Author Archives: Sev Krauss-McClurg

Only Fools Are Positive – Proverb

Nationality: American
Age: 18
Occupation: College student
Residence: Farmington, Minnesota
Language: English

Text:

Only fools are positive

Context:

The informant heard this from their dad as a kid growing up in Minnesota. The example they gave me was that they would say a neutral statement to their dad such as “I walked the dog.” Their dad would respond with “are you sure?” and when the informant said yes, their dad would say “only fools are positive.” The informant said this proverb was always used as a joke in their life. Their dad used the phrase which is meant to be about not being too overconfident in a context where the informant can be confident without any concerns. The informant added that they enjoyed the double meaning of the phrase where it can mean that only a fool is positive meaning sure of what they are saying or positive meaning happy. They said that they weren’t always sure which meaning their dad was trying to use in his jokes.

Analysis:

This use of the proverb may have been mainly as a joke but this phrase has a lot more meaning to it. The proverb implies that it is foolish to be positive but given the double meaning of “positive,” the phrase can be used in multiple ways. Beginning with positive meaning overconfident or saying a definite statement, the phrase is a warning to the listener. It tells the person to not speak in absolutes and there is a possibility that they are uninformed. If they do, it might make them look like a fool when they are proven wrong. This phrase reflects some American cultural values, because an awareness of one’s own lack of knowledge is seen as a virtue. For example, in the workplace, being able to admit that you don’t know everything makes you more appealing to managers. They know you won’t overcommit or be overly confident in the workplace. This value is reflected in broader culture as people generally don’t like the cocky know-it-all and tend to gravitate towards people who are humble.

This phrase is slightly comedic with this definition. It tells a person to not speak in definitive statements but it itself is a definitive statement. It says that only one type of person is overconfident, and that no one else is.

The second way to read “positive” is as happy. In this interpretation, the phrase means that only a fool would be overly happy. Anyone else would have a healthy level of realism with the world. This implies that being too happy is bad and that realism is good. This reflects another cultural value of America where happiness and joyfulness are associated mainly with youth. As you age, you are expected to grow out of your carefree nature and come to a mindset with more realism. This phrase tells you that only a fool would stay with their unrestrained mindset and reject realism. In America, realism is valued and is associated with self-sufficiency, another cultural value that you are meant to embody as an adult.

This phrase has two meanings that on the surface look very different but, looking deeper, they both have strong ties to American cultural values of adulthood that are viewed as strengths in the workplace. It tells people to be wary of absolutes and to view the world with an amount of realism instead of being too happy-go-lucky.

You Would Complain If They Hung You With a New Rope – Folk Phrase

Nationality: American
Age: 18
Occupation: College student
Residence: Farmington, Minnesota
Language: English

Text:

You would complain if they hung you with a new rope

Context:

The informant heard this from their grandfather as a kid growing up in Minnesota. The example they gave me was that they might be complaining about something unimportant or trivial. Their grandfather would tell them this phrase to point out that they were whining just to complain and not because there is an actual reason to. The informant acknowledged that in those moments, they were complaining about things that didn’t actually matter. They said that their grandfather used the phrase accurately in pointing out that they didn’t really have anything to be unhappy with.

Analysis:

This phrase is associated with overly complaining about things that don’t matter. The phrase on first read doesn’t make a lot of sense. However, with some research, it is revealed that a new rope is actually a bad way to be hung. The rope should be treated so that it makes death quick. A new (untreated) rope would be inefficient and slow down the process, likely making it more agonizing to the person who is being hung. The phrase says that in the case of the listener being hung, they would still find something to complain about. If they were being hung, the type of rope shouldn’t be their most pressing concern given that they are dying either way.

This phrase seems to be a bit outdated in the US given that America does not hang people regularly. Although this practice is strong in the country’s history from wars and prisoners to racialized attacks, it is much less common today. This phrase is pulling from the shared historical memory of the country.

This phrase also reflects some American cultural values of taking what you are given or “toughening up.” Complaining is associated with someone who isn’t ready to take on the world. Being unable to complete a task without saying all the things that bother you is looked down upon, especially in the workplace. Managers look for people who get the task done, not people who spend time complaining.

This phrase is said to children who tend to be the ones complaining because they haven’t learned the cultural values yet. This means that this phrase is teaching them the way they should act within American culture. It helps them to understand that as an adult, overly complaining isn’t socially acceptable and that now is the time to change that.

From Where The Fish Pisses – Hebrew Proverbial Phrase

Nationality: Israeli-American
Age: 17
Occupation: High school student
Residence: Bellevue, Washington, United States
Language: Hebrew

Text:

מאיפה משתין הדג

Mi’ayfo mashtin hadag
From where the fish pisses

Context:

The informant heard this from other Israeli immigrants growing up in Western Washington nearby Seattle. Although they don’t use it themselves (making them a passive bearer), people around them use it often. It is a proverbial phrase that can used within a sentence such as “I’ll show you where the fish pisses” or “Just you wait, one day I’ll show you where the fish pisses from.” To the informant, the main meaning of the saying is “I’ll show you something even more unbelievable.” It is followed by the statement that is almost impossible to believe. The statement is usually used in a boasting way (where the person is going to say something even crazier than the other person). It is meant to show superiority over the other person by being more knowledgeable. It can also be used as an exclamation such as when someone says something incredible and the other person tells them that it is beyond belief, like the English phrase “no way”. The third way it can be used is as a warning that there are better things to come. For example, someone is telling a story and their audience is getting amazed before the climax of the plot. The storyteller might say this phrase to warn the audience that “you haven’t seen anything yet” and that the most unbelievable or amazing part is still to come. The informant stresses that this phrase is very flexible and has a lot of uses in many contexts. This reason is why the informant likes the phrase so much.

Analysis:

The text of the phrase is comedic to someone reading it for the first time although the uses of the phrase do not quite fit that. It can be used in a very menacing way where one person tries to prove that they are better than another person. This might reflect some cultural value of proving your worth through knowledge, especially over another person. If it is important within Israeli culture to show how much you know, then the usage of this phrase is an example of that.

Fish are an important symbol within Judaism which might explain why they are the animal selected for this specific phrase. While other cultures have similar phrases that are structured similarly, this version uses fish specifically. Fish are a traditional food for Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year) and are a symbol of fertility along with being associated with protection from the evil eye. Given that they are important, the use within a phrase that is meant to show something exciting or unbelievable makes sense.

The phrase itself describes something that is amazing or interesting. Fish are not mammals so knowing where they urinate from is less common knowledge. If someone didn’t know where a fish urinated from and they were told, they might find it interesting and see it as a testament to the other person’s knowledge or expertise.

Without much knowledge about the cultural and historical context of the Hebrew phrase, it is difficult to say what exactly it shows. With more phrases and a deeper understanding of Jewish history, a deeper connection may be revealed. It is likely, in any case, that knowledge and the ability to prove it is an important part of Jewish and Israeli culture.

Children’s Circle Clapping Game & Song

Nationality: American
Age: 18
Occupation: College student
Residence: Sudbury, Massachusetts
Language: English

Text:

Crock-a-dilly oh my
Crock, crock, crock
Say cinco cinco
Cinco cinco sock-a-lock-a
Fallow, fallow
Stick your head in Jell-o
Your face is turning yellow
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

Alternatives: (Substitute for the last two lines before the numbers)

Stick your head in ink
Your face is turning pink

Stick your head in water
You look like Harry Potter

Video:

Context:

The informant is from Sudbury, Massachusetts and used this text in the early 2010s as they were growing up. The text is associated with a children’s game that is meant for 2 or more players. The informant played it at summer camps and recess in elementary school up until early middle school (ages 6-12). It acted as a bonding activity to the informant and almost every child knew how to play. To play the game, the children sit in a circle with their hands to either side. Each child in circle would put one of their hands on top of the player next to them and the other on the bottom of the player on the other side. For example, they might have their right hand on top of the hand of the player on their right, and their left hand below the hand of the player on their left. The game begins with one child moving their hand that is on top in an arc motion across their body to the other side, hitting the hand of the next player. Simultaneously, the group began to sing the song. The child who had their hand hit by the first player, repeats the motion to the next player who continues the chain. The sound of the clapping happens on beat with the song. The player who’s hand would be hit on the final beat as the song reaches “10” must pull their hand away before it is hit, making the previous player hit their own hand. If the player removed their hand successfully, they remain in the circle. If they were unsuccessful, they were eliminated from the game and the next round started without them. This continues on until only two players remained where the clapping game changes slightly. The two players sit across from each other and one puts their hands out facing up and the other places their hands above, facing down. The two move towards each other, clap in the middle, and continue moving apart. They then swap directions so the player that went down now has their hands facing up and vice versa. The two then continue the motion, again on beat with the song, with the same mechanic to eliminate the final player. If the final player is successful in removing their hands, they win. If they are unsuccessful, the other player wins. The tempo of the game is changeable and it can go as fast as the children want it to, making the game harder because there is less time to react and pull your hand away.

Analysis:

This game is common throughout many regions of the US but the song’s lyrics change. The last lyrics in this oicotype of the song make references to things that children enjoy such as the sweet dessert Jell-o and the middle-grade series Harry Potter. Other lyrics involve made-up words such as “crock-a-dilly” and “sock-a-lock-a.” Both of these lyrical choices reflect the fact that it is children who are making and adjusting this song. Adults wouldn’t focus on children’s novels or fake words in a song they made for children. Many other versions of the song include words in Spanish like this one. This may be for a few reasons. One is that Spanish is the second most spoken language in the US and is therefore the most likely to be included alongside English in songs. Another is that Spanish is a commonly learned language for children in schools, where this game is often played. The Spanish in this version is the word “cinco,” meaning five in Spanish. This is one of the first words that is learned by children as they start a new language. Since children are the ones who are singing and changing the lyrics over time, incorporating Spanish that they are just starting to learn makes sense.

The game that goes along with the song suggests some adult involvement in the overall activity as it is a way to contain children and encourage bonding with a group. Groups of children do play this game of their own accord and enjoy it but it can be co-opted by adults for their own benefit. Adults might want all the kids in a class or summer camp to sit down and play a fairly stationary and calm game instead of running around and being rowdy. This game gives them that ability. The game is also able to expand to a practically unlimited number of players, allowing for both large and small groups of children to be contained.

Children’s Alternative Acronym for the MCAS – Joke

Nationality: American
Age: 18
Occupation: College student
Residence: Sudbury, Massachusetts
Language: English

Text:

Massachusetts Child Abuse System (MCAS)

Context:

The MCAS is a standardized test in Massachusetts that stands for Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System. The informant, who is from Sudbury, Massachusetts, took it throughout their time at school. Every child is required to take this test in grades 3rd-8th and 10th. It covers English language and math in all years; science in 5th, 8th, and 10th; and civics in 8th. Passing this test in 10th grade is a requirement to graduating and if a child fails, they have to retake it in 11th grade. The informant heard this nickname for the test through previous generations of students at their school. They used this term with their friends as they talked about not liking the test and bonded over a shared dislike of standardized testing. The informant finds this nickname funny and it’s primary use was as a joke.

Analysis:

Children are obviously not going to enjoy a standardized test but the severity of the language chosen reflects just how much they hate it. In this case, kids are slightly exaggerating their anger at a standardized test because they are aware that it isn’t child abuse but it still shows an extreme level of annoyance. Child abuse is a very heavy topic that children are dissuaded from discussing. Children’s interest in a subject generally goes up based on how much they are told to avoid it. Making jokes surrounding a topic is an easy way to access it in a safe way. It allows children to explore a difficult concept without any real risk to themselves or others. They are simultaneously using it as a way to talk about a topic that they aren’t supposed to.

Children want to rebel against adults when they can because adults control almost every aspect of a child’s life. When they have the opportunity to break away from that control, they take it. This isn’t contained to just children, any group that lacks control over their lives looks for ways to subvert the powerful. One way that is commonly used is jokes, such as this. Jokes are a way to go against what you are told to think or feel or, in this case, told to not think or feel. Jokes can be counter hegemonic and allow kids in this case to regain some power in their lives. This acronym translation is an example of how children exaggerate their annoyance with adult control over their lives, rebel against those adults, and use tabooistic topics within jokes as a way of exploring them.