Category Archives: Folk speech

Raise the Pump Handle

Nationality: American
Age: 58
Occupation: Manager
Residence: Tulsa, OK
Performance Date: March 13th, 2016
Primary Language: English

The informant is my father, John Michael Rayburn, born in 1957 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He spent his childhood in Dell City, a suburb to Oklahoma City, before graduating from the University of Oklahoma with a degree in business. His parents are both from Arkansas.

In this piece, my father talks about the folk speech “raise the pump handle”, which is a way to cure a bad cough.

Dad: When I was a kid, back in the mid 60’s, we would go on vacation in Arkansas. We’d go to my grandmother’s house, and she was still living in this small house out in the country.

Me: Wasn’t everything in Arkansas in the mid 60’s the country?

Dad: Basically, yeah, yeah. But when we’d be eating and one of the kids, one of my cousins or some kid that was just staying over, started coughing my grandmother or one of my aunts would say “raise the pump handle”. Then they’d raise one of your arms up over your head and you’d stop coughing.

Me: So, what’s “raise the pump handle,” mean?

Dad: The pump handle they referred to was the hand pump that would draw water up from the well that was dug in my grandmother’s back yard. This was how they’d get water. It was this long, wooden handle that when you raised the pump handle this nice, cold, clear water would come out of the well. So they’d say “raise the pump handle,” and you’d raise your arms up and it would open the airway and help whatever was causing the cough. I’m sure all of my cousins have used this saying with their grandkids.

Me: This is the first I’m hearing of it.

Dad: Oh, I just thought coughing would help you build character.

Me: Who are you? The dad from Calvin and Hobbes?

[Dad Laughs]

Dad: I guess so, yeah. Anyways, I don’t know how long that was a saying, but the first time I heard it was from my grandma in the 1960’s.

My dad really likes these kinds of sayings, and has always used them as I’ve been growing up. I believe that he likes using them because it gives him something unique a lot of other people don’t have, and when other people knows this obscure reference then it means they have something in common. My dad, as long as I’ve known him, has never been afraid to be exactly who he is. Using such an odd and little known metaphor is something that I think connects him to his past and where he’s come from, and has no shame in where he’s come from.

The Bee’s Knees

Nationality: Half Chinese, Half Japanese
Age: 20
Occupation: College Student
Residence: Los Angeles, California
Performance Date: 4/16/16
Primary Language: English

Informant is a 20 year-old, female, college student studying at the University of Southern California. She is half Japanese and half Chinese.

Informant: I know this saying called “You are the bee’s knees.”

Collector: What does this saying mean to you?

Informant: It just means that someone is really wonderful. That someone’s really great. The person that you’re calling the bee’s knees is someone you really like and admire.

Collector: Where did you learn this?

Informant: I’ve always just heard it around. I hear people say it from time to time.

Collector: Why do you like it?

Informant: I just think it’s cute. And also it’s something that I hear a lot.

I think that people say this because it sounds cute–bee’s rhymes with knees, and expressions that rhyme catch on. Also, there’s this idea that bee’s knees are very delicate, and the person that you’re describing is delicate and delightful. On a scientific level, bees collect nectar from flowers on their limbs, so in a way, the sweetness on the bee’s knees can be used to describe someone who is sweet.

Chinese Proverb: “The Thousand Mile Horse”

Nationality: Chinese
Age: 53
Occupation: Microscope Store Manager
Residence: Southern California
Performance Date: 4/20/16
Primary Language: Chinese
Language: English

Informant is a 53 year-old Chinese female. She was born and raised in Beijing, China, and now lives in Southern California.

Informant’s folklore: There’s a saying in China called “A Thousand Mile horse is easy to find, the discoverer is hard to find.” A “Thousand Mile Horse” is a horse that can run a thousand miles in one night, like a very talented person. But, it’s not easy to find such a great talent, but in comparison to the discoverer, it’s harder to find. This means that talented people exists, but they need to be discovered and recommended.

Collector: Do you like this proverb?

Informant: Yes, I like it. It means, you are talented, but you need to get opportunities and meet people who can appreciate you to discover your talent and help you reach your full potential.

I think that this proverb means that all the elements need to be in place for success–the stars need to align. As person who has a dream needs to not only have talent, but seek and be open to the opportunities presented to him in order to become successful in his pursuits.

Break a Leg

There’s a long running saying in the theater culture, where instead of wishing someone good luck, you are supposed to say, “Break a leg.” It’s actually considered bad luck to literally wish someone good luck. According to The Phrase Finder, it could potentially imply that this person has put on such a good performance that they literally bend their knees “in a bow or to curtsey to acknowledge applause.” Another meaning could be that the actors may get their big “break” from this performance and their performance leads them to success.

I think that this superstition reflects the mental mindset of people who are in performance or show business. There’s never a guarantee of success, and so much of the career in acting or performance is based on luck, chance, and the hope that you will be discovered. Therefore, it’s important to be careful and superstitious, so that the performer’s mind is filled with positive energy, as so much of their career is dependent on their optimism and mental drive.

Chinese Proverb: Sow Seeds Before Rain

Nationality: Chinese
Age: 53
Occupation: Microscope Store Manager
Residence: Southern California
Performance Date: 4/20/16
Primary Language: Chinese
Language: English

Informant is a 53 year-old Chinese female. She was born and raised in Beijing, China, where she used to work as a farmer. She now lives in Southern California.

Informant: This proverb, “Sow Seeds Before Rain” means that you need to plan ahead. Sow the seeds before it rains, so that after it rains, your crops will have grown, and you won’t have to worry about lacking water or working in the rain.

Collector: What does this mean to you?

Informant: Without foresight, you will always run into problems. If you don’t have a future plan, you will always focus on the present, short term, problems. It means that a person will live in the problems of every day life because he is only solving the temporary problems, without knowing what’s the long term plan or focus. You can take life or business for an example. You need to have a plan–What should I do in five years? What will happen in 10 years? You need to see personal growth and development.

Collector: Do you like this saying?

Informant: Yes, I like this saying, because it’s something that I live by. A person needs to have a plan for their life, what their goals are. Even for businesses, you need to plan ahead, and can’t always focus on the small tasks and forget the larger tasks. This is very important to the development and growth the a person, business, and even nation.

I think that the informant did a good job of explaining the meaning of this proverb. It’s a philosophical way to approach life and reach one’s full potential as a human being. This proverb is reflective of the attitudes of people who aspire to be successful in the fields they choose.