Author Archives: Pearson Miller

Proverb – “Nunca digas mala suerte porque nunca sabes”

From Informant:

“ “nunca digas mala suerte porque nunca sabes” that’s a Spanish saying that translates to “never say bad luck because you never know”. It’s essentially telling you that you should never say your circumstances are bad because it could be a blessing in disguise. It’s something that most if not all hispanic parents say to their kids” 

Analysis:

Super interesting proverb. I was definitely told something similar as a kid. My parents would say that you can’t complain about your situation when so many other people have it so much worse and what you’re going through right now could be teaching you something to help you grow. Interesting how different cultures have similar parenting styles in the way they approach consoling or guiding their kids.

Age: 19

Date of Performance: Told to me on March 3rd, 2025. Told to them throughout their life but they specifically mention it being a thing when they were a kid

Language: Spanish

Nationality: American

Occupation: Student at USC

Primary Language: English/Spanish

Residence: Concord, CA

“Depending on the Traffic” – Folk saying

Pulled from audio recording:

“Informant:
Oh, and another thing—this might not count as a proverb, but in California, people always say “depending on the traffic.” If something is 20 minutes away, you’d say, “20 minutes… depending on the traffic,” because it could be 50 minutes or even an hour.

Pearson:
That’s so interesting. That’s definitely not a thing in Connecticut. Traffic was never bad enough to add more than 10 minutes to a trip. Rush hour was the only time it got rough. But otherwise, it wasn’t a big deal. The idea that a drive could be 20 minutes or an hour was super foreign to me.

Informant:
Yeah, exactly. Like, I live 10 minutes from Malibu, but I’m an hour from school. At night, it’s a 45-minute drive. But if I leave during the day, it could take an hour and a half—just depending on the traffic.“

Analysis:

To me I think this is really interesting because it goes deeper than it’s actual meaning. Personally, I never really hear people say this for a couple of reasons. Where I’m from traffic isn’t really a huge thing unlike here where everything really “depends on the traffic” literally and figuratively. Like I said I think it also has a deeper meaning. I see it more as a saying like a proverb but not quite a proverb. I would classify it as folk saying that’s used to convey the idea of having things take longer than they maybe should because of various roadblocks.

Age: 20

Date of performance: Told to me on February 13th, 2025. Something they’ve heard all their life

Language: English

Nationality: American

Occupation: Student at USC

Primary Language: English

Residence: From California, lives somewhere in the Los Angeles area

A Social Curse – “The Cheese Touch”

Taken from audio recording:

“Informant:
Yeah, that makes sense. I know you mentioned this earlier, but the “cheese touch” was a huge thing at my school because Diary of a Wimpy Kid was filmed at my middle school.

Pearson:
No way.

Informant:
Yeah! So in middle school, the “cheese touch” was a real thing. It wasn’t even actual cheese, but more like the cooties thing—someone would “have” the cheese touch, and everyone would avoid them. The kid who played Greg Heffley, I think he actually went to my middle school, and his dad worked in the school system. So it was an even bigger deal for us.”

Analysis:

I experienced the “cheese touch” as “cooties” when I was in elementary school and some of middle school. I think it’s super interesting how this movie Diary of a Wimpy Kid had such a big impact on so many schools, especially the one my informant went to because the movie was filmed at their middle school. I’m sure it felt way more real for them. I think the idea is really interesting. Honestly, I don’t really understand it and didn’t really back then either. I guess “cooties” and the “cheese touch” are a little different. “cooties” was more of a gender vs. gender thing at my school versus the “cheese touch” being more about socially isolating someone for whatever reason. The “cool kids” in school wouldn’t be the ones getting the “cheese touch” while “cooties” in my school didn’t have that kind of social hierarchy restriction. I feel like the “cheese touch” is used more as a way to even further alienate kids that aren’t very popular and that’s a horrible thing. It, to me, is like another form of bullying and that’s really sad.

Age: 20

Date of performance: Told to me on February 13, 2025. Popularized after the 2007 “Diary of a Wimpy Kid”

Language: English

Nationality: American

Occupation: Student at USC

Primary Language: English

Residence: From California, lives somewhere in the Los Angeles area

seasonal omen or a weather-related folk saying – “June Gloom”

Pulled from audio recording:

“Informant:
Okay, I’m from California. I wonder if you’ve heard of this one—“June gloom.”

Pearson:
No, what’s that?

Informant:
It’s a thing on the California coast where, in June, there’s this weird period of overcast skies in the middle of summer. It happens every year. Growing up, people would always say “June gloom,” especially when planning beach trips. Like, we’d want to go, but then someone would say, “Oh no, June gloom.””

Analysis:

“June Gloom” refers to June in California where the skies are overcast and a haze or a Gloom lingers over the coast. In my mind it can be used literally and figuratively. Literally because it’s a real weather-related phenomenon and figuratively as a sort of saying. Someone could ask you to go somewhere to do something with them and you could reply “oh no I don’t wanna go. June Gloom”. It’s used as a way to describe a state of being almost. It reminds me of the idea of not wanting to go outside because it’s raining if that makes sense.

Age: 20


Date_of_performance: Told to me on February 14, 2025. A thing they’ve heard throughout their life


Language: English


Nationality: American


Occupation: Student at USC


Primary Language: English


Residence: Somewhere in the Los Angeles area

Proverb – “Honesty is the best policy”

Taken from audio recording:

Informant: “Alright, so I looked one up, and I remember hearing this a lot in elementary school—“Honesty is the best policy.” Teachers would always say that whenever there was a little issue, like if someone was doing something wrong or if there was a small fight. It was just their way of getting things sorted out. I always remember that saying”

Analysis:

It’s a proverb that I also heard when I was a kid. It’s used a lot to teach kids that they need to be honest and tell the truth because that’s the right thing to do. It can also be used to reinforce that idea when you’re not a child anymore and someone can say “Honestly is the best policy” when your struggling with telling someone the truth because you know the truth will hurt their feelings. Like all proverbs people use it to give you advice without saying “I think you should do this”. This proverb is a reminder that telling the truth is the right thing to do even though it can be uncomfortable at times.

Age: 20

Date of Performance: Told to me on February 13th, 2025. Used through their life but they specifically mention it being a thing when they were in elementary school

Language: English

Nationality: American

Occupation: Student at USC

Primary Language: English

Residence: Somewhere in the Los Angeles area