Category Archives: Folk speech

Grave Jokes: If your hand is bigger than your face, you have cancer

Text: If your hand is bigger than your face that means you have cancer.

Context: My informant – a 25-year-old man from Reno, Nevada – explained to me that this was a trick he learned while in middle school, and he proceeded to play it on his friends and siblings. He would bait his victims by saying “if your hand is bigger than your face that means you have cancer,” and when the gullible victim raised their hand to their face to see if their fingers and palm covered the entirety of their face, he would smack the back of their hand so that their face collided with the front of their hand. He would play on the common fear of people finding out they might have a brutal disease, and in an attempt to self-diagnose, he would leave them with a red, hand-shaped mark on their face.

Analysis: I remember falling for this trick a couple times as a child, and I fear I must admit I played it on some of my friends as well. When a young mind hears “if your hand is bigger than your face that means you have cancer,” the instant panic that you feel over potentially having a disease that has sparked lots of fear due to its brutality takes over, and you most definitely want to see if your hand if bigger than your face to know if you might be sick. After your hand collides with your face and your assailant laughs at their attack, you are left confused: trying to see if you have an incurable disease has only left you with knowledge that your nose is red and throbbing. In the chapter “Jokes that Follow MassMediated Disasters in a Global Electronic Age” by Christie Davies, the author writes that disaster jokes are “jokes felt to be funny because they are playing with someone else’s forbidden notions, albeit ones that are generically similar to those that are the basis of more familiar local disaster jokes” (31). If one was to find out that they had cancer, it would undoubtedly be a disaster, so the trick of telling someone that “if your hand is bigger than your face that means you have cancer” is a play on the common fear of something happening to them that they would never hope for.

My informant expressed that this was a prank he only really saw and played as a child, and as he got older, it vanished. This prank only being present among adolescents is telling of the impressionability of this age group. Cancer has been feared for a long time, but the majority of people know that it would take much more than measuring your face with your hand to receive a cancer diagnosis. Children, however, haven’t been exposed to much, and hearing they might have a disease they know little about prompts them to fall for a trick that is only meant to leave them embarrassed and unsure of their health. In hindsight, it’s clear that the prank’s allure lies not in its realism, but in its ability to tap into our primal fears and evoke an emotional response. It serves as a reminder of the innocence of youth, where even the most serious of topics can be reduced to a momentary source of amusement.

References:

Davies, Christie. “Jokes that Follow MassMediated Disasters in a Global Electronic Age.” In Of Corpse: Death and Humor in Folklore and Popular Culture, edited by Peter Narvaez, 15-34. Utah State University Press, 2003.

Spanish Proverb: Más vale solo que mal acompañado

Text: Más vale solo que mal acompañado

Translation: It is better to be alone than in bad company

Context: My informant – a 20-year-old international student from Oaxaca, Mexico – explained to me that this is a common phrase spoken in Mexico. The phrase is in Spanish, so I asked her if this was a common phrase used in various Spanish speaking countries, to which she replied in the negative; she has only heard people in Mexico state the proverb. In response to my question regarding where she first heard this phrase, she couldn’t remember, but she did hear it a lot from her mother while growing up. She interpreted it as a means of comfort from those she heard it from; instead of feeling sad in her solitude, she should rejoice in being in her own presence rather than in the presence of bad company. Additionally, she also remembered hearing the phrase in an episode of Como Dice el Dicho, a telenovela that creates stories revolving around common sayings in Mexico. The episode is called “Más vale solo andar, que mal casar,” translating to “It’s better to walk alone than to marry badly.”

Analysis: Given that my informant had heard the phrase in Como Dice el Dicho but it was uttered in a different manner, I was curious to see if the meaning behind it might differ from how she interpreted it. The episode’s title in English is “It’s better to walk alone than to marry badly,” and the description of the episode is that a young woman finds her boyfriend in bed with another, yet she ultimately ends up marrying him. However, as time goes on, their relationship becomes more complicated, leading her to understand the proverb the episode revolves around at the end of the program: it is better to be alone than in bad company (ViX). My informant had said that this phrase was more general, being spoken to provide comfort to anyone who might be uncomfortable in their solitude as it can be a better alternative to being with bad company. However, the episode from Como Dice el Dicho leads me to believe that the phrase might be more commonly used when it comes to romantic relationships, especially as a way to console someone when their partner is unfaithful or toxic.

In the Hispanic and Latino communities, there has been a phenomenon revolving around La Toxica/El Toxico, translating to “the toxic one” and used to refer to partners in relationships who are unhealthy for the other person (“La Toxica” And How We View Relationships). However, the phrase is more commonly associated with women, attributing their role in the relationship as the toxic one. In Como Dice el Dicho, the roles are reversed, with a man emulating the trope of “El Toxico” and a woman navigating her way out of the toxic relationship. The show challenges the stereotypical gender dynamics in relationships through this reversal and creates a space for viewers to evaluate their perceptions of gendered behavior. Because of this, I feel that the phrase “más vale solo que mal acompañado” is a way for Mexican women to feel independent in their lives and understand that instead of being tied to a partner who doesn’t treat her right, she is better off alone. The trope of “La Toxica” is disproportionately applied to women than it is to men, so I see “más vale solo que mal acompañado” as a way for women to acknowledge their agency in relationships. 

References:

Banda, Monserrat. “‘La Toxica’ And How We View Relationships,” Compass Center, https://www.compassctr.org/post/la-toxica-how-we-view-relationships. 

“Más vale solo andar, que mal casar,” ViX, https://vix.com/es-es/detail/video-3711494. 

Variations of a proverb: hell in a handbag

Text:  “It’s hotter than Hell in a handbag out here”

Context: My informant –  a senior at the University of Southern California from Indiana – explained to me that this was a saying her mother would always say when the weather was very hot. Her mother was born and raised in Indiana, and while she first heard it from her mom, it is something that is typically said in the state and in the broader Midwest. Her mother explained to her that the phrase comes from Hell being an extremely hot place alongside the feeling of being confined and stuffed into something small, like a handbag. So, if Hell itself is already hot and the landscape is confined to a handbag, then it must be an unbearably hot day if you are using that analogy to describe the weather.

Analysis: When searching “It’s hotter than Hell in a handbag out here” on the Internet, there are phrases that come up similar to it, but not exactly the same. “Going to hell in a handbasket,” “going to hell in a handcart,” “going to hell in a handbag,” and “something being like hell in a handbasket” are all variations of an allegorical locution that has unknown origins and describes a situation heading for disaster (Wikipedia). However, my informant’s mother had her own variation – It’s hotter than Hell in a handbag out here – which she used to describe the weather, not a situation heading for disaster. In the chapter “Riddles and Proverbs” by F. A. de Caro, the author writes that proverbs are ready-made statements that convey a culturally agreed~upon idea which can be used to make a point that may only be made less succinctly and perhaps less clearly and effectively in a speaker’s own words” (185-186). Despite the proverb staying virtually the same, my informant’s mother repurposed it to fit an aspect of her culture. This highlights the fluidity of proverbial language and the ways in which individuals personalize and reinterpret commonly used expressions to fit their own experiences and surroundings. So, while “something being like hell in a handbasket” might sound similar to “it’s hotter than hell in a handbag out here,” the two phrases are interpreted differently based on their respective cultural contexts.

References:

De Caro, F. A.. “Riddles and Proverbs.” In Folk Groups and Folklore Genres: An Introduction, edited by Elliot Oring, 175-197. Utah State University Press, 1986.

“To hell in a handbasket,” Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/To_hell_in_a_handbasket.

Salvadoran Joke – “Mato Tunco Tu Tata”

Context: This folklore is in the form of a Joke that is very common in El Salvador. It is used throughout the country, and seems to be unique to the Central American country,

Explanation of Folklore: I interviewed F about a joke that is commonly told in El Salvador. The joke goes as follows. One asks, “Mato tunco tu tata?” (Did your father kill a pig?) where one then answers yes, then the response is a follow up question “Le tuviste miedo al machete?” (were you scared of the machete?) and then the other person answers no. Finally the joke teller flinches at them as if they were to hit them with a machete, which usually provokes some sort of scared reaction from the other person.

According to F, this joke is super common among the Salvadoran people of all ages. It is also a very old Joke that is commonly known.

Analysis: The Premise of the joke is to prank the other person by following a storyline of a father killing a pig. The Jokester implies that the father used a machete to slaughter a pig, and that the other person was scared of it, which is why they flinch, emulating a machete swing.

F informed me that this joke is old enough that it is very popular among the older generations. It is a joke that has made its way through different generations and still remains relevant. F said that the joke is so popular in the country, that the mainstream media and popular culture in El Salvador have incorporated the joke in marketing, commercials, and even restaurant names. The Joke uses uniquely Salvadoran slang. The word “Tunco” is Salvadoran slang for Pig. It also uses “Tata” Salvadoran slang for father. This joke is uniquely Salvadoran, and is very connected to the countries own cultural identity and expression. F was not sure when the Joke came to be, he only informed me that it was very old, and that generations of his family and country had kept it going

Personal Analysis: This is a Joke I grew up hearing all of the time. I have distinct memories of my grandfather telling it to me, as well as my mom and dad. One of the reasons it stuck out to me is due to its unapologetically Salvadoran perspective. The use of colloquial slang makes it an ode to cultural expression, and that is very fascinating. Due to the specificity of origin, there do not appear to be any regional variations and Oicotypes. In terms of origin, I theorized that this might be a post colonial joke due to its specific choice of language.

Both “tunco” and “tata” are uniquely Salvadoran words, that are based off of the indigenous Nahuatl language. This pre hispanic language was melded with Spanish to produce much of the Salvadoran slang used today. This leads me to believe that the joke has origins in a post colonial El Salvador. Additionally, the mention of a pig implies a post colonial environment as well. Pigs are not native to El Salvador, and were introduced by the Spaniards. Once again these context clues can be utilized to help bring these theories of origin to play.

Folklore as humor is very common, and can be observed all over the world. It is a clear example of humanistic oral folklore that is passed on through word of mouth. In the case of this Joke, it is interesting to see how specific to El Salvador it is, since there are no other accounts of this joke anywhere else in Latin America. It is fascinating to see how this joke stayed within the confines of the Country, and how relevant it remains to this day.

Sana Sana Colita de Rana

Context: The folklore gathered is a saying that is popular throughout Latin America, usually when young child gets hurt, in order to help them feel better.

Explanation of Folklore: I interviewed A about a saying that I have heard a lot in the Latino community. This saying is “Sana sane colita de Rana, is no sane hoy, saner mañana”. Originally in Spanish, this saying literally translates to “healthy healthy frog tail if it doesn’t heal today it will heal tomorrow”. The context for when this is said is typically for injured young children. When they get hurt, someone, usually a mother or a guardian will repeat this saying, while helping them with their injuries.

A told me that this is a very popular saying in El Salvador, her home country, but that it is also extremely common throughout Latin America as a whole. It is a saying that is almost universal in the Latino experience, and even has made its way alongside the Latin American diaspora.

Analysis: A mentioned that this saying has been in her vocabulary for as long as she can remember. When A was younger, they were told this by their parents as a way of calming them from crying. The witty rhyme is silly in its literal meaning, and has no connection to healing whatsoever. As a result, the intention was to make the child laugh and forget their pain. A personally thinks it is a colonial era saying, based on the fact that it is not exclusive to a certain part of Latin America. It is widespread across the Latin American countries as a common saying.

Personal Analysis: This is a form of oral folklore that is reflected in the form of a saying. Based on my interview with A, and my own personal experience, this form of Folk speech seems to be pretty familiar. The only variation of the saying that I found to be used is switching “colita” with “culito” a more vulgar adaptation of the saying. I definitely think that this is a colonial era saying, the traces its roots to a colonial Latin America. Given that the saying is in Spanish, it is very safe to assume that it was not until the Spanish reached Latin America that the saying gained popularity. This is a clear example of the Transmission of folklore, and how it is passed on from generation to generation. A fascinating part of this folklore is that its is tremendously widespread. because it is popular throughout an entire continent, it could be difficult to pinpoint the exact origin point. There do not seem to be very strong regional differences that would indicate any sort of regional variety. The common consensus is that it is a pretty standard saying.

When analyzing the meaning of the saying itself , it is difficult to find any sort of logical meaning. The frog tail might be an ode to the pre hispanic wildlife that may have been observed during the colonial species. Upon doing some research, I came across a species of frogs that are able to grow back their limbs when they are cut off, so perhaps there is a correlation between that observation of nature and the saying. In the end, the saying is told to children to make them feel better, and distract them from any pain they might be going through. It is a way to boost morale, and inspire a calmness for the child. Growing up, I was told this saying numerous times, and it really did do its job in distracting me. I would laugh at the use of “culito” a vulgar slang for one’s behind. It is interesting to see how saying that are so close to one’s life can be so widespread, and is a shared experience on a continental level.