Category Archives: Folk speech

“It’s brick outside”

Text

In New York City, locals have a slang they commonly use, where they say “it’s brick outside”, which is used to describe the weather as cold. From the informant’s understanding, it came from the idea that during winter, the bricks of many New York homes (since brick townhouses are common in the city) get very cold due to the fact that they have little to no base insulation. As such, the slang is drawing a comparison to say that the general feeling of being cold is similar to touching a cold brick.

Context

The informant is 21 year old USC student pursuing a double major in finance & accounting, and East Asian languages and culture. He is a NY local born and raised, and says that the slang was just something he picked up naturally from living there. I had recently seen a video of New Yorkers and noticed their distinct accent and slang, and asked the informant if he would be open to sharing any New York slang he used.

Analysis

Among the many New York slangs that exist, “brick” stands out to me for its folkloric and regional significance. The origin of “brick” being based on the regional climate of New York and city’s distinct architecture of brick townhouses makes it a perfect representation of the city’s defining characteristics. Additionally, the fact that the informant picked up the slang naturally from living in the city shows the slang has been integrated within the city seamlessly, and is another example of how folk speech can be passed on informally and become a part of everyday routine.

To add, when considering that this slang is essentially a metaphor that compares the weather to how cold bricks get, the way this slang is used in simple, short phrases (i.e “it’s brick outside”) rather than longer simile-like phrases (i.e “it’s as cold as a brick outside”) also demonstrates New York culture, in my opinion. In such a crowded and bustling city like New York, locals are often known to be very fast talkers and this slang and how it is used in sentences match the fast-paced culture of the city.

Midwest Family Food – Familial Folk Speech

Context:

My informant is a 20-year-old student at the University of Southern California. She currently lives in Kansas City, Missouri, but she has also lived on the East Coast. Her mom’s family is Mexican and she spent a large portion of her childhood in Texas living near the border.

Text:

“When I was growing up, whenever my grandma, my mom’s mother, would come to visit from Texas, she would bring a carry-on full of frozen tamales and Mexican cookies from where she lived. These were tamales and cookies from the place my mom used to go when she lived in Texas. We’d call it “The Food Suitcase,” and it was something she always did until she passed away.”

Analysis:

This familial folk speech is used to describe this family ritual of packing a suitcase full of tamales and cookies, a food way or material folklore. This term “The Food Suitcase” became a repeated phrase used in their household to refer to the item. The phrase held emotional and sentimental value to the family.

Moon Song

Song:

“I see the moon and the moon sees me,

The moon sees somebody I wanna see

God bless the moon, and God bless me:

And God bless that somebody I wanna see.”

Context: The informant’s mother sang this song to them as children. The informant is from the East Coast and their mother is from the Southern United States. Informant’s mother was taught this song by their mother growing up as a lullaby to put her to sleep.  


Analysis: This is a children’s lullaby passed through oral tradition across generations. From mother to child, it passes down, connecting generations through song. While the child does not necessarily understand the words being sung to it, the song itself is a family tradition. The purpose of the song (putting a child to bed) holds greater meaning than the actual lyrics of the song. Because it is passed down through song, it is an important oral tradition for this family.

El que come y canta loco se levanta

Text: El que come y canta loco se levanta

Translation: He who eats and sings rises a madman.

Informant’s Interpretation: The informant shared that for her family, it meant that you should not do two things at the same time, and they should focus on the food on their plate rather than the words in their mouth. 

Context: The informant’s father would say this to her and her siblings growing up to get them to stop talking more than they were eating at the table. The informant, who is Mexican American, grew up in Texas near the border in the 60s/70s. 
Analysis: The phrase itself, “El que come y canta loco se levanta”, uses exaggeration (“rises a madman”) to create a memorable and slightly humorous warning to the children hearing it. Like many proverbs, its literal meaning is less important than its applied meaning, which in this case is about maintaining focus and proper behavior at the table. The informant’s father adapts the proverb as a form of disciplinary speech, using it to reinforce expectations around mealtime etiquette. I believe it is reflective of larger trends of parents wanting their children to eat at the table rather than goof off and let their food get cold.

College Theater Macbeth Superstition

Informant: Yeah, actually—when I got to college, there were a lot fewer theater traditions. But one thing we usually still do before shows is kind of tied to theater superstitions, especially around Macbeth. You’re not supposed to say “Macbeth” in a theater, and if you do, there’s this whole ritual you’re supposed to follow to undo the bad luck.

I think what we do comes from that idea. Before a show, we all chant together:
“Shit, damn, motherfucker, motherfucker, damn, this dumb bitch just stole my man, gotta find another fucker better than the other fucker—shit, damn, motherfucking motherfucker, damn.”
And then we repeat it a couple more times, getting louder each time.

It’s kind of our way of shaking off nerves and maybe warding off bad luck.

Context: Informant has participated in main stage theater productions in university and has experienced these superstitions themself. Informant did not learn about this conversion superstition until they came to university. Informant attends school in southern california. 

Analysis: The knowledge about the superstition around saying “Macbeth” during the production of a show is fairly widespread. However, the conversion superstition performed in this entry is not as common. It represents how niche folk groups can make their own beliefs. This performance of a conversion superstition is not something the informant was familiar with when they participated in theater in high school across the country, so it could possibly be evidence of more regionally folk belief as well. This conversion superstition is performed to comfort the actors in a show and help them fight back against any fear they might have at their production being harmed by an individual saying the words “Macbeth.”