Author Archives: Jasmine Lee

Where the sun don’t shine.

Nationality: Indian
Age: 20
Occupation: Biological Sciences Student
Residence: Los Angeles, CA
Performance Date: March 4, 2011
Primary Language: English
Language: Hindi

“He wants to kiss me where the sun don’t shine!”

Payal goes to the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, California.  She is earning her bachelor’s degree in Biological Sciences in three years and is beginning her application process for dentistry school.  She was born and raised in the city of Cypress, which lies in the city of Orange County south of Los Angeles.

She told me that a boy she was dating said this to her one day while hanging out.  At the time, she did not understand what this meant and laughed at the boy’s awkward joke.  Later, upon going home, she looked up the phrase and gasped when she found out that “where the sun don’t shine” refers to the anus.  She immediately deemed it both perverse and “creepy” and cut off communication with the boy.

Personally, I find this phrase to be hilarious. However, I already knew this phrase and understand its implications.  I think I learned this phrase from a television show when I was in high school, but I am not sure.  I also learned it to mean the same thing that Payal researched: the anus.  However, I am fairly certain that I heard the phrase in a different context.  Besides, if someone told me what he told Payal, I would probably be very surprised and tell the guy he is weird.  I would probably cut off communication with the guy as well.

When it rains,

Nationality: Indian
Age: 20
Occupation: Biological Sciences Student
Residence: Los Angeles, CA
Performance Date: March 16, 2011
Primary Language: English
Language: Hindi

When it rains, it pours.

Payal goes to the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, California.  She is earning her bachelor’s degree in Biological Sciences in three years and is beginning her application process for dentistry school.  She was born and raised in the city of Cypress, which lies in the city of Orange County south of Los Angeles.

When Payal told me this common phrase, she was talking about our multiple upcoming due dates for homework assignments, exams, and papers  for multiple classes.  She was saying how when there are no assignments due, there are also no exams or papers going on at the same time.  However, when there are homework assignments due, there are numerous exams and papers that will be due at the same time as well.  Once again, she sighed, “When it rains, it pours.”

Payal said that she does not remember when she first heard this saying, but she thinks that she was really young.  Similarly, she didn’t remember the context by which she learned the saying as well.  To her, the saying mean that whenever things start going bad or things start piling on, many things start going bad and piling on all at once.

I probably first learned this quote when I was a child.  I do not remember exactly what context I learned it either.  It may have been through a television show.  Similarly to Payal, I agree that the saying means that when bad things or a multitude of things start happening and piling on, many things either start going bad or continue to pile on top of each other.

Make like a tree…

Nationality: American
Age: 24
Residence: Los Angeles, CA
Performance Date: February 13, 2011
Primary Language: English
Language: French, Hebrew

“Why don’t you make like a tree and get outta here?”

Alex is 24 years old; he was born in New Jersey, but was raised and lived the majority of his childhood in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  He arrived in California for the first time when he was moving into his dorm room at USC in Los Angeles, California.  Currently, Alex is an alumni from USC with a bachelor’s degree in philosophy.

Alex told me this is one of his favorite quotes from one of his favorite movies Back to the Future. It is a variation on the pun “Make like a tree and leave.”  He told me that he actually uses this quote in real life because of how much he likes this quote; additionally, he says that he has heard other people use the same quote in colloquial conversation as well.  He says that this quote appeals to him because he finds it humorous that the character that says it, Biff Tannen, doesn’t seem to understand that what makes the statement and actual pun (leave – the verb and the noun).

I personally find this quote to be hilarious as well.  I have heard people use this in real life additionally and feel as though I’m “in the know” when I heard other people say it and am able to say that I get what’s funny about it. It forms a sort of group identity in the sense that all people who have viewed the movie and remember the quote are included in.

Zemeckis, R. (1985, July 03). Back to the future. Retrieved from http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088763/quotes

Midget Joke

Nationality: American
Age: 24
Residence: Los Angeles, CA
Performance Date: February 13, 2011
Primary Language: English
Language: French, Hebrew

Have you ever worn a turtleneck with a backpack?

It’s like getting choked by a really weak midget.

Alex is 24 years old; he was born in New Jersey, but was raised and lived the majority of his childhood in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  He arrived in California for the first time when he was moving into his dorm room at USC in Los Angeles, California.  Currently, Alex is an alumni from USC with a bachelor’s degree in philosophy.

Alex told me that he heard this joke recently from a friend while hanging out one night.  He said that he does not remember the context of the joke, but that his friend referenced Mitch Hedberg when he said it.

When Mitch Hedberg said this joke, he said, “Wearing a turtle neck is like being strangled by a really weak guy.  All day.. Like if you wear a turtle neck and a backpack, it’s like a weak midget trying to bring you down.”

This joke is very derogatory and insults small people. Alex says that he had never heard this joke before his friend told it to him, and he said he found it hilarious and true.

I had never heard this joke before Alex told it to me and thought it was extremely funny but mean.  It’s a funny joke, but would probably be considered offensive by those the joke referred to.  I also found it interesting how his friend had paraphrased the joke from where he heard it from and how conspicuous the variation of the folklore already is with just one transfer.

Hedgberg, M. (1999, January 04). Turtlenecks. Retrieved from http://comedians.jokes.com/mitch-hedberg/videos/mitch-hedberg—turtlenecks/

Fresh off the Boat

Nationality: French
Age: 20
Occupation: Civil/ Environmental Engineering Student
Residence: Los Angeles, CA
Performance Date: April 10, 2011
Primary Language: French
Language: English, German

FOB — Fresh off the Boat

Helene was born and raised in France with her mother and her sister.  Her father currently lives in Toronto, Canada.  She came to America for the first time in 2008 when she was moving into her dorm room at USC in Los Angeles, California.  She is a Civil/ Environmental Engineering student and is diligently working towards her bachelor’s degree.  She is considering going to law school after she graduates in order to ultimately practice environmental law.

Helene told me that she learned this acronym at the same time that she learned the acronym ABC for “American Born Chinese.”  She told me that the “Fresh of the boat” refers to international students who came to America.  It is kind of condescending where it terms them as their own category of foreigners.  She told me she heard this when she was with some of her friends.  One of her classmates was describing herself as an ABC. Confused, Helene asked her to explain.  Her friend explained that often, Chinese people born in America refer to themselves as ABCs in order to easily differentiate between those from America and international individuals who they called “FOBs.”  Helene told me she finds this categorization amusing and silly.

I learned it in high school through other Chinese peers who asked me if I was an ABC. I find the classification silly, but I suppose it is convenient (though rude to call other people) when trying to learn about people when meeting other Chinese people.  This acronym is usually said behind the backs of those it refers to because of its derogative implication.  While many do not find this acronym to be condescending, others find it very derogatory and mean.