Category Archives: Folk speech

One good friend is better than a thousand poor ones

Age: 18

Proverb

 

Primary Language- English

Occupation- USC Student

Residence- Kansas City, Missouri

Date of Performance- 4/25/16

One good friend is better than a thousand poor ones.

Quinn learned this proverb from his father when he was back home. He was having trouble with some of his friends and his dad gave him that advice. Growing up, Quinn thought his father made up the message to him a long time ago, but later learned that he had learned it from television and thought the quote was spot on. The quote is special to Quinn because he knows that even though he might lose friends, as long as he has some good friends who are going to stay for the long run, everything is going to be alright.

This proverb is usually said to teach a person a lesson or just give them advice on life. There is nothing complex about when or how to say at as long as the intentions are good.

This proverb can be seen as a way of life. I would agree 100% with it because in this generation, you can never know who to trust and how long people will stick around for and with you. A thousand poor friends can never give you the same satisfaction or feeling as having one good friend. The proverb can make somebody feel better in rough times as it did to Quinn and many others that pass it around. One sentence can be a huge change on how someone feels and looks at life. It is also easy to derive its meaning if you have any sort of common sense so everybody who listens or reads it can know what it means.

 

Indian Riddle- Big and little Indian

Age: 47

Indian Riddle

 

Primary Language- English

Occupation- Head of Marketing Department

Residence- Los Angeles, California

Date of Performance- 4/25/16

Riddle- There are two Indians: a big Indian, and a little Indian. the little Indian is the big Indian’s son but the big Indian is not the little Indian’s father. How is this possible?

Answer- the big Indian is the little Indian’s mother

Elizabeth learned this riddle when she was a child. Her parents were waiting in line with her and they decided to kill time with a riddle. They asked her this riddle and she simply could not figure it out. She spent the whole time in line and the trip back home trying to figure out the riddle. There was no internet when she was a kid so she could not just ask google. It took her two days to finally realize that the riddle was very simple and the big indian was the little indians’ mother. She will always remember the riddle because of how long it took her to find an easy answer and for her, it will always remain an indian riddle.

The riddle can be used anywhere anytime. There are many publications of this riddle all over the internet. There are used to pass by time or test someone’s brain power.

Riddles like these can provide a great time. They are really simple but some people think they are very complex. I had actually asked one of my roommates the same riddle and it took him a good 15 minutes to figure it out! Although the riddle says big Indian and small Indian, all you have to do is change Indian for something like Italian and it people automatically will associate the riddle with Italian and perhaps believe it originated from there. It is an example of how a small change in the documentation of folklore can change its meaning and peoples perspective.

 

Whistling at Night in Taiwan

Nationality: Taiwanese-American
Age: 19
Occupation: Student
Residence: Roscoe, Illinois
Performance Date: April 26, 2016
Primary Language: English
Language: Mandarin, Taiwanese, French

Main piece:

Whistling at night summons the ghosts.

 

Background information (Why does the informant know or like this piece? Where or who did they learn it from? What does it mean to them?):

I was always musically inclined, so I would always whistle at night, and I would always get the reminder from my grandma. They use it in a lot of Asian movies. So every time I guess I watch some of those movies, I would be reminded of my grandma or vice versa. I’m now very self conscious of whistling at night, even today.

 

Context (When or where would this be performed? Under what circumstance?):

I remember when I was in Taiwan once, I was whistling in an elevator at night, and two elderly women who I didn’t even know told me. It’s kind of a universal thing, everyone knows it. It tends to be among older people though.

 

Personal Analysis:

This warning seems like an attempt to soothe the rambunctious behavior of younger children. Easily swayed by the threat of a ghost, kids may stop their unwelcome behavior of whistling late at night. The informant mentioned that members of older generations are more likely to bring up this proverb. They may have been a child when Taiwan was a more dangerous place, and police may not have existed in small villages. Not only is it rather loud and obnoxious, whistling may also call attention to a child and increase the chances of a kidnapping to occur.

Rice Pimples

Nationality: Taiwanese-American
Age: 19
Occupation: Student
Residence: Roscoe, Illinois
Performance Date: April 26, 2016
Primary Language: English
Language: Mandarin, Taiwanese, French

Main piece:

Every grain of rice you don’t eat will become a pimple the next day.

 

Background information (Why does the informant know or like this piece? Where or who did they learn it from? What does it mean to them?):

I was reminded every day until I was like eight or nine and then it continued to today, but not as often. Maybe once every four or five meals. I learned it from my dad. It goes back in terms of tradition for not wasting food. Its really pointed at younger people who are obviously more conscious about their appearance.

 

Context (When or where would this be performed? Under what circumstance?):

Dinner. Not lunch, only dinner. I guess I never had rice for lunch. But, I suppose any meal with rice would apply. Especially family meal times. Even if I just went with my dad to dinner- it’s mostly at home.

 

Personal Analysis:

This piece is almost exclusively directed at children and molding their behavior. In American culture, a similar saying would be, “Eat your food, there are starving children in Africa who aren’t as fortunate to have a good meal.” The informant mentions that the saying is directed at adolescents because they care more about their appearance, but I think the underlying reason is because that age range is generally more prone to acne than any other. Also, that age range tends to be more moody and retaliatory than any other. They might need an extra incentive –say, a clear face– to listen to their parents and finish their dinners.  

Wasting Time Shortens Potential

Nationality: Taiwanese-American
Age: 19
Occupation: Student
Residence: Roscoe, Illinois
Performance Date: April 26, 2016
Primary Language: English
Language: Mandarin, Taiwanese, French

Main piece:

Wasting time shortens potential.

 

Background information (Why does the informant know or like this piece? Where or who did they learn it from? What does it mean to them?):

It was like a motivational thing that my dad would tell me a lot. Not just school, but in sports too. In sports it was huge for me. I learned it from my dad, from a very young age. I would say like six or seven. He would say it to me after hockey games. It was the idea that practice is allocated time and it doesn’t go to waste. It’s a motivational, positive thing. Learn from your mistakes and don’t waste your time feeling sad about it. It’s a very future oriented saying. It’s about moving on, really.

 

Context (When or where would this be performed? Under what circumstance?):

Mostly after major events, like milestones. Also sometimes little events, every hockey event or every track meet. It’s mostly a negative thing. It’s said during negative time for positive reinforcement. Positive connotation used in a negative context. I still hear it to this day. Six years old to nineteen. My dad will say it over the phone. And again, it’s not just academic. Sometimes it’ll relate to relationships, like girls, or activities.

 

Personal Analysis:

This piece is rather interesting, because it is a positive statement used in negative situations. It took a relatively long time for me to actually understand what the informant meant when he explained the implications. In reality, I’m not quite sure if he could have explained it to me in a way that I would have completely understood, but maybe that’s one of the intricacies of folklore. I understand this piece in a way that may be different that the informant simply because I am not of his culture.