Toasting "healths" began hundreds of years BC when warriors offered drinks to Pagan Gods. Greeks drank at banquets to every God on Olympus. RomNS dded a pledge to Caesar - with a cup to each letter in his name. Norsemen drank to Thor, and Oden, plus cups to love, memories, absent friends. Merrymakers drank to each other's health. Pledging in these cutthroat days was very real. A man was especially vulnerable while drinking. When kinsman "pledged health," they swore to defend each other. Rowdy songs and chug-a-lugging begame part of health drinking as well as toasts to the ladies, wealth and success.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Not ONE example.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT

Keyword(s): Caesar ; DRINKING ; Greek ; HISTORY ; Kinship ; Kinsman ; Norse ; Oden ; Pagan ; Protect ; Romans ; Social ; SUCCESS ; Thor ; TOAST ; Viking ; Warriors ; WEALTH

Subject headings:

Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Speech Speech
SPEECH -- Formula

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Retort

Q: So what?

Retort: Buttons on eggs, zippers on bananas.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

Keyword(s): Bananas ; BUTTONS ; COMEBACK ; Eggs ; RETORT ; SARCASM ; Sew ; SEWING ; Wisecrack ; Zippers

Subject headings:

SPEECH -- Formula

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Retort

When someone says "Go to Hell!"

Retort: "I've been there but I got kicked out for peddling water."

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

Keyword(s): COMEBACK ; HELL ; INSULT ; RETORT ; SARCASM ; WATER ; Wisecrack

Subject headings:

SPEECH -- Formula

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Proverb

Death is nature's way of telling you to slow down.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Original BN [V200] crossed out. Replaced with current classification.

Keyword(s): Aphorism ; Apothegm ; DEATH ; Maxim ; PROVERB ; VERSE

Subject headings:

PROVERB -- Proverbial Apothegm Maxim

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Proverb

Absence makes the heart grow fonder.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

Keyword(s): Absence ; Aphorism ; Apothegm ; HEART ; LOVE ; Maxim ; PROVERB ; VERSE

Subject headings:

PROVERB -- Proverbial Apothegm Maxim

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Proverb

There's many a slip 'twixt the cup and the lip.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

Keyword(s): Aphorism ; Apothegm ; Cup ; Lip ; Maxim ; PROVERB ; SLIP ; VERSE

Subject headings:

PROVERB -- Proverbial Apothegm Maxim

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Proverb

Man proposes and God disposes

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

Keyword(s): Aphorism ; Apothegm ; Disposal ; Dispose ; God ; Maxim ; Proposal ; Propose ; PROVERB ; VERSE

Subject headings:

PROVERB -- Proverbial Apothegm Maxim

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Proverb

Hast makes Waste

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Original BN [V600] crossed out. Replaced with current classification.

Where learned: UNIVERSITY OF DETROIT

Keyword(s): Aphorism ; Apothegm ; Haste ; Maxim ; PROVERB ; RHYME ; VERSE ; Waste

Subject headings:

PROVERB -- Proverbial Apothegm Maxim

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Proverb

Absence makes the heart grow fonder.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Original BN [V600] crossed out. Replaced wtih current classification.

Where learned: UNIVERSITY OF DETROIT

Keyword(s): Absence ; Aphorism ; Apothegm ; LOVE ; Maxim ; PROVERB ; VERSE

Subject headings:

PROVERB -- Proverbial Apothegm Maxim

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Proverb

A watched kettle never boils.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

Where learned: HOME ; MICHIGAN ; DEARBORN

Keyword(s): Anticipate ; Aphorism ; Apothegm ; Boil ; Kettle ; Maxim ; PROVERB ; VERSE ; Watch

Subject headings:

PROVERB -- Proverbial Metaphor

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HAUNTED HOUSE

IN BARABOO, WISCONSIN, WHEN I WAS VERY YOUNG, THERE WAS A
HAUNTED HOUSE ON OUR BLOCK AND WE KEPT SEEING PEOPLE IN WHITE
WALKING AROUND IN THERE, AND DOGS HOWLING UP THERE AT NIGHT.

Where learned: WISCONSIN ; SUN PRAIRIE ; BARABOO

Subject headings:

PROSE NARRATIVE -- Ghost Spirit Phantom Specter
BELIEF -- Mammal
BELIEF -- Sign Color

Date learned: NOT GIVEN

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BLEEDING HEART

IF YOU TAKE APART A BLEEDING HEART BLOSSOM IN FULL BLOOM
YOU WILL GET 2 RABBITS, 2 SLIPPERS, 2 EARRINGS, AND A BOTTLE.

Submitter comment:

PARTS OF THE FLOWER RESEMBLE THESE THINGS
SAYS COLLECTOR

Data entry tech comment:

Updated by TRD

Where learned: OHIO ; TOLEDO

Keyword(s): Botany ; Bottle ; Earring ; FLOWER ; Items ; Lore ; Rabbit ; Represent ; Slipper ; SYMBOL

Subject headings:

BELIEF -- Plant

Date learned: NOT GIVEN

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DATING SUPERSTITION

INFORMANT'S FATHER ALWAYS TOLD HER WHEN YOUR BOY FRIEND LETS YOU
WALK ON THE OUTSIDE PART OF THE WALK, HE DOESN'T WANT YOU
ANY MORE, AND ANYONE CAN TAKE YOU. HE HAS ALWAYS KIDDED
HER ABOUT THIS.

Data entry tech comment:

Updated by TRD

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT

Keyword(s): BELIEF ; CHIVALRY ; Relationship ; SIDEWALK ; SIGN ; SUPERSTITION ; SYMBOL

James Callow Keyword(s): CHIVALRY ; DIRECTION ; POSITION

Subject headings:

BELIEF -- Street Trip Relations between relatives, friends, host and guest Social class Rank
SPEECH -- Gesture

Date learned: 10-08-1971

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LATE ONE EVENING ON THE MAIN HIGHWAY THROUGH GEORGIA,
"SLIM" PETERS (HE WAS DRUNK) LOST CONTROL OF HIS CAR
AND SLID INTO THE DITCH. THE STATE POLICE WERE RIGHT
ON THE SCENE IN FIVE MINUTES. THEY ASKED "SLIM" IF
HE WERE DRUNK. "I SURE AM, OFFICER! I AIN'T ONE O'
THEM WRECKLESS DRIVERS." WITH THAT RESPONSE, THE
OFFICERS PULLED HIS CAR OUT OF THE DITCH, DROVE
HIM HOME AND DIDN'T GIVE HIM A TICKET. IT PAYS
TO BE HONEST AND IN "SLIMS" CASE, ALSO STUPID.

Submitter comment: MR. CATES CLAIMS THAT "SLIM" WAS A REAL GOOD FRIEND
OF HIS AND HE GOT THE STORY FIRST-HAND.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT ; CATES BAR

Subject headings:

PROSE NARRATIVE -- Stupid man or woman

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TOUGH LUCK

QUES. WHAT IS A PREGNANT PROSTITUTE, WEARING A DEWEY CAMPIAGN
BUTTON AND DRIVING AN EDSEL?
ANS. A "REAL LOSER".

Submitter comment: MR.CATES IS A BARTENDER AND PROBABLY PICKED THIS THIS UP
WHILE PERFORMING HIS JOB.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT ; CATES BAR

Subject headings:

RIDDLE -- Riddle Question

Date learned: 07-10-1964

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Entry filtered.

FIX IT QUICK

Historical record from James Callow Folklore Archive.

JOSE AND PEDRO WERE WORKING ON THEIR MODEL T FORD.
JOSE WAS UNDER THE REAR AXLE AND ASKED FOR THE "SPEED"
WRENCH. PEDRO PICKED UP A SLEDGE HAMMER AND SMASHED IN
THE HOOD. JOSE JUMPED UP YELLING AND SCREAMING, "PEDRO
WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" "WELL," SAID PEDRO, "YOU ASKED ME
FOR A "SPEED WRENCH" AND IN MY COUNTRY A "MEXICAN SPEED
WRENCH" IS A SLEDGEHAMMER." I ONLY DID WHAT YOU TOLD ME TO.

Submitter comment:

MR. CATES SPENT THREE YEARS IN BROWNSVILLE, TEXAS
WHERE HE ACQUIRED SOME MEXICAN JOKES.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT ; CATES BAR

Subject headings:

PROSE NARRATIVE -- Stupid man or woman

Date learned: 07-29-1964

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NAMING A RIVER

THE RIVRE ROUGE WAS NAMED BY THE FRENCH EXPLORER LASALLE
IN THE 17 TH CENTURY. AS HE WAS PASSING THROUGH THE AREA
LASALLE NOTICED THE NUMBER OF RED BERRY BUSHES ALONG THE
RIVERS EDGE. THE SUNS RAYS PASSED THROUGH THE BUSHES AND
ON TO THE WATER'S SURFACE. THIS CAUSED THE
WATER TO HAVE A REDDISH OR ROUGE GLOW, THUS THE RIVER RECEIVED
ITS NAME.

Submitter comment:

MR. BARRY PICKED THIS UP DURING HIS MANY YEARS AS A ROUGE PLANT
WITH FORD MOTOR.

Data entry tech comment:

Updated by TRD

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DEARBORN

Keyword(s): 17th Century ; ETYMOLOGY ; Explorer ; FRENCH ; Lasalle ; Legend ; Origin ; River Rouge ; Rouge

Subject headings:

BELIEF -- Explanation of a name

Date learned: SUMMER 1963

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