Author Archives: Peter Zhu

五十步笑百步 (Wu Shi Bu Xiao Bai Bu)

Those who retreated 50 steps mock those who retreated 100 steps.

Occupation: Student 

Date: 02/11/2025 

Primary Language: English

Language: Mandarin

Description

Okay. I got closer so I actually got it. Yeah, I have the one that’s um, The change tax is like, um, so that’s like the one who runs 50 steps away from the enemy laughs at the one who runs 100 steps away. It’s kind of poking fun at people who like kind of fell but they’re making fun of other people who fell. Even though, like, on like surface level, they’re both like running away from something. Yeah. Um it’s really interesting to me because it was often used my in my family. Because I have a younger sister, which… sometimes when we both get clowned on by my parents, she will laugh at me even though like she also did do something wrong. It’s also… I don’t remember a specific history behind it, but it’s definitely used, like, in war times or like, like tease on soliders who run away from your enemies. 

Subject Opinion: 

Subject: It happens unintentionally so often that, just the saying, it…surprisingly could be applied to a lot of situations. 

Analysis: 

This ancient Chinese proverb states that those who mock others’ shortcomings often have the same shortcomings themselves, criticizing the irony and hypocrisy in human behavior. The proverb’s wartime context opens up a much larger consideration of folklore born in turbulent eras during which common folk are often exposed to war, famine, etc. Similar to a large portion of Chinese wisdom, this proverb places us in a military context that, on the literal level, only applies to soldiers. But the fact that the proverb is widely known reflects the reverence and attention common folk paid to soldiers at the time, giving folk speech that stem from that realm a particular zest and intrigue. It is also interesting that the subject referenced her own family and how it’s used to point out hypocrisy in mundane matters. Though the proverb does not directly communicate a piece of advice, it encourages against the behavior described by letting the receiver come to their conclusions after witnessing the irony of the situation, making it an incredibly durable and effective proverb. 

BREAK A LEG!

Nationality: American

Age: 20

Occupation: Student 

Residence: San Diego, CA, USA

Date: 02/20/2025 

Primary Language: English

Language: English

Description: 

“I thought this was common knowledge, but apparently it’s not in theater. You’re not supposed to say “good luck”. You’re supposed to say, “Break a leg”, uh, apparently saying, good luck is bad luck. Actually, I don’t remember why that is, but I know why you’re supposed to say, break a leg. I was told that in the old days, there was a piece called the leg that held up the curtain. And if in the olden days if it was too fragile, or if you were too loud, you would…you could actually break the leg and the curtain would come down. And so if you were to nail it, you would be so good that the curtain would come down. So, that’s why people say, break a leg.”

Subject’s opinion: 

Interviewer: Can you talk about how you you might have used it in your personal experiences? 

Subject: Yeah, I, I tell my friends break a leg all the time, even if it’s not in a theater related context. If someone ever says good luck to me before I go on stage, I correct them, because I do not want that bad juju. 

Interviewer: What would you say to me, exactly, if I said good luck to you before you go on stage? 

Subject: I’d say…actually, I probably wouldn’t say anything, but it would bother me. It would actually bother me, and I’d go on stage and be thinking about it. It’d mess me up. 

Analysis: 

A student actor himself, the subject expressed surprise regarding how little people knew of the origin of “break a leg.” Many in the theatre space take the phrase for granted, but few investigate the spirit from which it originated. In fact, most have made their own speculations, drawing links to origin stories that involve the literal breaking of legs—sometimes even monogenic—rather than acknowledging the phrase’s roots in stage logistics. It’s interesting to consider how the oral history of the phrase shifted in this case. “Break a leg” is a visceral image; the opposite of what a performer would want. Once its supposed original reference to the legs of a curtain became more obscure, the phrase’s intensity and ironic appeal may have been a key factor in its longevity. Perhaps if the context was understood more widely, the phrase wouldn’t have the same popularity. 

“Schmutz”

Nationality: American

Age: 21

Occupation: Student 

Residence: Orange County, CA, USA

Date: 02/22/2025 

Primary Language: English

Language: Yiddish

Description: 

“Basically, there’s a lot of like Yiddish things that we use in my family…we’ve used forever and ever and ever, and it just like, kind of continue. But I think it’s interesting that I use them because obviously, like, I don’t live my family anymore, whatever. Um…one of the things that I say all the time is Schmutz. S-c-h-m-u-t-z. Schmutz. Which basically means like…it’s like a kind of way of saying, like, you have shit on you. Like you have schmutz on you, which basically means like…like dirt. Usually, when I use it, it’s something that’s a little more like, um…lasting. Like if I get like pasta sauce on me, I go:

‘I have schmutz on me.’ If I got like, if I had like a leaf on me that I could like, brush off, you wouldn’t necessarily say that because it’s not something that’s, like, detrimental to your clothing or whatever.”

Subject’s opinion: 

Interviewer: Do you know where [the phrase] originated?

Subject: In Yiddish. Like…it’s been a term that’s been used…I’m pretty sure it’s actually a word in Yiddish, but I think it’s very Americanized. Not like Americanized…but it’s like, very like American Jew…usage. 

Interviewer: Do you know what it literally translates to? 

Subject: No…but that’s, I think, what’s interesting about it. A lot of the Yiddish words that we use, I don’t know exactly what they mean. Like “schvitzing” is sweating. “Schmear” is like a…a schmear! Like, I can’t even explain that. It’s just like a schmear…a lot of what Yiddish is, it’s like…like, schvitzing is like a lot of like, sch-vit-zing. It’s like a lot of hard letters for something that’s kind of gross. Like, you’re sweating. Schvitzing It’s kind of disgusting. Like, you go to the Schwitz is what you say if you go to the sauna. 

Analysis:  The subject’s Jewish-American background brings much complexity to the consideration of these words as folk tradition. On one hand, they are real words rooted in multiple linguistic origins, mainly Yiddish as well as German. On the other hand, based on the subject’s description, these words have taken on a life of their own in the American social context. The subject laid emphasis on the exclusivity of these words’ usage and how they’re only a shared lingo between her, her sister, and her parents. Since the subject does not speak Yiddish, she only offered her opinion on the phonetic profile of these words and its role in their effectiveness. In this context, the use of these words becomes a social performance, particularly in the special paralinguistic patterns of voice quality and vocalization as well as how they appeal to tradition—a way to stay in touch with one’s roots in a language that pulls from a greater realm of cultural heritage.

“Eddie’s Home”

Nationality: American

Age: 21

Occupation: Student 

Residence: Los Angeles, CA, USA

Date: 02/22/2025 

Primary Language: English

Language: English

Description: 

“In my family and other—I’ve heard it done other in other families too, but to like, signify or, like, tell somebody that they have something in their teeth, like at a dinner party or just like in public. You say that ‘Eddie’s home’. And you can be like Eddie’s upstairs, Eddie’s downstairs, Eddie’s upstairs in the left bedroom, etc.”

Subject’s opinion:

Subject:  I feel like that has a lot to do with, like Texas mannerisms and, like, politeness, because…you are like, very like, um…people pleaser, and, I don’t know.” 

Interviewer: Where did you first hear this? Do you remember? 

Subject: I think my family taught me, like, when I was little at the dinner table. Like I was told like, never to put my elbows on the table and that kind of stuff. So, like, as a…how to be polite, I guess.

Interviewer: Do you know why it’s called Eddie? 

Subject: No. I don’t. 

Analysis: 

Though the subject lives in Los Angeles, she noted that this piece of folk speech is deeply rooted in her family’s Texan tradition and highlights the American South’s great stress on social etiquette. The phrase itself—a code only understood by members of her community—reinforces presentation and politeness. It suggests that having something in one’s teeth is not only uncomfortable to oneself but also a violation of a collective commitment to cleanliness and sophistication. In this context, the phrase becomes a way to care for or protect someone, as it prevents them from potential embarrassment. It’s also clear that the subject was brought up in such an environment based on her reference to dinner table manners. The subject, however, displayed a degree of disillusionment towards her community, often putting on a dismissive attitude when discussing such practices. Though the subject did not elaborate further on these feelings, it’s reasonable to assume that she doesn’t entirely subscribe to her community’s commitment to upholding values on social etiquette. That said, the metaphorical code is incredibly vivid and engaging and left a strong impression on the subject. It’s an obscure yet potent piece of folk speech that not only reflects Southern values but also how and where the community engages in a rich oral tradition which “Eddie’s home” is only a small part of.