Author Archives: Krystyn Shae Reyes

Mexican Fork – Joke

Nationality: Chinese-American
Age: 20
Occupation: Undergraduate Student at the University of Southern California
Residence: Icon Plaza Apartments in Los Angeles, CA
Language: Chinese

Text:

Use your “Mexican Fork”

Context:

“Sometimes, when my family is eating food–and of course we are using chopsticks–someone will try to pick up something difficult to balance with their chopsticks, and we’ll tell them to use their ‘Mexican fork’… aka their hand. Our grandpa used to say it all the time. It is a little… uh… race-y so we only ever say it around family.”

Analysis:

The performer is a 3rd generation Chinese-American, and their grandfather came to America (specifically Lousiana) as a teenager around the 50s. This joke is interesting because it has an America-centered perspective. After all, the default eating utensil is a fork. By saying Mexican “fork” instead of “eating utensil”, it implies that the Chinese “fork” is a chopstick while, in this case, the Mexican “fork” is one’s hands. This could be heavily influenced by the American go-to utensils being spoon and fork and is an interesting reflection of their grandfather’s assimilation into the American folk culture. Additionally, it’s interesting that the performer prefaced that the joke is controversial and only said it in private as it reflects the attitude around the saying changing to be less acceptable over the past 7 decades.

Let’s Rock ‘n Roll! – Joke

Nationality: Chinese-American
Age: 20
Occupation: Undergraduate Student at the University of Southern California
Residence: Icon Plaza Apartments in Los Angeles, CA
Language: Chinese

Text:

Let’s Rock ‘n Roll!

Context:

“We have this friend, [rREDACTED], who we met last year on set. He was DPing and one time before a shot, he said, ‘Okay guys. Let’s Rock ‘n Roll!’ We just thought it was so silly and corny because he just kept saying it: before starting a new shot, after breaks, and even outside of film contexts like before every ride at Disney Land. Sometimes we’d just be doing random stuff and he’d say ‘Let’s Rock ‘n Roll!’ and everyone will kinda groan in a teasing way. We now all quote him and our friend group’s name is ‘rock n roll.’ When someone uses ‘Let’s Rock ‘n Roll!’ ironically or unironically, we all know it’s kinda playing on his saying.”

Analysis:

“Let’s Rock ‘n Roll!” popularized with rock culture in the late 1900s and typically means “Let’s go have fun!” or “Let’s go!” The slang became more popular as it was commonly used in TV, shows, and radio. It makes sense that this friend would be well-aquainted with the phrase as he was a Director of Photography and their friend group consists of primarily University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts majors. It seems that the phrase originally started out as a proverb–based on modern icons–and eventually evolved in a joke on their in-group would understnad. Eventually, the joke seemed to progressed into a ritual where they say the phrase whenever the group does an activity regardless of this activity is “fun” or not.

The stick that went up the camel’s ass – Joke

Nationality: Irish/German
Age: 19
Occupation: Business Undergraduate Student at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Residence: Champaign Apartments in Champaign, IL
Language: English

Text:

The stick that went up the camel’s ass

Context:

“One time me and best friend were talking about how shitty our week had been, and I specifically told her about how finding a hole in my sweater was my breaking point. I was like, ‘this is officially the camel’s back thing,’ and she was so confused but kind of understood what I meant. We were so stuck on what the exact saying was–it was on the tips of our tongue–so I think she was like, ‘wait isn’t there like a stick or something… the stick that something the camel…’ and to be funny she was like, ‘oh! The stick that went up the camel’s ass!’ It clicked with me then that the correct saying was, “the stick that broke the camel’s back,” but we genuinely died laughing at her version for a whole minute. It was so funny. So now, when something particularly frustrating happens, we’ll look at each other super seriously and say, ‘this is like the stick that went up the camel’s ass,’ and die laughing. It’s so stupid, and we always get weird stares, but it’s still funny every time.” 

Analysis:

This joke originates from the proverb “the stick that breaks the camel’s back.” This proverb is a metaphor for how something small (like a stick) can affect someone so much that it becomes their breaking point despite how strong (like a camel’s back) they seem in comparison. Where this phrase evolves is in how the “folk”– or these two best friends– recalled the saying. In injecting their own spin on the phrase, the saying became a new phrase in only their folk vocabulary, which they ritualistically use in times of hardship to ease tension. The exclusivity of this phrase is further emphasized as this person mentions they get weird stares from others when spoken as others are in the out-group when it comes to this folklore.

F.I.T.F.O. – Slang

Nationality: Irish/German
Age: 19
Occupation: Undergraduate Business Student at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Residence: Champaign Apartments in Champaign, IL
Language: English

Text:

F.I.T.F.O. (Figure It The Fuck Out)

Context:

“I’m in an investment banking org called [REDACTED] and to fit in with the finance bros, I started saying F.I.T.F.O. or Figure It The Fuck Out because ya know, sometimes you just don’t have time to do help someone or someone keeps slacking on a project and it’s just like F.I.T.F.O.!”

Analysis:

The performer is an investment banking female who’d mentioned she felt it hard to fit in with other people in her profession as it’s a male-dominated field, so she’s made an extra effort to learn the slang to be a part of the in-group. The occupational folk group of business people tends to need an air of professionalism, hence, it being an acronym as the full saying is too vulgar. Additionally, with the spirit of business being one that encourages one to take initiative at fast paces, F.I.T.F.O. makes succinct sense in telling someone to professionally (and somewhat aggressively) do their due diligence.

好狗不挡路/Good mutts don’t get in the way – Proverb

Nationality: Chinese
Age: 19
Occupation: Undergraduate Student at the University of Southern California
Residence: University of Southern California Parkside Dormitory
Language: Chinese

Text:

好狗不挡路 (hǎo gǒu bù dǎng lù)

Translation:

Good mutts don’t get in the way

Context:

“This saying is extremely prevalent in Chinese media such as novels or films, and it basically means to mind your own business. I don’t hear it said often as it’s considered a curse, and it’s pretty rude. It’s been around for so long that one of the most martial hero novel classics play off of this proverb.”

Analysis:

This proverb implies that people who are well-mannered should know their place and not cause any trouble. However, with the context of this being considered a curse, the phrase “good mutt” implies the receiver is nothing but an obedient pawn who shouldn’t “get in the way,” implying there is an “…or else.” It is especially prevalent in Chinese culture as it reflects a Confucian influence on social order and the emphasis on respecting those who are superior, with hierarchy typically based on age and duty.