Category Archives: Proverbs

Theater Superstition

“Bad dress, great opening”

Informant: “Basically it’s this superstition that if the dress rehearsal is terrible, then the opening night will be incredible. I’m pretty sure we just say this to make ourselves feel better about a bad rehearsal.”

context: The informant has performed in multiple plays and has many years of experience acting and singing on stage. They are heavily involved in theatre culture and has heard and participated in many theatre rituals and folklore. They also frequently travel in order to perform in or be on the crew for plays across multiple states.

analysis: This could technically fall under occupational folklore, since the informant has experience working in this field, and the beliefs are shared amongst performers specifically. This is also a proverb that specifically helps calm anxiety before they have to perform. I also understand the need for sayings like this since acting on a stage and putting on a show is such a high energy and chaotic activity to do. It also helps to reframe something bad into something positive, since a lot of things can go wrong during a theater show. It is a way to recognize and recontextualize the meaning of an uncontrollable event. This proverb also strengthens group identity as performers of the show.

Fukusui bon ni kaerazu

Text:

Informant: “My grandpa taught me a phrase called, “fukusui bon ni kaerazu”, which means “spilt water never returns to the tray”. It’s basically saying what’s done is already done, so don’t stress about it too much, and I really like it because it’s like a really zen way to live life, you know?”

Interviewer: “Oh yeah for sure, do you mind sharing when you first heard this, and the kind of effect this had on your life”

Informant: “Yeah, so my grandpa told me that during my senior year, and I was basically telling him how there was a part of me that regretted being set on going ROTC for college early on instead of trying to like actually go further with hockey, since I didn’t try to talk to any college coaches or like go to more camps, since I was like always just set that it’d be better off to go to college since the chance of making it pro is so slim. And I think what made me regret so suddenly was just watching all the other guys I grew up playing with going onto play higher levels either in pros or college but him telling me that and kind of explaining how it’s useless to stress about the past helped me get closure and just move on, since I could still play hockey at USC in the club team even if it might not be as flashy as the pros.”

“I think in general the phrase just helped me learn to not take everything too seriously, and just let things happen instead of trying to control everything, since whatever happens happens.”

Context:

The informant is a 19 year old sophomore at USC, who is studying environmental science. He grew up in Irvine, California, and played hockey all his life, and still plays to this day on the USC men’s club hockey team. This topic came up after I came back from playing intramural basketball, and told him about how I missed the feeling of playing actual organized sports and wished I was good enough to have had the chance to play in college, even if it was a small D3 or JUCO school. Relating to the experience, he shared his hockey experience and our conversation reached this topic. As shown in the interview, the phrase was told to him by his grandfather, who was a second-generation Japanese American; for the informant’s interpretation, it seems he took the literal meaning to heart, and uses it in his life to help him mentally not stress too much about past regrets or mistakes.

Analysis:

This Japanese proverb is a perfect exemplification of a traditional verbal folktale, as it is a long-standing saying in Japan that was passed down orally through family for this informant. The context of use for this proverb is to offer emotional wisdom, emphasizing that it’s what’s past is past, and that it’s foolish to let any form of regret from the past continue to affect one’s life. For this informant, just as how verbal folklore is passed down intimately between individuals, he learned this proverb from a family member. This informant’s story also holds cultural significance, as with the informant being a fourth generation immigrant who is culturally closer to the U.S than Japan, him still finding meaning within a Japanese proverb and its application to an important decision in his life shows how folklore can be meaningful across multiple cultures.

El que come y canta loco se levanta

Text: El que come y canta loco se levanta

Translation: He who eats and sings rises a madman.

Informant’s Interpretation: The informant shared that for her family, it meant that you should not do two things at the same time, and they should focus on the food on their plate rather than the words in their mouth. 

Context: The informant’s father would say this to her and her siblings growing up to get them to stop talking more than they were eating at the table. The informant, who is Mexican American, grew up in Texas near the border in the 60s/70s. 
Analysis: The phrase itself, “El que come y canta loco se levanta”, uses exaggeration (“rises a madman”) to create a memorable and slightly humorous warning to the children hearing it. Like many proverbs, its literal meaning is less important than its applied meaning, which in this case is about maintaining focus and proper behavior at the table. The informant’s father adapts the proverb as a form of disciplinary speech, using it to reinforce expectations around mealtime etiquette. I believe it is reflective of larger trends of parents wanting their children to eat at the table rather than goof off and let their food get cold.

Christian Ritual – Blessings, Bible Verse, Appreciations

Age: 22

Text
“Every day, my grandpa on my dad’s side sends me his blessings and a Bible verse in the morning, and I write it down every day in my notebook and I say three things that I’m grateful for and I also say well like what I guess the Bible like means to me so yeah that’s like a ritual or tradition of my faith that I do.”

Context
Having grown up in a family of devout Christians, IK explains that the daily routine of sending blessings and a Bible verse is one that his grandpa does for all members of his family. For IK personally, he also adds saying his appreciations and the meaning of the Bible to his daily routine as a way to honor his faith and start off each day strong.

Analysis
This is an example of a ritual in IK’s life that exemplifies his belief, which in this case is his Christian faith, and is an example of Kaptchuk’s ritual theory as repeated routines that create some emotional change. It represents a core piece of his family lore that has been passed from his grandfather to every member of his family and that he will continue to share to his kids and grandkids. This ritual also serves a specific function, as for IK the blessings, Bible verses, and appreciations are a way for him to honor his faith before the start of each day and go into each day with the strength of God behind him. For IK, this routine is not just a habit, it is a ritual that serves a specific powerful purpose each morning. As a Christian myself, this story strengthened my place in the Christian folk group because my mom and my grand uncle also send me daily Bible verses, and it’s cool to see that it is a common practice and one that I should continue to honor and eventually pass down to my kids.

Nicaraguan Proverb – The Viper is Under the Stone

Age: 20

Context:

The informant’s family is from Nicaragua and often uses this proverbial phrase as a warning about the unseemly character of others. It is said to caution others in regards to friends or acquittances.

Text:

A: “Okay, so my grandma is from Nicaragua and so one of the sayings my mom will say to me sometimes it’s : ‘debajo de la piedra está la víbora. ‘ So, in English, it means the viper is under the stone.”

K: “The viper is under the stone?”

A: “Yeah, so that basically translates to for example somebody who seems nice on the outside or one way but behind the scenes they are not as nice as they seem and actually could be like manipulative or like rotten inside.

Analysis:

This Nicaraguan proverbial phrase is a part of verbal folklore and acts as a metaphor within the informant’s culture to warn against deceptive people. It follows the structure of proverbial phrases by commenting on the hidden character of manipulation, represented by the image of a viper. The passing down of the proverb shows how verbal folklore continues across generations to socialize and educate children. This metaphor highlights the role of folk belief in navigating personal relationship and uncertainty.