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LADY

IN ANGLO-SAXON TIMES, THE PEOPLE WERE POOR, THE FAMILIES WERE VERY
LARGE, AND THE WORK LOAD WAS HEAVY, SO WHILE THE CHILDREN WERE
STILL IN THEIR PINAFORES, THEY WERE ALLOTTED VARIOUS CHORES. THE
BOYS, OF COURSE, WORKED IN THE FIELDS, PLOWING AND SEEDING AND
SEPARATING THE WHEAT FROM THE CHAFF, WHILE THE HOUSEWORK WAS LEFT
TO THE GIRLS. THEY WERE TAUGHT TO KNIT AND PURL. SOME DID THE
MILKING, OTHERS THE SPINNING, BUT THE MOST IMPORTANT TASK WAS LEFT
TO THE HOUSEWIFE HERSELF, THAT OF BAKING THE DAILY BREAD SO THAT
THE FAMILY COULD BE FED. SHE WAS CALLED THE BREAD KNEADER OR,
IN ANGLO-SAXON, THE LAE-DIGE. CENTURIES LATER, SHE WAS CALLED
"LADY."

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; ROCHESTER

Subject headings: PROSE NARRATIVE -- Plant husbandry Farming
PROSE NARRATIVE -- Explanation of a name
Food Drink -- Plant food Cereal
BELIEF -- Home

Date learned: NOT GIVEN

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KIBITZER

ANY CARD PLAYER WILL TELL YOU A KIBITZER IS THE LOWEST FORM OF
HUMANITY; HE'S CONTINUALLY PEEKING INTO YOUR HAND, SMIRKING AND
GIVING UNNECESSARY ADVICE. KIBITZERS AREN'T NICE. THE NAME
KIBITZER COMES FROM THE WORD KIBITZ, GERMAN FOR LAPWING OR PLOVER.
THIS CREATURE JABBERS INCESSANTLY, BUT CANNOT SING.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; ROCHESTER

Subject headings: PROSE NARRATIVE -- Human Being
PROSE NARRATIVE -- Bird
PROSE NARRATIVE -- Explanation of a name
Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Game Pastime

Date learned: NOT GIVEN

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LADY

IN ANGLO-SAXON TIMES, THE PEOPLE WERE POOR, THE FAMILIES WERE VERY
LARGE, AND THE WORK LOAD WAS HEAVY, SO WHILE THE CHILDREN WERE
STILL IN THEIR PINAFORES, THEY WERE ALLOTTED VARIOUS CHORES. THE
BOYS, OF COURSE, WORKED IN THE FIELDS, PLOWING AND SEEDING AND
SEPARATING THE WHEAT FROM THE CHAFF, WHILE THE HOUSEWORK WAS LEFT
TO THE GIRLS. THEY WERE TAUGHT TO KNIT AND PURL. SOME DID THE
MILKING, OTHERS THE SPINNING, BUT THE MOST IMPORTANT TASK WAS LEFT
TO THE HOUSEWIFE HERSELF, THAT OF BAKING THE DAILY BREAD SO THAT
THE FAMILY COULD BE FED. SHE WAS CALLED THE BREAD KNEADER OR,
IN ANGLO-SAXON, THE LAE-DIGE. CENTURIES LATER, SHE WAS CALLED
"LADY."

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; ROCHESTER

Subject headings: PROSE NARRATIVE -- Plant husbandry Farming
PROSE NARRATIVE -- Explanation of a name
Food Drink -- Plant food Cereal
BELIEF -- Home

Date learned: NOT GIVEN

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WHAT WAS THE NAME OF THE REINDEER IN THE SONG "JINGLE BELLS?"
GIVE UP? BOB TAILS!

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; ROCHESTER HILLS

Subject headings: RIDDLE -- Riddle Question

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WHEN I WAS A YOUNG BOY, ABOUT TWELVE YEARS OLD, I HAD
TO PASS A HOUSE WHERE THERE WAS A RED HAIRED YOUNG
GIRL. I WOULD CLOSE MY EYES SO THAT I WOULD NOT
SEE, FOR IF I DID SEE, I WOULD CATCH NO FISH.

Where learned: ROCHESTER ; NEW YORK, ASSUMED

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Fish
BELIEF -- Sign Color

Date learned: 03-11-1972

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FAIRY BELIEF

PALLICKS FARTH WAS A HALF MILE FROM MY HOME, A DRUMBLIN OR
RIDGE OF DIRT 8010 FEET HIGH, SHAPED LIKE A BIG BOWL. EVERY NIGHT
AFTER SUNDOWN THE LEPRECHAUNS WOULD COME AND DANCE UNTIL THE COCKS
WOULD CROW IN THE MORNING AND BY SOME MYSTERIOUS POWER,
THEY WOULD PULL UP A BOWLEN, THAT IS WHAT WE CALL THE GOLDEN ROD.
THEY COULD TURN IT INTO A HORSE AND RIDE OFF UNTIL THE NEXT EVENING.

Where learned: NEW YORK ; ROCHESTER

James Callow Keyword(s): TRANSFORMATION

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Fairy Elf Goblin Gnome

Date learned: 03-11-1972

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FAIRY BELIEF

IN IRELAND,
THE FAIRIES WERE BAD TOO. THEY WOULD COME BY THE NIGHT AND MILK THE
COWS AND HAVE A PICNIC AND WHEN YOU CHURNED THE MILK YOU WOULD HAVE
NO BUTTER. THE ONLY WAY YOU COULD SHOOT THEM WAS TO PUT A SILVER
COIN IN THE GUN, ALONG WITH THE AMMUNITION. AT TWELVE MIDNIGHT,
THEY COULD TAKE YOU FOR A VERY LONG WALK AND KEEP YOU WALKING UNTIL
THE COCKS WOULD CROW AT 4 A.M. BUT YOU COULD FOOL THEM IF YOU
TURNED YOUR COAT INSIDE OUT AND BLESSED YOURSELF WITH THE SIGN OF
THE CROSS.

Where learned: NEW YORK ; ROCHESTER

James Callow Keyword(s): POSITION DIRECTION

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Fairy Elf Goblin Gnome
BELIEF -- Mineral
BELIEF -- Sign Geometric figure Cross and its various modifications
SPEECH -- Gesture

Date learned: 03-11-1972

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Custom

Wedding Custom:

When a woman in her family is engaged to be married, the aunts on her fahter's side give a shower gift to her which is a pure white negligee. This is a sign that the perspective groom has been accepted as a member of the family.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

Where learned: HOME ; NEW YORK ; ROCHESTER

Keyword(s): Engagement ; FAMILY ; GIFT ; Shower ; WEDDING

Subject headings: CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- Marriage

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NEVER WALK UNDER A LADDER THAT IS STANDING AGAINST
A BUILDING.

Where learned: ROCHESTER ; NEW YORK, ASSUMED

Subject headings: CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- Daily Life

Date learned: 03-11-1972

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Belief: Children

Determining Sex of Unborn Child:

A pin on a thread, if held motionless over the wrist of an expectant mother, can determine sex of child by the motion which it takes up after it is perfectly still. If pin or needle takes up a circular motion than first child weill be a girl. If needle takes up back and forth motion then a boy. If pin stops and then moves again, this can be used to predict the future sex and number of children.

Data entry tech comment:

Motifs added by TRD

James Callow comment:

Original BN [P860] crossed out. Replaced with current classification

Where learned: HOME ; NEW YORK ; ROCHESTER

Keyword(s): ANAPEL ; BELIEF ; Biology ; BIRTH ; CHILDREN ; CUSTOM ; Forecasting ; gender ; Ordain ; Pendulum ; Predictions ; SEX

Subject headings: CUSTOM FESTIVAL -- Birth

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( IRISH PROVERB )

IN ALL THINGS TWO.

Submitter comment: THIS IS AN OLD IRISH SAYING. INFORMANT GOT THIS FROM HER FRIEND WHO'
( WHOSE ) GRANDMOTHER SAID IT. THE GRANDMOTHER WAS MARY DELAHAUTE WH
YATES ( YEATS ) WROTE HIS LOVE POEMS TO.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; ROCHESTER

Keyword(s): ELLIPSIS ; OBSERVATION PREDICTION

Subject headings: PROVERB -- Proverbial Apothegm Maxim

Date learned: DATE NOT RECORDED BY COLLECTOR

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GOOD LUCK: OBJECTS ( CLASSIFIER'S TITLE )

SHOW A DIME TO A NEW MOON AND IT WILL BRING YOU GOOD LUCK.

Submitter comment: INFORMANT, WHILE WALKING TO THE STORE, IN MARYLAND, LEARNED THIS
FROM A COLORED WOMAN IN 1954.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; ROCHESTER

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Good luck P881.1

Date learned: 00-00-1954

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PROVERB

IDLE HANDS MAKE WORK FOR THE DEVIL.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; ROCHESTER

Subject headings: PROVERB -- Proverbial Metaphor

Date learned: DATE NOT RECORDED BY COLLECTOR

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TAUNTING VERSE

I'M GOING DOWN TOWN TO SMOKE MY PIPE
AND I WON'T BE BACK 'TIL BROAD DAYLIGHT.
IF I CATCH YOU GONE WHEN I GET BACK,
I'LL BEAT YOU 'TIL YOU'RE BLUE AND BLACK.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; ROCHESTER HILLS

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

Date learned: 00-00-1942

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JOHNNIE OVER THE OCEAN, JOHNNIE OVER THE SEA,
JOHNNIE BROKE A MILK BOTTLE AND BLAMED IT ON ME.
I TOLD MA, MA TOLD PA, JOHNNIE GOT A SPANKING,
HA, HA, HA.

Submitter comment: THIS RHYME WAS REPEATED WITHOUT ANY REASON.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; ROCHESTER HILLS

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

Date learned: 00-00-1942

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REMEMBER ME FONDLY,
REMEMBER ME TRUE,
REMEMBER ME ALWAYS,
I'LL REMEMBER YOU TOO.

Submitter comment: SHE WAS A CLASSMATE OF MINE

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; ROCHESTER HILLS

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

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IF YOU TRIP, IT MEANS THAT MONEY WILL SOON BE COMING YOUR WAY.

Submitter comment: MY MOTHER TOLD ME THIS WHEN I TRIPPED; I DID RECEIVE
MONEY THAT DAY!

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; ROCHESTER HILLS

Subject headings: Observation
BELIEF -- Measure of quality Monetary systemMoneyWealth

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TO PUT YOUR THUMB, THE NAIL FACING YOU, ONTO
YOUR FRONT UPPER TOOTH AND FLICK IT, MEANS "I SPIT ON
YOU!"

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; ROCHESTER HILLS

Subject headings: SPEECH -- Gesture

Date learned: 12-00-1984

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TO SMILE TOO MUCH IS TO LET DEMONS OF UNHAPPINESS IN.

Submitter comment: IF YOU ARE TOO HAPPY, SOMETHING IS BOUND TO GO WRONG.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; ROCHESTER HILLS

Subject headings: BELIEF -- Means of Causing or Avoiding Illness
BELIEF -- Bad luck
SPEECH -- Gesture

Date learned: 06-00-1983

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Railroad Ghost

A true story about a train that was running through a
very thick fog one night with several VIP's aboard
including Queen Victoria. The engineer wanted to
make his run in record time. Suddenly up ahead he
thought he saw a black cloaked figure who was waving
him to stop. The engineer did so but could find no one
but decided to further investigate. He went up further
ahead and to his surprise and horror he found that
the bridge had washed out. After the bridge was repaired
and the engineer had made it home did he solve the mystery;
he found moth stuck to the engine's headlamp as to appear to
be a figure waving to stop, saving all, including the Queen.

Submitter comment: This was told at a swapping of ghost stories at a
Halloween party. Roy waved his arms like a moth would.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; ROCHESTER HILLS

Subject headings: PROSE NARRATIVE -- Insect
PROSE NARRATIVE -- Product or activity of man or animal

Date learned: 00001980S

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