Author Archives: gtpham

Northeast American (Vermont) Proverb

Tags: Vermont, Northeast America, Proverb, Salem Witch Trials, Expression

Text

“Colder than a witch’s tit in a brass bra in the snow”

Informant Info

Race/Ethnicity: White

Age: 22

Occupation: College Student

Residence: Vermont, USA

Date of Performance: February 2024

Primary Language: English

Other Language(s): N/A

Relationship: Friend

Context

BB, the informant, was born and raised in Vermont.

Analysis

“Colder than a witch’s tit in a brass bra in the snow” is a proverb used to specify how cold it is outside (aka very cold). It is often used by those residing in Northeast American states where the winters are notoriously cold. Vermont is one of these states. 

Vermonters are known for their biting humor and funny way of talking. In addition to being influenced by their geographical location, they are highly influenced by the political, social, and economic historic events of neighboring states. One of these events was the Salem Witch Trials in Massachusetts. These trials were held in the 1690s where people were accused of and tried for practicing witchcraft. The accused were often women.

As for the literal meaning behind the saying, brass is a metal. Metals are thermally conductive, meaning that when in contact with something hot, they heat up; when in contact with something cold, they become colder. Putting on a cold article of clothing in a sensitive area is a very cold experience.

Vietnamese Folk Speech

Tags: Folk Speech, Dites, Folk Sayings, Vietnamese

Text

“Biết chết liền”

“If I knew, I’d die”

Informant Info

Race/Ethnicity: Vietnamese

Age: 56

Occupation: Business Owner

Residence: Northwest Arkansas, USA

Date of Performance: February 2024

Primary Language:Vietnamese

Other Language(s): English

Relationship: Stepfather

Context

ND, the informant, was born in the South of Vietnam. He often uses this phrase when talking to his other Vietnamese friends about a piece of gossip.

Analysis

“Biết chết liền” is another way of saying that “if I’d known, I would have died.” It is also a Vietnamese way of saying that you didn’t know about something. Vietnamese people have a very unique way of expressing themselves: their speech is typically lighthearted, dramatic, and wonderfully eccentric. Oftentimes when speaking amongst friends/ethnic familiars, they use dramatic and funny phrases to communicate.

Hindi Proverb

Tags: Proverb, Folk Saying, Hinduism, Caste System, Reincarnation

Text

“Do the right thing, not the easy thing.”

Informant Info

Race/Ethnicity: Indian

Age: 21

Occupation: College Student

Residence: Arizona, USA

Date of Performance: February 2024

Primary Language: English

Other Language(s): Bengali

Relationship: Friend

Context

RB, the informant, is of Indian descent and actively practices Hinduism.

Analysis

In collecting texts from the informant, I asked him the standard questions, “what is a proverb, rebus, joke,… What was a folk tradition that was important to you growing up?” 

He responded, “The biggest thing that I believe is central to the culture [Hinduism] I was raised in was the idea of doing the right thing, not the easy thing.”

Upon doing more research, I found that Indian culture is heavily rooted in being moral as morality is strongly tied to how one would be reincarnated in the next life [in Hinduism]. Notably, Hinduism believes that doing the “right thing” is related to making sure your life’s purpose is fulfilled, also known as dharma. Having a culture of people wanting to fulfill their life’s purpose has resulted in a classist structure in India, especially amongst people in higher castes.

I caught up with the informant after doing some independent research and asked him if dharma affected his “do the right thing, not the easy thing” mindset and he said “although the caste system is legally gone, its impacts are still very much there.” Acknowledging the idea that morality is a huge standard in Indian culture, one that is heavily influenced by the now gone caste system.

Hinduism Gesture

Tags: Gesture, Hinduism, India, Spiritual and Religious Practice

Text

Offerings can only be given using the right hand.

Informant Info

Race/Ethnicity: Indian

Age: 22

Occupation: College Student

Residence: Northwest Arkansas, USA

Date of Performance: February 2024

Primary Language: English

Other Language(s): N/A

Relationship: Friend

Context

AH, the informant, is of Indian descent. Her father practices Hinduism and speaks Tulu. He has been a very influential figure in her upbringing.

Analysis

This gesture/cultural practice stems from an Indian practice where the left hand is used to cleanse the body, leaving the right hand reserved for purity exchanges. A purity that is valued in Hinduism spiritual and religious rituals, for mind, speech, and body. To use the left hand to give offerings, for example, would be considered taboo.

Tulu Proverb for Cooking

Tags: Proverb, India, Cooking, Tulu Language

Text

“Uppoo, Pulley, Moonchi”

“Salt, Sour, Chili”

Informant Info

Race/Ethnicity: Indian

Age: 22

Occupation: College Student

Residence: Northwest Arkansas, USA

Date of Performance: February 2024

Primary Language: English

Other Language(s): N/A

Relationship: Friend

Context

AH, the informant, is of Indian descent. Her father practices Hinduism and speaks Tulu. He has been a very influential figure in her upbringing.

Analysis

This rule of thumb is used for cooking. To have a perfect dish, in the informants words, one must add a “little bit of salt, a little bit of sour, and a little bit of chili.” This is a proverb used in Indian cuisine, inspired by their history of being one of the top spice producers/traders in the world, helping them to inspire recipes that leave a wonderful taste of culture in our mouths.

A side note, as I was doing research on this proverb, I could not find anything. After consulting with the informant, she informed me that “Tulu is mostly spoken.” An interesting fact that I found out after this conversation was that the Tulu language (with speakers concentrated in the Indian state of Karnataka) is best known for its oral traditions.