Category Archives: Folk speech

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.

 

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.