Background: The informant is a woman in her late fifties who grew up in downstate New York in Queens and on Long Island before moving to upstate New York for college. In her mid 20s, she moved out to Southern California and she had lived there ever since. She comes from a large family of… Continue Reading »
Main piece: The following was transcribed from a conversation recorded between informant and interviewer. Informant: “Ahora si te cacharon con las manos en la masa” Transliteration: Now yes they caught you with the hands on the dough Full translation: Now they caught you in the act of the crime Interviewer: Why dough? Why does it… Continue Reading »
Context: This is a proverb that is native to my dad’s village and he learned it as a child growing up in Onitsha. Proverbs like this were a prominent means of giving advice and life lessons especially to the children of the tight-knit community. “Nwata adi ebu orika” Transliterated Proverb Nwata: child Adi: does not… Continue Reading »
Main Piece, transcribed from a conversation: “Bless your heart. It means aw, you fucking idiot. We say it like an insult, like oh that poor soul. It’s a southern, midwest thing. I learned it from my mom, who is from Texas. It’s definitely not a compliment, and it’s usually said behind someone’s back when you… Continue Reading »
“Leaves of three, let it be. If it’s shiny, watch your heiny. If it’s hairy, it’s a berry” This piece of folklore is a saying to talk about how to identify poison oak. If it has three leaves or is shiny with oil, watch your heiny, meaning that it is likely poison oak. If the… Continue Reading »