Category Archives: Folk speech

GRANDPA’S FIRST EXORCISM

Age: 19

For this story, I spoke to my friend. He told me this story that he got from his grandfather. The following is told from his first person perspective about his grandfather.

INTERVIEWEE: “When my grandpa was 25 years old he was a deacon at a church in Riverside, California. During his time, he had some house calls regularly. He was a deacon until he was around 40 so he saw a lot of different stuff at peoples’ houses. They would typically send him to houses to pray over new houses, old people, deceased, etc. However, one time he was asked to come to a home to perform a literal exorcism which was very out of the ordinary for him.

He thought this was unusual because he had never done anything like this before. One day, the church sent him to this house to perform the exorcism on this teenage girl who was spasming out, blaspheming, and acting really funky in general. The parents had no idea what to do so they called up my grandpa who and some other people with then church. My grandpa showed up with a few other priests. The other priests must have brought a bible, a cross, and some holy water.

They went into the house and the parents directed them into the room where the teenage girl was. She couldn’t sit still. They did something and they got the demon out of her; repeating a prayer or splashing holy water on her. She tried to jump away from it, but eventually she hit the ground and started shaking and screaming for a couple minutes. During this, the priests recited the prayer again and again. Then she passes out.

The girl didn’t wake up until the following morning super exhausted. She ended up being totally fine afterwards, with no signs of possession or evil spirits holding inside her anymore yet having no idea what had happened. This actually was the last and only exorcism my grandpa had to perform during his time being a deacon; this being a very different experience for him.”

My thoughts: I find it super interesting that his grandfather never did another exorcism after this, nor having done one prior. Around this time, which was maybe the 1970’s, the first Exorcist film came out, which made exorcisms more believed in during this time perchance, which may be why he got this house call in particular. With this, the details such as the girl forgetting everything that had happened, as well as the possession itself, it makes this story very unique; especially in the perspective of someone who has never experienced something like this.

Good Luck in Ballet

Age: 21

Context:

My informant is in his twenties and has done ballet since he was young both professionally and competitively.

Text:

“So before going on stage, you say “Merde” to the other people, which means shit in French, and it’s kind of like… break a leg is like negative so you imply a positive. It’s the same thing. It’s meant to be good luck so that everyone has a great performance. 

And even though I don’t speak French, the word merde has a special place in my heart.”

Analysis:

This is an example of performative superstition within a specific folk group, in this case ballet stage performers. It functions like the phrase “break a leg” in theatre among actors, where a negative phrase is used to produce a positive outcome. This reflects a broader belief in the power of language to influence events. While participants may not literally believe that it guarantees success, as my informant seems aware of the fact it is a “superstition,” it also creates a shared understanding of the correct thing to do before a performance and creates a ritual.

This is a sort of verbal folklore where a customary phrase takes on new meaning depending on the specific context. Saying merde to someone on the street will illicit a much different reaction and hold different weight. This phrase is socially reinforced through repetition and performance. This demonstrates how folklore also relies on shared context and specific people rather than “textbook definition.”

It reinforces group identity and belonging as well, I know as a theatre student how I do feel better when someone tells me “break a leg” before a performance. It becomes more of a common courtesy and when someone outside of theatre says it I know that they are somewhat in the group as well. Saying the phrase correctly like “merde” signals membership within the ballet community and years of experience. Additionally it helps create the performance space, it may be the last thing and only thing heard before going onstage and helps signal the start of something more serious that just a rehearsal.

Break a Leg

Age: 17

Text:

“I joined theater in high school because of my sister. She did it. And I learned that you should always say ‘break a leg’ instead of ‘good luck,’ because one time I said ‘good luck,’ and the person in the show got kind of, um, angry, and explained to me how that was actually really bad luck. So now I just make sure to always say good luck I guess.”

Analysis:

This example is a form of verbal folklore, specifically a superstitious/customary phrase tied to the performance settings. It reflects a broader theatrical superstition in which saying something positive (good luck) is believed to produce a negative outcome, while saying something negative (break a leg) will bring a good performance.

The moment of correction highlights how folklore is transmitted through informal social interaction, especially within a specific folk group like theatre performers. The informant’s experience shows how members outside of the folk group are socialized into the group norms, learning not just what to say, but what meanings those phrases carry within that context.

This practice also demonstrates how folklore relies on shared belief systems, even if those beliefs are not taken literally. The rule is maintained through repetition and reinforcement by the group, giving it authority within the performance space.

More broadly, this example shows how folklore helps define group boundaries. Knowing to say “break a leg” signals membership and understanding. In this way, the phrase functions not only as a superstition, but also as a marker of identity and belonging within the theatre community.

Romanian Joke

Age: 51

Context:

The informant is a Romanian immigrant now living in the United States. She recounts the jokes from back home when she was a young in the 90s.

Text:

“We have very weird jokes they’re either offensive, or matter a fact and stupid. For example, like okay, a professor says “Bula tell us five animals from African continent,” and Bula says “1 lion and 4 monkeys.”

Bula is the name of the kid. But it’s so stupid, I find it funny. There were always people that would be saying let me tell u this joke let me tell you that.

Analysis:

This is an example of a larger cycle of Bula jokes, a well-known genre in Romanian humor built around this fool “Bula.” This example shows how folklore is not just text but performance tied to social roles. This joke works depending on who tells it and in what context.

The humor operates through anti-humor because the listener expects a thoughtful response to the professors question but instead receives something very simple. The dryness of the joke and the delivery, which is a core aspect to Romanian humor, enhances the effect in the school setting. The joke is funny because it’s matter of fact, the answer isn’t wrong exactly but it’s so literal and stupid that it’s funny. It reflects how humor can be culturally specific, and it would be a joke within a specific folk group because of it.

Additionally the repetition of Bula in other jokes and by the class clown of the class demonstrates multiplicity and variation as many jokes reuse the same character in different scenarios. This is similar to “let me tell you a joke” or “knock knock” is acts as a signal and a performance marker, listeners then know something funny is going to begin and it frames their way of looking at it.

Finally, these jokes function as a form of social bonding within a peer group, especially in school setting where humor can challenge an authority figure like professors. In strict Romanian schooling a student presenting a joke about a student who gives an absurd answer to a professor is a subtle play at power dynamics within the class. This provides a space for students to laugh at institutional authority and is probably why my informant remembers it so clearly when prompted about jokes.

Step on a Crack, you’ll Break your Mother’s Back

Interview: “Don’t step on a crack, you’ll break your mother’s back. So that’s the saying we used to… Uh… sling around on the playground. If you’re on a sidewalk or blacktop, you’re not supposed to step on the cracks. I think painted lines counted as well, in parking lots and stuff. I guess its a superstition but like, nobody actually believes it.
Its a little bit of a game. More than anything it was just to annoy people. If there’s a lull in conversation and somebody steps on a crack you’d be like: Oh, better call your mom, see if she’s okay.”

Context: The informant is 21 years old from Los Angeles. He remembers playing the game in grade school.

Analysis: This falls into a group of superstitions which are prevalent around schools. Like many school superstitions, it survives and spreads likely because the consequences are so severe. Even a child who is pretty sure that the consequences are not real, might still be hesitant to step on a crack, and might still warn his friends about it, just in case.