Category Archives: Folk speech

Never touch another man’s dice

Informant: “There’s minor traditions that lots of gamblers have and stuff, like you never touch another man’s dice.”

Collector: Is that observed in D&D [Dungeons and Dragons]?

Informant: Yeah, in general, it is. And you almost never reach over for somebody else’s dice. You know, you have your little pile in front of you. If someone needs to borrow one, it’s ok if someone hands you one, ya know, but you don’t go grabbing at other people’s things like that.”

Collector: Is that something you observe?

Informant: “Yeah, yeah, I would say 99% of people that play it…”

Collector: Did you ever make that mistake and then learn not to?

Informant: “[laughs] You know, most people do because of a perceived unluckiness in that if you do that, it, it, it is…I want to say it almost always ends up being a horrible role, you know, somebody else’s dice, especially without permission. [laughs] It always ends up with the worst possible thing that could happen. [laughs] And I don’t know if that’s actually what happens or just everybody notices it, you know what I’m saying? [laughs] But I’ve seen it many a time from some newb that steps up on the mound.”

My informant is a 44 year old male who often plays board games and role playing games like Dungeons and Dragons. I imagine he observes this superstition not only because he believes it has an effect on luck but also because it shows respect for other gamers. It speaks to a larger culture of mutual respect and commonly accepted ground rules that exists within gamer culture, one which allows game-playing among lots of people to function smoothly. I find it really interesting that those who take another’s dice are the ones punished with bad luck. In this way, this superstition serves as a warning to keep everyone in check.

Soakers

Nationality: African-American
Age: 40's
Occupation: Flight Attendant
Residence: Los Angeles, CA
Performance Date: 4/26/2016
Primary Language: English

Informant: “People that don’t wear their shoes, and only socks or barefoot into the bathrooms, the lavatories, we call them soakers…cause they soak up all the shit that’s on the floor.”

My informant is a flight attendant. He has worked in the industry for since his early 20’s, and learned this term from other flight attendants upon entering the industry. In private, they would call a customer they noticed entering a bathroom without shoes or socks a “soaker. My informant has seen “soakers” on many flights, and regards it as an especially disgusting phenomenon because, as he put it:

“People, you know, people just can’t see. So they’re walking on everyone’s splatter or whatever…You get turbulence, when they’re in there, you’ve got shit, you know, splattering!…Now let alone just the people that are physically ill.”

My informant laments the size of airplane lavatories as it forces passengers, both men and women, to as he put it, “splatter” all over the floor. And according to him, the “soakers” only make it worse, because they take that “splatter” and drag it all around the cabin. This folk term speaks to his, and other flight attendants’ larger frustration with the inconsiderate and unhygienic behaviors that so many passengers adopt on planes. It also speaks to their frustration with the airline companies for making bathrooms so small as to almost guarantee uncleanliness.

I think my informant marvels at soakers because they are foreign and exotic to him, as he himself is such a dignified and well-put-together person. I also think this phenomenon is a great example of how frighteningly comfortable we have gotten on airplanes. People all around the world are so used to flying that they feel at home enough to take off their shoes and socks, without even thinking about the hygienic implication.

Kama od?

Nationality: Israeli
Age: 25
Occupation: Student
Residence: Los Angeles, CA
Performance Date: 4/20/2016
Primary Language: English
Language: Hebrew

Original Script: ?כמה עוד
Phoenetic Script: Kama od?
Transliteration: How much more?
Translation: How much more?

It is forbidden for a soldier who has been in the Israeli army for less than 2 years to utter the phrase “Kama od?” or “How much more?” If he does, he will be punished by the older soldiers. My informant elaborated:

“There’s two words that no solider is allowed to say until they’ve been in the army for two years. And those are ‘Kama od?’ ‘How much more?’  Even if it’s an innocent question, even if you’re asking, oh, like, someone says, “Go pick up these boxes.” You say, ‘Oh, how much more?’ Like you’re asking about the boxes, you’re not asking, you know, in that way. But if you say, ‘How much more?’ you’ll get punished.”

My informant is a 25-year old man who spent four years in the Israeli army. He learned this piece of folklore from other soldiers upon entering the army in 2009. It was observed by all soldiers for all of his four years in the army. He describes the army as like a fraternity, full of strictly-enforced traditions passed down from generation to generation. Much like a fraternity, there is a culture of respect and status that favors those who have spent more time in the organization. According to him, it’s a given that everyone wants to leave. But those who have not worked in the army long have not yet earned the right to complain or yearn for an end to their labors.

My informant is a screenwriter, and I think he enjoys relaying this tradition because it is a detail that helps to describe a fascinating world and culture. I also believe this tradition was developed to help break down new soldiers’ sense of entitlement and individuality. It forces them to accept their situation and work within it without causing a disturbance. I imagine this kind of obedience and commitment from new soldiers is crucial to the functioning of any army. It’s also in keeping with the fraternity aspect of the army that a solider would be punished for saying it even if he wasn’t complaining. As my informant says, the older soldiers are just looking for something to entertain themselves with, and enjoy exercising their authority over the new guys.

Sana Sana, colita de rana

Age: 45

Proverb

 

Nationality- Mexico

Primary Language- Spanish

Occupation- Construction Worker

Residence- Los Angeles, CA

Date of Performance- 3/17/16

 

Sana sana, colita de rana, si no sana hoy, sanera manana.

Translation- There there, ass of a frog, if it does not feel better today, it will tomorrow

This proverb was told by Francisco Garcia, he has heard it from hundreds of people in his city Zacatecas, Mexico. He typically heard it when he was a child and injured himself. A lot of times, they could not afford medicine or any treatment so his parents would just chant the proverb and he would believe he would feel better and stop crying. He knows that a lot of people from different cultures use the same proverb in order to let their child know that the pain and injury is not permanent because it will heal and feel better the next day. He first heard it when he was about 4 or 5 years old and has told it to other children as well as his own. If he ever comes in contact with a child that has  hurt himself, many times all it takes is saying the proverb and the child will cease to cry or feel hurt.

When Francisco had said the proverb, he says it with a smile on his face to let the listener who that he is smiling because he knows everything will be okay. You usually have to rub the spot that is in pain or their head and maybe say it multiple times if it really hurts until they stop sobbing or focusing on the pain.

Francisco is from Mexico and has heard it many times where he is from. I have heard it hundreds of times as well as a child when I would injure myself. My mother, auntie or any other close relative would chant the proverb to me and I felt that I was going to be okay despite the pain. My mother and auntie are from Honduras and they have heard it when they were children as well. The proverb has almost been to every Latin American Country and has spread to the United States. That is amazing since it is just one sentence that has been able to travel so far and serve as a placebo for many children. The chant has not changed much either since it is very simple and difficult to alter.

The shrimp and the current

Age: 19

Proverb

 

Primary Language- English

Secondary Language- Spanish

Occupation- Student at LA Cal State

Residence- Los Angeles

Date of Performance- 4/19/16

El camarón que se duermi, se lo lleva la corriente.

Translation- The shrimp that sleeps, gets taken by the current

Anderson learned this proverb from his mother. His mother learned this from Salvador when she was in school with the nuns. It was their way of giving out lessons in ways that the students would remember. Anderson’s mother would also tell him this when he would slack off and get low grades. He remembers it ever since she told him in middle school because it just happened to stick to him. He mostly speaks in english now but always mocks his mom with the proverb to joke around about the times she would tell him it.

This proverb is usually used when someone needs a little lesson. If someone is doing bad in school or in other things, the proverb is used to tell that if they keep slacking off, life is going to keep pushing and dragging them away. It is typically told to kids but can always be used by a passionate and wise mother.

Proverbs like these are funny yet can offer so much insight. It basically means that when a person or shrimp begins to sleep or slack off, the current which means life or problems will sweep you away and take you with it. It teaches the listener that they have to keep working hard in order to keep fighting and pushing through their struggles. Many children that hear proverbs like these usually remember them because they are catchy. Some lessons are learned through experience yet others can be learned with proverbs such as this one.