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The James T. Callow Folklore Archive

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This was an autograph in my mother's yearbook:
"Roses are red,
Violets are blue,
Flush the toilet,
When you are through."

Where learned: PENNSYLVANIA

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

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IN CANADA, THEY HAVE A CERTAIN SPIDER THAT MAKES A TICKING
SOUND, AND HE'S CALLED THE "TICKING SPIDER." THEY SAY THAT WHEN
YOU HEAR THIS SPIDER IN YOUR HOUSE, THAT SOMEONE IS GOING TO
DIE. FUNNY THING, GRANDMA HEARD ONE, AND GRANDPA WELLS DIED.

Where learned: HOME ; BARRETT RD

Subject headings: Observation
BELIEF -- Animal
BELIEF -- Death Funeral Burial

Date learned: 08-13-1968

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LONGEVITY

ROCKERFELLER WENT TO A NATUREOPIDIST TO FIND OUT HOW TO LIVE LONGER -
TOLD HIM TO DRINK "MOTHER'S MILK". SO HE WENT TO ALL THE HOSPITALS
AND PAID $10.00 A QUART.

Where learned: DETROIT ; LAMAR BARBER COLLEGE ; WOODWARD AVE

Keyword(s): ROCKEFELLER

Subject headings: Favorites
PROSE NARRATIVE -- Secular hero
BELIEF -- Means of Causing or Avoiding Illness

Date learned: 03-16-1965

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KNOWLEDGE BUMP

AS THE BARBER WAS CUTTING MY HAIR HE NOTICED THAT I HAVE
A NATURAL BUMP ON THE LOWER BACK PART OF MY SKULL.
WHEN HE NOTICED THIS HE COMMENTED THAT I HAVE A "KNOWLEDGE BUMP".

Where learned: DETROIT, ASSUMED ; BARBER SHOP ; MICHIGAN, ASSUMED

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Body part Senses Head, physiognomy, face

Date learned: 09-18-1969

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NICKNAME

THE NUNS, BECAUSE OF THEIR HABITS AND TYPE OF WADDLING -
WALK, WERE OFTEN REFERRED TO AS "PENGUINS."

Where learned: SAINT BARBARA SCHOOL

Subject headings: Person / Nickname

Date learned: NOT GIVEN BY COLLECTOR

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MY MOTHER, YOUR MOTHER

MY MOTHER YOUR MOTHER LIVES ACROSS THE STREET
1819 BROADWAY STREET
EVERYNIGHT THEY HAVE A FIGHT AND THIS IS WHAT THEY SAY
ACKRA BACKRA SODA CRACKER, ACKRA, BACKRA BOO
ACKRA BACKRA SODA CRACKER OUT GOES YOU}

Submitter comment: I WOULD USE THIS JUMP ROPE RHYME WHEN I TOLLD JUMP ROPE IN THE
1950'S9

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT ; TOLD IN ; NEIGHBORHOOD

Keyword(s): CHARACTER ; PLAIN-JUMP ; SPEED-JUMP

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

Date learned: NOT RECORDED

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SARCASTIC PROVERB ABOUT ACQUIRING MATERIAL GOODS

HE WHO DIES WITH THE MOST TOYS WINS.

Submitter comment: THIS PROVERB IS MEANT AS A JOKE ABOUT BECOMING WEALTHY.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; GROSSE POINTE ; OUT AT A BAR

Subject headings: PROVERB -- Proverbial Metaphor
PROVERB -- Proverbial Metaphor

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Curing Belief

Use leeches on a sick person to rid him of the illness. This takes out the diseased blood.

Submitter comment:

"Curing Belief" collected at informant's home.

Data entry tech comment:

Motif added by TRD.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT

Keyword(s): "NATURAL" REMEDY ; Bloodletting ; CURE ; ILLNESS ; Leaching ; LEECHES ; REMEDY ; REMEDY

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Remedy

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Legend of Writing to Dead People for Lottery Numbers

When writing to dead people for numbers in the lottery, don't cross your t's or dot your i's. And don't use punctuation. At night, put it over a glass of water, under the bed, on top of silver three-pence. A number is to be provided somehow.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Original Boggs Number [B420 429] crossed out and others added: P840, P429, P686

Where learned: DORM ROOM

Keyword(s): Clairvoyance ; Gamble ; GAMBLING ; GRAMMAR ; Lottery ; NUMBERS ; RITUAL ; Spell ; SPIRIT ; SUPERNATURAL

Subject headings: Spirit / Mind / Body
BELIEF -- Ghost Spirit Phantom Specter
BELIEF -- Number

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Maxim

Sun and Rain:

Happy is the bride the sun shines on;

Lucky is the corpse that rain falls on.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Original BN [P880, P45] crossed out/ replaced with current classifications.

Where learned: OHIO ; TOLEDO

Keyword(s): BELIEF ; Bride ; BURIAL ; Corpse ; DEATH ; Funeral ; MARRIAGE ; Maxim ; OMEN ; SUPERSTITION ; WEDDING

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Marriage
BELIEF -- Death Funeral Burial

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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

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Custom/Belief

Belief - Baby/Motherhood:

After delivering a baby, a woman will eat the afterbirth of an animal, so that her afterbirth delivers well.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Original BN [F542] crossed out and replaced with current classification.

Where learned: HOME

Keyword(s): Afterbirth ; BELIEF ; BIRTH ; Child Bearing ; CHILDBIRTH ; Consumption ; CUSTOM ; FOOD ; Placenta ; PREGNANCY ; SUPERSTITION

Subject headings: CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- Birth

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Ethnic: Russian

Wedding Custom:

When the bride is preparing for her wedding (getting dressed and ready to leave for church) a violin player and an accordian player play a special tune.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Written on bottom left of the card: [ Ethnic? Russian Orthodox, says collector.]

Where learned: HOME ; MICHIGAN ; DETROIT

Keyword(s): Accordion ; Bride ; CUSTOM ; DRESS ; Fashion ; MARRIAGE ; MUSIC ; violin ; WEDDING

Subject headings: CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- Marriage

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Belief: Animal

Robin:

Make a wish on the first Robin you see in the spring.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Original BN [P880] crossed out. Replaced with current classification.

Written on card and then crossed out: For Birds?

Where learned: OHIO ; TOLEDO

Keyword(s): BELIEF ; BIRD ; LUCK ; Robin ; SEASON ; Spring ; SUPERSTITION

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Bird

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Belief: Animal

Warding off Snake Belief:

If you see a snake, say "my back, my belly" ten times and it should go away.

Submitter comment:

Informaer has tried it several times and it worked

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Original BN [P752] crossed out. Replaced with current classification.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; UNIVERSITY OF DETROIT ; DETROIT

Keyword(s): ANIMAL ; BELIEF ; Serpent ; Snake ; SUPERSTITION

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Animal

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Belief: Weather

Rain:

If it rains before seven, it will be clear before eleven.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Original BN [V800, P8] crossed out. Replaced with current classifications

Dup. of WPP

Where learned: OHIO ; TOLEDO

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

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

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Proverb

Birds of a feather flock together

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Original BN [V300] crossed out. Replaced with current classification.

Located in pile marked Duplicates and Other Rejects.

Keyword(s): BIRD ; BIRDS ; Feather ; Flock ; Maxim ; PROVERB ; VERSE

Subject headings: PROVERB -- Proverbial Metaphor

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Proverb

Time and tide wait for no man.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Original BN [V300] crossed out. Replaced with current classification

Located in pile marked Duplicates and Other Rejects

Keyword(s): PATIENCE ; PROCRASTINATION ; Tide ; TIME

Subject headings: PROVERB -- Proverbial Metaphor

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Proverb

Too many cooks spoil the broth

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Original BN [V300] crossed out. Replaced with current classification

Located in pile marked Duplicates and Other Rejects

Keyword(s): Broth ; Chef ; Cooks ; FOOD ; METAPHOR ; Stew

Subject headings: PROVERB -- Proverbial Metaphor

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Proverb

A rolling stone gathers no moss

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Located in pile marked Duplicates and Other Rejects

Keyword(s): Busy ; LAZY ; METAPHOR ; Moss ; Rolling ; Sedentary ; Stagnant ; STONE

Subject headings: PROVERB -- Proverbial Metaphor

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