Category Archives: Proverbs

Bottom of my shoes

Nationality: Greek
Age: 82
Residence: Northridge, Los Angeles
Performance Date: 2-22-23
Primary Language: Greek
Language: english

Text:

“I will write your name on the bottom of my old shoes” (Σε γράφω στα παλιά μου τα παπούτσια)

Context:

EF is an eight-two-year-old woman who is like a surrogate grandma to me. She lives in Northridge, CA., but grew up in a small Greek village called Corfu; she remains very connected to her Greek heritage and culture. From her cooking to her proverbial warnings, she is filled with unique folklore that she loves to share. I facetimed EF and asked her to give me staple proverbs or sayings from her small village. She decided to share this proverb because it stood out in her mind.

EF- When a guy is very angry at another guy, he can say “I will write you on the bottom of my shoe.” That’s when they want nothing to do with each other. 

Interviewer- Can you remember a time when you heard someone say this?

EF- (in a serious tone) Yes! My ex-husband screamed it at my brother (bursts out laughing).

After she finished chuckling, she explained that it is a very serious insult but mostly exchanged between men.

Analysis:

Since the informant did not know when she heard this proverb, that pointed to a possible historical origin. I researched the phrase and found one explanation. According to the article, this insult dates back to a practice by a Babylonian king when firing the lords. The king would write the unlucky lord’s name on the bottom of a pair of old shoes and send them to him. This represented not only the lord’s loss of title but also that he meant nothing to the king anymore (Kontolemos, 2022). It is understandable why this is perceived as a very serious statement that is only used in intense arguments. The fact that this folk speech is still widely used in Greece illustrates how important history and tradition is in Greek culture. Beyond the Babylonian explanation, one could interpret this phrase as the person is so worthless that they belong under my shoe like trash. The theatrical nature of writing a person’s name on old shoes represents an ongoing insult because the name will never come off the shoes, just as the person who wronged you will never mean anything to you again.

Kontolemos, A. (2022, May 12). 11 greek expressions you should know. Mental Floss. Retrieved February 23, 2023, from https://www.mentalfloss.com/posts/greek-phrases

That’s the Way the Cookie Crumbles

Occupation: Student
Performance Date: Feb. 16, 2023
Primary Language: English

CONTEXT: 

K is a freshman at USC studying American Studies & Ethnicity (African American Studies). He plays video games with his family.

TEXT:

If I’m playing a game, and I’m losing, and I understand why that’s happening, I go ‘well, that’s the way the cookie crumbles.’ I think it was like my brother. And my sister. I can’t remember exactly which one, but we were playing a game together. I think it was on Nintendo, so I think it was Smash. And I lost to my siblings, like several times, because I’m not very good at that game. They’re like masters. And I’m just like, ‘well, that’s the way the cookie crumbles.’ Because like, I had basically no chance to win from then to there. But most of the time they’ll be kicking my ass. Like every which way.

ANALYSIS:

There are lots of variations on this saying, such as “such is life,” or “it is what it is.” Essentially, this particular saying seems to represent another way to express how it all breaks down — how everything happens. To people who use it, it seems to denote an acceptance of an unpleasant reality, in which nothing can be changed about how what’s happened has happened, or how the cookie has crumbled. The idea that it is specifically a cookie crumbling, however, rather than a cake or any other sweet, denotes a focus on a sweet that easily drops crumbs. Cookies often take the form of a more brittle baked good, and that means if it is broken, it drops a lot more pieces and crumbs of itself. When a cookie crumbles, one would not know how it does, just that it does and they lose a piece of the sweet baked good. This is, interestingly, the other side of a snack eaten commonly together, while used the same way. Cookies and milk are often eaten together, and there is a saying that goes “There is no use crying over spilt milk.” The same meaning is derived from both — reality has already occurred, and there is no use dwelling on it.

冻得像个寒号鸟 (Dong De Xiang Ge Han Hao Niao): Frozen Like a Winter-Cry Bird

Nationality: USA
Occupation: Student
Performance Date: Feb. 22, 2023
Primary Language: English
Language: Chinese

CONTEXT:

A is one of my best friends. She is a senior in high school from my hometown. Her parents immigrated from China, and she was born in Cincinnati, Ohio and spent her early years as a child in Chicago before moving to San Diego. 

The context of this piece was during a facetime call in which I asked her to share some pieces of folklore with me. 

In Mandarin Chinese, there are many sayings that are short metaphors and morals derived from origin folktales, often involving animals or foolish people. These sayings are known as 成语 (chengyu). 

TEXT:

A: “So when I was younger, my dad and I had this routine that we would go through every time we went out. And it was always my dad saying ‘Go grab a jacket, it’s gonna be cold.’ And I’d be like, ‘No, I’m fine.’ And then I would go out and I’d be cold. And he would see me being cold. And when he would give me his jacket, he would also be like, ‘冻得像个寒号鸟,’ which, in English, is ‘frozen like this specific species of bird.’ The story behind it is that there’s like, there was this bird called 寒号鸟, and it lived in this tree. And summer ended, and fall approached like all of these birds were flying south right? And they were always like, ‘寒号鸟, you have to come south with us. You’re gonna freeze to death.’ And the bird would always be like, ‘No, it’s too late, I don’t want to go.’ And then more and more birds were flying and leaving, and it just wouldn’t go because it was lazy. And then winter actually came and it couldn’t fly through the snow and then it froze to death. So that’s why my dad was always like, ‘冻得像个寒号鸟.’

Me: “How do you feel about that particular phrase?

A: “I definitely feel some exasperation, almost, because it would be like, ‘Okay, I get it.’ You’re saying I should have listened to you and I should have listened to your advice. And I shouldn’t be lazy. I should go grab a jacket.’

Me: “Do you find that it’s helped your habit at all?”

A: “I mean, I think all kids grow up to become more responsible. And I don’t think he’s said that in a really long time, actually. But it’s something that I remember.”

ANALYSIS:

This story seems to have many different versions, but for the most part, the context is the same. The lessons of some of the other documented versions of this story seem to be focused on discouraging laziness and lack of preparation, and tend to be utilized for situations beyond literally freezing. In A’s instance, however, it is about literally being prepared for the cold. However, to me, it seems to be less about laziness and more about just not acting like you can handle more cold than you can, and her father seems to be comparing her to the bird in terms of the cold rather than saying she’s being lazy. Parents, especially when their children are young, often take pleasure in proving themselves right. For something like wearing a jacket in the cold, this is one of the most common ones, even across cultures. For Chinese Americans, though, it ties in with its own story — beyond a simple “I told you so” into a fixed phrase for a specific occurrence.

Minor Genre: Proverb 

Nationality: Filipino American
Age: 18
Occupation: Student
Residence: USC
Performance Date: 2/16/23
Primary Language: English

“Pag May tiyaga May Nilaga”

Translation: “If you persevere, you will reap the fruits of your labor.” 

Context: The informant first heard this Filipino phrase from their grandparents and then saw as it was passed down to their parents. Essentially describing that persevering and hard work is how you will be successful because success doesn’t come out of nowhere, you need to earn it. Additionally saying “no pain, no gain” or how it takes time for something good to happen, encouraging patience. The informant was always told this phrase when they would be going through difficulties with school, friends, or anything that emotionally or physically affected them. As a whole, this encouraged Filipino children to always work hard for what they want and to make sure they persevere and don’t give up. It allows them to create goals and strive to achieve them even when life gets tough. The fixed phrase is full of wisdom, but that wisdom can be problematic because it illustrates that Filipinos that aren’t succeeding aren’t working hard enough which is false.

Analysis: This proverb gives children and essentially everyone motivation in whatever they are doing. To tell them that you need to work hard to be successful. However, it’s kind of problematic in a way because for certain minority groups, as much as you work hard, you are still at a disadvantage to straight white men. Although it encourages good working habits, you aren’t guaranteed success no matter how hard you work because our society is structured around the needs of straight white men. The rest of society is at a disadvantage already because of the foundation our country was built upon. Even though it’s not the same everywhere around the world, in America, it’s easier said than done for most people. The term is more widely known around the world as “no pain, no gain” which displays that you have to suffer in order to succeed.

Minor Genre: Proverb

Nationality: Russian
Age: 18
Occupation: Student
Residence: USC
Performance Date: 2/22/2023
Primary Language: Russian
Language: English

“Не пуха, ни пера, к черту” – translate to “no feathers, to the devil”

Context: Before a competition, interview, exam or something that you needed to do well on, your coach, family members, or friends would say this to you. In a personal context, this was said before her ballet competition in Russia every time she was about to compete in order to have good luck. This proverb is used rhetorically as a fixed phrase and was mainly said by elders to a younger audience. This was a very common phrase she heard growing up in Russia and was something she used as encouragement and confidence to succeed in whatever she was doing. She first heard it from her dad when she went to school for an exam and from then on it became a very common phrase used by the people around her, and eventually her ballet coach. Whether she was at school, in a tournament, or about to do something exhilarating, this was the phrase heard every time.

Analysis: This phrase is very similar to one we have in American culture, “break a leg,” which has the meaning of good luck and is said before an important event that you want to succeed in. As a fixed phrase used to give a blessing, the metaphorical meaning behind it is similar to the American version of this proverb. Nobody wants you to actually break your leg, but instead it’s a backwards metaphor saying good luck to you. This was apart of Russian “paremiology” where essentially everyone knows this basic proverb. Similar to the United States, everyone knows the phrase “break a leg” and the real meaning behind it.