Author Archives: Kelly Girskis

“Guys finger, Girls blow”

Nationality: Irish American
Age: 22
Occupation: student
Residence: New Jersey
Performance Date: 4-24-2011
Primary Language: English

“Guys finger, girls blow”

While playing the drinknig game beerpong with some college-aged co-eds and a house party, I witnessed a girl blowing into the red cup while a ping-pong ball was circling the opening but not yet touching the beer inside the cup.  When I questioned what she was doing, my friend Adam stepped in.  He said “Umm.. duh… guys finger, girls blow.”  He went on to explain that “If a ball circles the cup… but doesn’t hit the beer… You try to get the ball out.  You know.. Girls can blow into the cup and we can use our fingers to knock it out.”

I further witnessed Adam using a flicking like method later in the game to remove a circling ping-pong ball from the cup.  This is clearly a game rule specific to this group of co-eds.  Adam explained the sexual connotation of the rule relating differing sexual acts of females versus males.

I suppose this rule is found humorous due to  the resemblance of sexual acts, which in such a setting, such as a house party with college co-eds, seems natural and flirtatious.  I agree with my informant that this rule does elude to sexual behaviors and further denotes the males from the females interacting in the drinking game.

Bird Poop

Nationality: Jewish
Age: 22
Occupation: student
Residence: New Jersey
Performance Date: 3-28-2011
Primary Language: English

“Break a mirror it’s seven years bad luck but if you get shit on by a bird it’s seven years good luck.”

My friend made this comment when watching a television program where the actress broke a mirror and they referenced the first part of the saying.  I had never heard of the second addition to the superstition so I asked her to explain,
“Umm my family friends told me that. Ummm Mallory’s mom told me when Mallory got pooped on by a bird at camp.
Because well I don’t think it’s true. I’ll tell you why… because my friend got shit on by a bird once, and got shit on by another bird a year later.”
When questioned if that friend is extra lucky she responded:
“Umm now that you mention it I’m not really sure. Perhaps the heavens are smiling down on you.  But umm…bird poop doesn’t seem too lucky to me.”

Further pondering of the topic, I recall hearing that bird droppings are for good luck, wealth, and prosperity.  It could be related to the odds of such an event happening to you.  I have also heard that statistically, a bird pooping on your head is equal to one winning the lottery.  So I suppose if you are lucky enough to win the bird excretion lottery, you have the same ‘lucky’ chances at winning the money lottery.

Dryer Murderer

Nationality: Irish American
Age: 22
Occupation: student
Residence: Los Angeles
Performance Date: 4-26-2011
Primary Language: English

The Dryer Murderer

“You guys I just heard um the craziest story about some chick in England.   Yea umm she apparently was like babysitting these two kids in some Townhouse or something like that… No wait. An um apartment with a basement.  And she put the kids to bed and was just hanging out upstairs. When she heard the dryer ding bell thing come from the basement. And like at first she didn’t pay attention to it but then she started to get annoyed.  She thought something was a little fishy about it… Wait yea I’m not sure why she thought it was weird…but whatever. Then she called the kids parents and was ‘like do you guys have laundry that needs to be folded or something?’  They said they didn’t have any laundry so the girl called the cops. When the cops came they found a man in the basement just waiting with a huge knife to kill her!  He was trying to lure her down there with the bell!
Sooooo if you ever hear a dryer ding think twice…hahahaha!!”

My friend told this story when we were waiting for our laundry in the back of our apartment complex.  I suppose the dryer ‘ding’ reminded her of this legend.  I asked her to retell me it so that I could record it for this collection.  She told me that she heard of this tale in Canada when at summer camp near Toronto when she was younger and is always reminded to check twice before entering a basement when she is alone.

Overall this story is a great spooky tale.  I do not think this has ever truly happened based on some research on the topic, but the urban legend is a good reminder to be careful as well as an entertaining story for kids entering their first babysitting jobs which can be a terror in themselves.

Jewish Seder Tradition

Nationality: Jewish
Age: 22
Occupation: student
Residence: Los Angeles
Performance Date: 4-26-2011
Primary Language: English
Language: Hebrew, Spanish

Jewish Seder Tradition: A chair for Elijah

When I asked my Jewish friend what her traditions were in regards to Jewish holidays, she said her favorite tradition was the chair for Elijah.  I asked her to further explain:

“On the night of Passover sadar um our family leaves an empty chair and glass of wine at the dinner table and you open the door at some point of the night. So the Jewish prophet Elijah can come in. Legend says he has never died, so we leave a um spot at.. A spot for him at the table and leave the door open in case he comes in to join.”

When I asked her where she learned this she replied,
“Its a modern western Jewish tradition that I just uh grew up with.”

The tradition sets a place for the prophet Elijah in hopes that he will find his way and join the family for the seder meal.  The tradition touches upon the belief that Elijah has never died and still wanders looking for his people.  It is a kind gesture of the Jewish people to leave a spot for him, as well as a glass of wine, in hopes of his return.

Bread and Butter

Nationality: Irish American
Age: 22
Occupation: student
Residence: Los Angeles
Performance Date: 4-26-2011
Primary Language: English

“Bread and butter”

When I was out shopping, two of my friends strolled arm-in-arm.  Upon meeting a garbage can they unlinked and one shouted ‘bread and butter’.  I asked met up with her recently to ask her about the saying and ritual.  She said, “When you are walking with somebody, and there’s like a stationary object and the person you are walking with goes on one side of an object and you walk on the other you say ‘bread and butter’.”  When I asked her why she does it and to explain it further she replied, “My mom does it. Say you are holding hands and a pole comes in between you and you have to let go of hands you say ‘bread and butter’.  It’s like to um make sure you stay together and nothing gets in between you two.”

The folk practice is only used if you must let go of your partner.   You  then say the phrase and reconnect.  It is an idiom to mean one’s livelihood or means of living, and I suppose you are referencing that as a means to getting by the obstacle.  It is a phrase used only when one does not want to be separated from the other and wishes to reconnect on the other side of the obstruction in the path.  It also may refer to the relationship of bread and butter that they so naturally go together, just like you and your partner.