Author Archives: William Herron

Lucky Italian Leather Bracelet

Nationality: American
Age: 20
Occupation: College Student
Residence: Los Angeles, CA
Performance Date: 4/22/13
Primary Language: English

The informant explains that he has a bracelet that he stole in Italy at a street market by the Trevi Fountain.  The bracelet is leather and braided and he has had it since he was fifteen.  The informant explains that he wears it at all of the music shows that he performs at because he feels as though if he doesn’t perform well then he will be punished.  He feels as though he has the bracelet for a reason and needs to prove why he has it.  He also thinks that the bracelet gives him good luck.  He also believes that the bracelet represents his Italian heritage – taking a piece of Italy away.  He uses it as a way to remember his trip as well.

The informant’s militant wearing of his leather bracelet in all of his musical shows demonstrates individual’s belief in the power of good luck charms.  In contemporary view there are many instances in sports, music performances, and much more where people have different superstitious beliefs to enhance their luck or performance.

“Looking for a nurse with a purse”

Nationality: American
Age: 59
Occupation: Lawyer
Residence: Irvine, CA
Performance Date: 4/27/13
Primary Language: English

The informant explains that his mother had met her husband during high school and had married him soon after.  They lived a long life together in a small town in Minnesota, but the husband died a number of years earlier than she had and the mother had eventually moved into a retirement home.

The informant explains that his mother had a number of sayings, but in the retirement she would describe a number of the other men in the retirement home – the widowers – as “looking for a nurse with a purse.”  The informant explains that by that she meant that the men were looking for someone who could take care of them.  Not only someone who could cater to them and take care of them, but also have financial resources to support them.  The informant explains that his mother would sometimes quip, especially about this man named Ed who his father knew, that those guys are just looking for “a nurse with a purse.”

The informant explains that his impression of this saying was that his mother thought that all men should be self-sufficient and not look for women to take care of them – even in old age.  The informant explains that his mother had a rather tough like since childhood and had little compassion for those who needed help.

My impression of the saying is that the informant’s mother’s tough upbringing did have a strong influence on her lack of sympathy or hostility towards others looking for help.  The line shows how one can sum up an ideal in few words.

Lawnmower Riddle

Nationality: American
Age: 59
Occupation: Lawyer
Residence: Irvine, CA
Performance Date: 4/27/13
Primary Language: English

The informant describes a riddle about an old man and a lawnmower.  The informant explains that he heard this from a friend at work and found it a fun riddle that made him think outside of the box and left him unable to figure out the answer.  Below is a summary of the riddle:

A friend of mine has a father who is sixty-five and has mowed his own lawn for years and years and he has a gas-powered, push lawnmower.  He has lived at the same place, cut the same grass, and used the same lawnmower for years and years.  He began to complain that the lawnmower wasn’t working properly.  He used to be able to cut the grass on one tank of gas and now he had to fill the lawnmower up with gas before he could finish the job.  He took the lawnmower to a small engine repair shop in town and the shop gave a full tune up on the machine – new spark plug and general touch up.  He picked up the lawnmower and went back to weekly task of mowing the lawn but was quite frustrated because despite having spent money to tune it up, it still took a refill of gas before finishing.  The question is, what is wrong with the lawnmower? The answer to this riddle is that nothing had changed about the lawnmower, but what had changed was that the man was sixty-five years old and walking slower to cut the grass.  That explains why it took more gas.

This riddle is a classic example of a scenario that forces one to think outside of the box or normal thought patterns.  Riddles such as this one are quite common within the United States and around the world.  Their popularity most likely stems from individuals’ desire to prove their intelligence and ability to solve problems.  The riddle being about a man with a lawn and a lawnmower indicates that this riddle originated from a society that has lawnmowers and lawns to mow.  It is likely that a joke involving these two things would not exist in a society without lawns or grass.

Haunted House with German Shepherd

Nationality: American
Age: 57
Occupation: Housewife
Residence: Irvine, CA
Performance Date: 4/27/13
Primary Language: English

The informant explains that as a young girl growing up in Fullerton, California there was a house near her home that all the neighborhood kids believed to be haunted.  She recalls that the house was always had extremely overgrown, wild grass on the front lawn and was also completely dark.  All the neighborhood kids were afraid of the house because the owners were believed to be extremely scary and low-life’s, but more frighteningly owned a ferocious German shepherd.  There was a legend of the German shepherd once being able jump over the fence and bite a young girl who was simply passing by the house.  This story enhanced the fear of the house tenfold and made one wonder and create stories about the power of the German shepherd in that house.

The informant’s story of the haunted house is interesting as is displays children’s fascination with scary stories and ability to embellish stories.  In all likelihood the owners of the house were rather normal people with a German shepherd with normal strength and abilities, but the fascination of the story leaves children intrigued and curious.

“Don’t let the left hand know what the right hand’s doing”

Nationality: American
Age: 57
Occupation: Housewife
Residence: Irvine, CA
Performance Date: 4/27/13
Primary Language: English

The informant is originally from Fullerton, CA and her mother is from New York who would tell her this line.  Both women are Jewish as well.

The informant explains that as a teenager growing up as young woman and beginning to first start dating young men her mother would always tell her: “Don’t let the left hand know what the right hand’s doing.”  The informant explains that her mother would give her this advice with the idea that you should go out with multiple guys at one time as long as you do not let the two different guys find out what is going on.  She explains that she gave this suggestion because the mother didn’t feel as though a girl should have to just date one guy if she was interested in multiple.  The informant explains that this applies more generally to going out with two different groups, but not letting the other group know what you’re doing.  The informant explains that her mother still passes this advice onto her grandchildren.  The informant explains that she first heard this saying from her mother and is not sure whether the mother created the line or heard it from someone else.

This saying gives an interesting outlook on what values or interests the mother who passed this information down to her daughter and grandchildren has.  It is clear that within her view, it is best to not limit oneself when looking for dating opportunities.  It would be interesting to take a survey of a number of people and ask if they approve or disapprove of this saying.

The informant explains that her daughter has heard her grandmother give this advice and that she is slightly annoyed because she doesn’t like her daughter playing with the emotions of multiple guys.