ; Stereotype

James Callow Keyword(s): NEGRO

Subject headings:

Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- C566
RIDDLE -- W566
Filter - Mature Content

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Maxim

A lot of girls would have hourglass figures if time hadn't shifted the sands.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs and BN added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Original BN [B660] is crossed out. Nothing replaces it.

Submission card was located in a pile marked To Be Classified.

Where learned: HOME

Keyword(s): ANTIFEMINISM ; BEAUTY ; Feminism ; Jest, Anecdote, Pun, Joke, Irony ; JOKE ; Physical ; PUN ; SEXISM

Subject headings:

PROVERB -- Proverbial Apothegm Maxim

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Some Women wait so long for their dreamboat to come along that their piers collapse.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs and BN added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Original BN [B660] crossed out. Nothing replaces it.

Submission card located in pile marked To Be Classified.

Where learned: HOME

Keyword(s): ANTIFEMINISM ; Feminism ; Jest, Anecdote, Pun, Joke, Irony ; JOKE ; PUN ; Relationships ; SEXISM ; SEXIST

Subject headings:

Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Autograph Verse Translations, plays on words, symbol writing
PROVERB -- Proverbial Apothegm Maxim

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Maxim

If you think you can be happy letting the government take care of you, just remember what happened to the American Indian.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs and BN added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Original BN [B660] crossed out. Nothing replaces it.

Submission card located in pile marked To Be Classified.

Where learned: HOME

Keyword(s): AMERICAN INDIAN ; Government ; Native American ; POLITICS

Subject headings:

PROVERB -- Proverbial Apothegm Maxim

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Maxim

Christopher Columbus set an example the Government's never forgotten. He didn't know where he was going, he didn't know where he was when he got there, and he did it all on borrowed money.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs and BN added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Original BN [B660] crossed out. Nothing replaces it.

Submission card located in pile marked To Be Classified.

Where learned: HOME

Keyword(s): AMERICAN ; Christopher Columbus ; Government ; Jest, Anecdote, Pun, Joke, Irony ; JOKE

Subject headings:

PROVERB -- Proverbial Apothegm Maxim

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Custom

Custom About Buying Beer:

In the olden days, when you had saloons, and you had draft beer, you would go to the saloon with a bucket to carry home the beer that you bought. One of the old tricks was to gease the inside of the bucket so that the beer wouldn't foam, and you'd get more beer that way.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Original BN [F500] crossed out. Replaced with F530.

Submission Card located in pile labeled F500's that can be filed.

Where learned: TOLD AT INFORMANTS HOME

Keyword(s): BAR ; BEER ; CUSTOM ; FRUGALITY ; THRIFT

Subject headings:

CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- Daily Life

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Custom

Luck in a Custom:

When a stranger enters your home for the 1st time, make sure that he enters and exits from the same door. Otherwise it is bad luck for you.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Original BN [P532] is crossed out and replaced with F533.

Where learned: HOME

Keyword(s): CUSTOM ; Domestic ; DOMESTIC RELATIONS ; Domesticity ; Door ; Entrance ; Guest ; Host ; LUCK

Subject headings:

CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- Street Trip Relations between relatives, friends, host and guest Social class Rank

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Custom

Good Friday and Planting Custom:

Potatoe [sic] seeds should be planted, if at all possible, on Good Friday.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Original BN [F663] has been crossed out and replaced with F535

Where learned: HOME ; NEW YORK ; LeRoy

Keyword(s): AGRICULTURE ; CUSTOM ; FARMING ; Good Friday ; HARVEST ; PLANT VEGETABLE ; POTATO ; Religious Holiday ; VEGETABLE

Subject headings:

CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- F535

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Custom/Belief

Belief, Custom - Planting:

On the feast day of St. Andrew everyone plants cucumbers to ensure a good planting season for the year.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Original BN [P535, F643] crossed out and replaced with F535

Where learned: HOME

Keyword(s): BELIEF ; Cucumbers ; CUSTOM ; HARVEST ; Offering ; PLANT VEGETABLE ; RELIGIOUS ; St. Andrew ; VEGETABLE

Subject headings:

CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- F535

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Entry filtered.

Ethnic: Newfoundland

Historical record from James Callow Folklore Archive.

Newfy:

A newfoundler was travelling on an airplane. While in flight one of the plane's four engines konked out. The pilot addressed himself to the passengers advising them not to worry because there were still three good engines.

A second engine konked out. The pilot again told the passengers not to worry because two engines would safely get the plane to the air-port. The third engine konked out. The pilot again told the passengers not to worry because they were nearing the airport and still had one good engine.

The fourth engine konked out. The Newfoundler lamented: "Damn, now we'll be in this airplane all day."

Submitter comment:

Informant found the joke amusing.

Informant found this quite amusing.

Data entry tech comment:

BN and Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Submission card located in pile marked [?]

Where learned: HOME

Keyword(s): Airplane ; ETHNIC ; HUMOR ; JOKE ; Newfoundland ; Offensive ; Pilot ; STUPIDITY

Subject headings:

PROSE NARRATIVE -- Stupid man or woman
Filter - Mature Content

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Entry filtered.

Ethnic Joke: Jewish

Descriptions of a Jewish Christmas Card: on the front it has a tree, and strung from the tree, instead of the usually bulbs [sic], it has 32 colored Matzo Balls, and on the top, instead of the star of Bethlehem, it has a Jewish star, not the star adavin [sic], but a picture of Sammy Davis Jr. or Liz Taylor, you can take your pick.

Submitter comment:

Sammy Davis Jr. and Liz Taylor are Jewish movie stars.

Data entry tech comment:

I believe that adavin is supposed to be "of David."

Motifs and BN added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Submission card located in pile marked [?]

Where learned: HOME ; MICHIGAN ; OAK PARK

Keyword(s): CHRISTMAS ; Decoration ; Distasteful ; ETHNIC ; Hollywood ; HUMOR ; Jewish ; JOKES ; Offensive ; Stereotype ; Tree

Subject headings:

Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Ill humor Ridicule Mockery

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Instructions

Making Lye Soap:

Put ashes in a tub and mix lye in water. Pour lye mixture over ashes and let drip through bottom of tub. The drippings will turn to lye soap.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs and BN added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Submission card located in pile marked [?]

Original BN [P700] crossed out

Where learned: HOME ; MICHIGAN ; DETROIT

Keyword(s): Ashes ; Craft ; Domestic ; INSTRUCTIONS ; Lye ; Product ; Production ; RECIPE ; Soap ; Tool

Subject headings:

ART CRAFT ARCHITECTURE -- Finished Product
ART CRAFT ARCHITECTURE -- Household furniture and utensil
BELIEF -- Use of Object Domestic object, wax, needle, dishware

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Numerology

If the numerical number of your birthday coincides with your actual age, then you will have good luck that year.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Original BN [P686, P800] crossed out/replaced with current classifications

Where learned: HOME ; MICHIGAN ; DETROIT

Keyword(s): BELIEF ; Birthday, Numerology, Numbers ; LUCK ; OMEN

James Callow Keyword(s): Birthday ; Birthday Belief ; NUMEROLOGY

Subject headings:

BELIEF -- P647
BELIEF -- Use of Object

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Trick

Trick:

A trickster points at your tie or shirt and asks, "what's that?"

When you look down at your tie to see what's there he raises his finger and drags his finger up over your face.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

Where learned: HOME

Keyword(s): JOKE ; Prank ; Tease ; TRICK ; TRICKSTER

Subject headings:

CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- Entertainment Diversion

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Trick

Trick:

A tricky person will point at a button on your clothing and ask "Do you want that?" If you say "yes," then he rips it off and gives it to you. If you are unfortunate enough to say "no," he rips it off and throws it away.

Submitter comment:

Be careful who you pull this trick on. He should not be Dick the Bruiser.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

Where learned: HOME

Keyword(s): BULLY ; Button ; CLOTHING ; JOKE ; Prank ; Tease ; TRICK ; TRICKSTER

Subject headings:

CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- Entertainment Diversion

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Trick

Cooties:

You used to put an "X" on your hand or something. That was your cootie shot. One girl was designated as having cooties and if she touched you, you passed it on to somebody else. Or else if you didn't have the "X" you'd get it."

Submitter comment:

Informant recalls this as being practices often while attending grade school.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

Where learned: HOME

Keyword(s): GAME ; gender ; Prank ; SCHOOL ; Tease ; TRICK ; TRICKSTER

Subject headings:

CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- School

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