Author Archives: johnscheffler

“A woman is a cob of maize for any mouth that has its teeth”

Nationality: American-Congolese
Age: 71
Occupation: Schoolteacher
Residence: Claremont, California
Performance Date: March 2007
Primary Language: English

The first time my informant head this metaphor was in the first few months of his residency in Congo.  He had just started his missionary work, his reason for moving from the United States, and when he’d be walking from place to place, he would hear groups of men laughing together and they would often recite this folk metaphor.

My informant explained that the women in Congo were not respected, and this metaphor speaks to that sentiment.  He said the proverb means that a woman has no rights, and that any man can claim a woman, for marriage or sex (mostly), as long as they desire to do so.

In areas of Congo, maize is grown by farmers and is common in their diets.  To eat maize, one must simply make use of their teeth.  As accessible maize is to one’s diet, a woman is just as available to satisfy a male’s desires.  It is upon this comparison that the metaphor is established.

As my informant continued his work in Africa, he tried to quell this popular opinion towards women.  However, while he was able to share the benefits of valuing women and giving them rights, only a few actually put these ideas into practice.  Other than these individuals, this folk metaphor remains popular to the majority of males in the country and women continue to be shown little to no esteem.

Annotation: The African proverb can also be found in Ferdinand Oyono’s Houseboy, Heinemann; Reissue edition, 1991

“It is bad luck to stop for any reason on the way to or from a fishing trip”

Nationality: American
Age: 31
Occupation: Park Ranger
Residence: Hawaii
Performance Date: March 2007
Primary Language: English
Language: Hawaiian

My informant first heard this superstition as a young boy when he would go on fishing trips with his grandfather.  Together, they would make sure to prepare the night before and eat a full breakfast so there would be no reason to stop in the morning.  He had just assumed that his grandfather was impatient and didn’t want to miss out on fishing because of a break or a snack.  One day, as they were fishing, my informant asked why his grandfather wouldn’t allow any stops.  His grandfather replied that he and the rest of his family believed that stopping for any reason on the way to or from fishing was bad luck. If one were to stop on the way to the boat, they’d be in danger of not catching many fish.  Also, if they stopped on the way home, they would risk quality of their catch and that the fish would not taste good when cooked later.

His grandfather continued to explain that this superstition has existed within his family and other families for many generations, and that it can be traced back to the story of the anea-holo of Hawaiian folktale.  The anea-holo is a type of mullet and is mostly native to the island of Oahu.  As the story goes, when the family of Ihuopalaai’s sister ran out of fish to eat, she sent her husband to talk to him and ask for fish.  It was also requested that her husband not bring back dried fish, because it would go bad before his return.  After her husband declined bundles of dried fish, Ihuopalaai told him to return home on the Kona side of the island and not to sit, stay, nor sleep on the way until he reached home. The husband started home as requested, and Ihuopalaai asked the fish god, Ku-ula, to send anea-holo for his sister.  While the husband was returning home, he noticed a large school of fish in the sea.  He grew tired and disobeyed Ihuopalaai, and as he rested, the fish rested, too.  As the fish rested, other people noticed the school and began catching them.  The husband had not realized this was the supply sent for his family.  Finally, the husband reached home again and told his wife of the fish.  They fished together and were able to catch more than enough to feed their family, but they could have caught more had the husband had done exactly as Ihuopalaai requested.

This story is the basis for this superstition.  While the family was able to catch the amount of fish they desired, they could have caught more had it not been for the husband’s rests on the way home.  So for this reason, it is considered bad luck to stop on the way too or from a fishing trip, because you risk losing some of your catch or worse.

According to my informant, he has never asked anyone outside his family about the superstition, but he expects that many other families have similar superstitions, because of the story.  He also believes that it’s still used because it’s logical to be rested, full, and prepared before you leave to go fishing, so you can get started as soon as possible, and get home in time to cook what was caught.

USC Football Superstition

Nationality: American
Age: 20
Occupation: Student
Residence: Poway, California
Performance Date: January 2007
Primary Language: English

“Before a USC football game, when walking from the campus to the Coliseum, it is good luck to kick the bases of the flagpoles at the intersection of Trousdale Parkway and Exposition Boulevard.”

 

My informant first heard of this superstition when walking to the first Trojans home game of the 2005 season. He had been to a Trojans football game before, but only with his parents, and they did not pass the intersection of Trousdale and Exposition.  On this particular day, he was walking with a few friends, and on their way to the Coliseum they noticed that everyone was kicking the flagpoles at the intersection.  So they joined in and gave the flagpoles a kick.  My informant didn’t need to ask, and easily figured out this was a traditional practice for good luck.

This tradition is shared by every fan wearing cardinal and gold that passes by that intersection.  My informant suggested that a long time ago, a Trojan fan gave a swift kick to the flagpole, and the football team preformed well and decimated their opponent.  From then on, they probably continued to kick the flagpole before every game and others began to join in.  While this may not be the official history of the superstition, it is likely that it was under these or similar circumstances that the superstition came about.

While many superstitions are believed to affect one’s own luck and fortune, this one is believed to influence the performance of a sports team.  So if a fan passed through the intersection without kicking a flagpole, and the Trojans lost, that fan could be considered liable for that day’s loss.  On the other hand, this is an instance where fans can unite and believe that they actually did something to help their team.

“Is Bill Gates rich?”

Nationality: American
Age: 20
Occupation: Student
Residence: Seattle, Washington
Performance Date: March 2007
Primary Language: English

SourceURL:file://localhost/Volumes/HP%20V125W/SP%2007%20FL&PC%20COLLECTS/Scheffler/7.%20Rhetorical%20Question.doc

My source first heard this rhetorical question when he was asked one of his friends from Seattle whether or not they wanted to go to a party.  The friend replied, “Is Bill Gate’s rich?”  Of course Bill Gates is rich.  He’s the cofounder and chairman of Microsoft, and has been the richest man in the world for over a decade. So, of course his friend wanted to go to the party.  Rather than just say yes in response to the invitation, the rhetorical question was used for effect to show just how eager they were to go.

My source is from Seattle, Washington, and this is where he first learned of this rhetorical question.  This makes sense, because Bill Gates grew up and also owns a residence in the Seattle area.  He also donates to local universities and organizations.  In the given situation, his friend could have just as easily replied, “Is the Pope Catholic?”  They could have also said, “Does a bear shit in the woods?”  Both of these rhetorical questions are replaceable with my source’s rhetorical question, but because of the local connection to Bill Gates, my source’s rhetorical question was the one that was used.

Soon after he heard this rhetorical question for the first time, my source began to hear it quite frequently afterwards.  It is used among many of his friends and his family as an emphatic way of saying yes.  However, since he moved to Los Angeles for college, my source has not heard the rhetorical question once.  He suggested that this lore is shared mostly, or is preferred by Seattle residents because of their local connection to Bill Gates.

It’s raining like a cow pissing on a flat rock

Nationality: American
Age: 65
Occupation: Consultant
Residence: Claremont, California
Performance Date: April 2007
Primary Language: English

My informant first heard this folk simile as a child growing up on a farm in Nebraska.  One day when he was out with his father, it began to rain.  While rain was not out of the ordinary at that time of year, the rain was coming down with unusual ferocity.  My informant recalled that the wind was blowing the rain in every which direction and when the rain hit the ground, it splattered everywhere.   Another farmer turned to my informant’s father and rattled off this folk simile.

Growing up on a farm, my informant knew from experience exactly what happens when a cow pisses on a flat rock.  “It’s splatters everywhere and makes a huge mess,” he explained.  This is not a secret, and anyone can understand how this directly compares with a heavy rainstorm.  But for one to fully appreciate the humor in this simile, they would have to have a first-hand experience to relate to.  For this reason, this folk simile is mostly shared among farmers and others residing in rural communities.

There’s no underlying message that can be found within this simile.  It’s used because it takes something that’s funny to think about, to the folk group, and applies it to an unfavorable situation.  It turns an unfavorable rain storm into something to laugh about.