Category Archives: Childhood

Row Your Boat Parody; Swim Ye Sperm

Informant was a teacher of sixth grade science for several years at a private, US K-12 school in the South.

Swim, swim, swim you sperm
From the testicles
to the epididymis
and onto vas deferens
Snack, snack, snack you sperm
on the sweets galore
From the seminal vesicle
not the grocery store
On, on, on you go
through the donut hole,
the prostate press
shoots you out
It is the great escape! 
(last line preformed as goodness what a mess, but when dictated out loud this was the last line used)
Swim, Swim, Swim Ye Sperm Preformed

Informant created this parody of row, row, row your boat for her sixth grade science classes when they learned the reproductive system. Her goal was to ease some of the awkwardness of the subject of genitals for middle school students by having them sing a silly, goofy song to both help them remember the reproductive system and to normalize the discussion of the topic. The other teacher that taught sixth grade students did not teach their students the song, so it became an identifiable marker of who was or was not in the informant’s class or associated with her. Additionally, because the song was so absurd, students often remembered the informant by this song she taught them.

As the informant’s daughter and with features that bare resemblance to her, I would be approached by random students several times throughout my years at the school she taught at. They would ask “Are you [informant]’s daughter?”, and when I replied that I was, they would explain that they were in her sixth grade science class and still remembered the song she taught them and then they would sing it to me.

The American School System has a long history of lacking when it comes to sexual education. Many students’ sex education can be summed up by the word “abstinence”. Although the private school this song was taught at did not have an extensive or even satisfactory sex education, it did have material covering the reproductive systems of males and females and how they worked individually. The conservative approach to the discussion of sex, sexual organs, and sexuality leads to those subjects being taboo both in school and outside of it. The informant’s use of a well know song to ground the subject in something well known and her parodying it with a subject rarely discussed provide a medium by which her students could comfortably and socially acceptably learn and talk about the reproductive systems that were taboo up until that time in their lives. She would sing the song to them first before they had to do it with her to ease tension and let them know it was okay to say or sing all of those words in her class. The need for such a song is indicative of the long standing taboo treatment of sex.

Dad Joke “What do you call a fake noodle? An impasta!”

Text: “What do you call a fake noodle? An impasta!”

Context: My humor has always been laughing at things that are unfunny, such as when someone says an unfunny joke like the one above, i look over to a friend, make eye contact and laugh, this joke symbolizes that friendship bond i have with the people i care the most about

Analysis: The joke that was shared most likely comes from a younger audience or a relatively older audience that says the joke is a “dad joke.” Though the group of people is not exact, I can note that it belongs to a playful and joyful audience who enjoy jokes and laughter as a whole. As for how the informant uses the joke in their life, the joke stands as a key point to benefitting them and those around them with a sense of relief through a silly joke. The joke itself can go as far as to be an outlet for the stress endured in the real world. As it has a connection to a younger audience, it can connect the informant and those who hear it to a stage in their childhood where life wasn’t as stressful or tiring. The joke is used to be one with their inner child.

Funny Burmese Pun

Nationality: Burmese

Primary Language: Burmese

Other Language(s): English, Chinese

Age: 19

Occupation: Student

Residence: Los Angeles, CA

Performance Date: 02/17/2024

A.N is 19 years old, and is currently a USC student who’s originally from Yangon, Myanmar. She is my current suite mate and has been a friend since middle school, since we are from the same hometown and school. I asked her if she uses or is familiar with any sayings, proverbs, jokes or folk speech within our culture. 

“Yes, when I was really young, probably when I was like in my elementary years, my family members said this saying to me really often. It’s a really funny saying, you probably know it too. Whenever I would trip or hurt myself, they say “ချီတုံးမတ်တတ်ထ ခဏနာကြပြောက်” (pronounced as “chi tone ma ta hta, kana naa kyaut pyaut”) *laughs*. It directly translates to “Poop stand up, in a bit, it won’t hurt anymore”. I think my older family members said this as a joke to make me laugh and distract me from crying out of pain right after I trip. Obviously, the saying is absurd and doesn’t make sense, but to a kid, it’s a really funny image to be distracted by. They don’t say it anymore to me because I’ve grown up but they have said it to my sister when she was younger too.”

Since I am also Burmese, I’ve heard this folk speech before. I don’t remember it being said to me, probably because I was too young to remember, but they’ve said it to my younger brother as a child. It sounds pretty jarring in English but it makes a lot more sense in Burmese, since the sentence flows like an alliteration. On top of just a joke, I interpret this folk speech as a clever word play in Burmese language, and is used by protective parents that cherish their children.

The Latino Whistle

Context: The folklore gathered is a particular whistle sound, that was a way of getting someone’s attention.

Link to Sample Audio: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1rt28E6djQPM7FFeQLKfzVydXNNYJx_bu?usp=drive_link

Explanation of Folklore: I interviewed J about a particular whistle sound he made, that was a sort of attention getting gesture. This is a gesture that was practiced a lot by J when I was growing up , and something he implemented in my upbringing. As a kid, J had a unique way of getting my attention. He would do this particular whistle sound that, whenever I heard, I immediately knew it was him trying to get my attention. This whistle, although simple, was so recognizable to me, and immediately caught my attention, almost like some sort of sonar or audio flare. My ears would perk up, and I didn’t even have to be looking at him to know who it was.

This was specifically useful whenever we were in crowded places, like getting picked up from school, in a supermarket, and in malls. What makes this particular whistle so nostalgic, is that I usually associate it with a “time to go” message or tone. Usually, whenever J let out this whistle, it was an indicator that he wanted to get my attention, and or it was time to go. Depending on the context (where we were or what we were doing) I usually would use my context clues. This whistle is ingrained in my memory, and as stated previously, is ingrained so vividly in my memory. When interviewing J, he knew exactly what I was talking about, and was excited that I remembered it as well.

Analysis: According to J, this was a custom he also experienced in his upbringing growing up in El Salvador. As a kid his father used a certain whistle sound to gather his attention. For him, it was almost second nature, and for as long as he could remember, the whistle was always a non verbal way of communicating a certain “let me get your attention” gesture. I asked J about the particular whistle he chose to use, and he stated that it was what came natural to him, what he found to be the first whistle he made. This stuck, and became his particular gesture, something unique to him, and his children.

tying to the diachronic nature folklore holds.

Personal Analysis: What fascinates me about this particular folk gesture is how it is not unique to El Salvador at all. It seems to be a Latino concept, and perhaps, even a world wide one.

I asked several Latino people if people in their lives also used a whistle to grab their attention, and the common consensus was an astounding yes. Many people in the Latino community have stated that there is a particular “Latino Whistle” that is ingrained in our community, and passed on by the older generations. It is also a folk gesture that is typically associated with a father figure, a dad call if you will.

I also discovered that within the Chicano community, the use of a whistle is a very common call of attention that signifies a “what’s up” gesture. Similar to the “Latino Whistle” I heard growing up, its main purpose is to grab your attention. Also, the whistle sound is not standardized. Many people I asked whistled the sounds they grew up hearing and they all differed. This is very important because although the basic principle remains the same, it is the execution that varies. This is commonly seen in Oicotypes, and the various regional differences of folklore that exist within a region.

This concept of passing on folk gestures can be seen in more traditional folk, stories like those the Grimm’s documented, folklore that are staples in certain communities. a Functional Analysis would lead me to believe that this “Latino Whistle” is done to trap the attention of somebody. There is an association between hearing this whistle, and immediately knowing you have to perk up and listen to whoever let it out. In terms of Transmission, it seems to be a form of folklore that is passed on from generation to generation, and similar to how folklore is passed on by groups of people, this “Latino Whistle seems to be a staple within the community.

Sana Sana Colita de Rana

Context: The folklore gathered is a saying that is popular throughout Latin America, usually when young child gets hurt, in order to help them feel better.

Explanation of Folklore: I interviewed A about a saying that I have heard a lot in the Latino community. This saying is “Sana sane colita de Rana, is no sane hoy, saner mañana”. Originally in Spanish, this saying literally translates to “healthy healthy frog tail if it doesn’t heal today it will heal tomorrow”. The context for when this is said is typically for injured young children. When they get hurt, someone, usually a mother or a guardian will repeat this saying, while helping them with their injuries.

A told me that this is a very popular saying in El Salvador, her home country, but that it is also extremely common throughout Latin America as a whole. It is a saying that is almost universal in the Latino experience, and even has made its way alongside the Latin American diaspora.

Analysis: A mentioned that this saying has been in her vocabulary for as long as she can remember. When A was younger, they were told this by their parents as a way of calming them from crying. The witty rhyme is silly in its literal meaning, and has no connection to healing whatsoever. As a result, the intention was to make the child laugh and forget their pain. A personally thinks it is a colonial era saying, based on the fact that it is not exclusive to a certain part of Latin America. It is widespread across the Latin American countries as a common saying.

Personal Analysis: This is a form of oral folklore that is reflected in the form of a saying. Based on my interview with A, and my own personal experience, this form of Folk speech seems to be pretty familiar. The only variation of the saying that I found to be used is switching “colita” with “culito” a more vulgar adaptation of the saying. I definitely think that this is a colonial era saying, the traces its roots to a colonial Latin America. Given that the saying is in Spanish, it is very safe to assume that it was not until the Spanish reached Latin America that the saying gained popularity. This is a clear example of the Transmission of folklore, and how it is passed on from generation to generation. A fascinating part of this folklore is that its is tremendously widespread. because it is popular throughout an entire continent, it could be difficult to pinpoint the exact origin point. There do not seem to be very strong regional differences that would indicate any sort of regional variety. The common consensus is that it is a pretty standard saying.

When analyzing the meaning of the saying itself , it is difficult to find any sort of logical meaning. The frog tail might be an ode to the pre hispanic wildlife that may have been observed during the colonial species. Upon doing some research, I came across a species of frogs that are able to grow back their limbs when they are cut off, so perhaps there is a correlation between that observation of nature and the saying. In the end, the saying is told to children to make them feel better, and distract them from any pain they might be going through. It is a way to boost morale, and inspire a calmness for the child. Growing up, I was told this saying numerous times, and it really did do its job in distracting me. I would laugh at the use of “culito” a vulgar slang for one’s behind. It is interesting to see how saying that are so close to one’s life can be so widespread, and is a shared experience on a continental level.