Category Archives: general

Musical Joke about Oboes

Piece of Folklore:

“How do you get two oboes to play in tune?… to kill one of them.”

Context:

I collected this piece of folklore from my informant in an interview while at the informant’s house. The informant, my brother, was told this joke by his high school band teacher. My informant went to high school in California. He said that he can’t remember if he or anyone else actually laughed at this joke, but they at least smiled. My informant also told me that one of the reasons the joke was funny (and why he remembers it) was because it wasn’t what was expected to come out of a Christian high school teacher’s mouth.

Thoughts/Analysis:

This joke would most likely be unique to music folk groups especially ones that specialize in classical music where oboes are more common. Oboes are notoriously hard instruments to play in tune especially for beginners, so this joke which may seem vulgar or extreme to people outside of a music folk group could probably get a laugh from people who understand, and who possibly have heard, what oboes sound like out of tune.

Annotation:

For another version of this joke see http://uscfolklorearc.wpenginepowered.com/?p=11158

Folk Remedy: Ginger Ale, Saltines, and Chicken Noodle Soup

Nationality: African American
Age: 60
Performance Date: April 21, 2020
Primary Language: English

Main Piece:

“Whenever anyone in our household would get sick, it didn’t really matter what kind of sickness you had, or at least that’s what I remember, but whenever you got sick you were immediately put on a diet of chicken noodle soup, saltine crackers, and ginger ale.”

Context:

I collected this piece of folklore during an interview at the informant’s house. My informant is an African American who grew up in Cleveland, Ohio. My informant also said that this remedy was used for anything from a fever and a stomach ache to chicken pox and the measles.

My Thoughts:

It is not uncommon in American folklore for chicken soup to be the go-to meal when someone, in particular a child, is sick. Ginger ale is also common to use to help with stomach issues like indigestion. So, both of these foods are widespread in their use as a folk remedy for illnesses. Saltine crackers are also a folk remedy to deal with an upset stomach. All of these foods are meant to help with common illnesses by using food easily accessible instead of buying western medicine which in the case of children, especially young children, these foods may be preferable to giving them over-the-counter drugs. It also may just be less expensive to give them these comfort foods when they are ill.

Macbeth Superstition

Nationality: Italain/Maltese American
Age: 19
Performance Date: April 28,2020
Primary Language: English

Main Piece:

“There’s an unwritten rule in the theatre that you cannot say the word ‘Macbeth’ in the theatre because it gives bad luck to the production.”

Context:

I collected this piece of folklore during an over-the-phone interview. My informant is a university student who currently resides in California, but she goes to school in New York where she learned this piece of folklore.

My Thoughts:

My informant told me that she did not know the history surrounding the superstition. However, if she had to guess as to why the superstition exists is because of the witches in the play. Witches commonly associated with evil could bring bad luck to the play so if “Macbeth” is uttered in a theatre (other than what is called for in the script) disaster could ensue. The origin online is said to be speculated as due to the play being produced by financial unstable companies so the play would end in financial ruin for many companies since Macbeth is associated with high costs. Thus, bad luck was then associated with Macbeth. There are also cleansing rituals if someone does say “Macbeth” that someone must do before they can be readmitted into the theatre.

Cold Remedies – Whiskey & Honey Milk

Nationality: French American
Age: 54
Occupation: Relocation Consultant
Residence: Pasadena, CA
Primary Language: English

Context: 

This piece is collected in a casual interview setting around a cup of coffee. My informant (BA) was born in Lille, France, and moved to California in 2002 with her husband for their jobs at Caltech. She has a Master in Human Resources and Detection of High Potentials, is a mother of two teenage girls, loves to garden and go on hikes, and is overall a very energetic and happy woman. 

Main Piece:

The following is transcribed from a conversation between the informant (BA) and interviewer.

Interviewer: How do you treat a sore throat?

BA: So, there are two ways. There’s the version a little more aggressive.  You take a chug of whiskey, you gurgle it around, you remove all the bacteria, and its supposed to leave [the bacteria and sore throat]. And the grandma remedy, which I love, and can’t do any har, is that you take a, a, a bowl of hot milk, actually more warm, you put two teaspoons of honey, you turn, you mix, and you drink it. That’ll take care of your sore throat.

Interviewer: Where did you learn these remedies? 

BA: My grandmother would make me drink the milk and my dad, who used the more aggressive method, made me drink whiskey. I liked the grandma version better *laughs* but I made my girls try both when they were little! 

Thoughts:

Growing up, the whiskey method was not my favorite either, but my parents and neighbors, who we are very close to, insisted I try it if medicine or hot milk and honey didn’t do the trick. The hot milk and honey is a remedy I use all the time, but I also use it to destress when I’m feeling anxious, not only for sore throats. Although I don’t think it cures a cold, it does help with the symptoms. 

Thumb-a-War

Nationality: French American
Age: 16
Occupation: Student
Residence: Pasadena CA
Performance Date: April 28
Primary Language: English

Context: 

This piece was collected in a casual interview setting on the informant’s living room couch . My informant (CH) was born in Pasadena, CA, but grew up in a very French household, learning English as her second language. All of her education has been in American schools, but she learned how to read and write French thanks to after school lessons her mom gave her and her older sister. She is currently a Sophomore in high school and enjoys horseback riding. 

Main Piece:

Interviewer: Do you remember the Thumb-a-Wars from when we were little? Can you describe them to me?

CA: Wait, wait, let’s just do it. *both turn to sit facing each other* Ok film it from above, yeah *moves the interviewer’s hand to a good position*

Interviewer: *interview switches from voice recording to camera and they proceed to film the video*

Both: *Sing Thumb-a-War song and then play*

One, two, three, four

I declare a thumb-a-war

Five, six, seven, eight,

Try and keep your thumb straight

Interviewer: *after settling down from laughing and playing a few games. Switches back to voice recording* Ok *laughs* so where and when did you learn this.

CH: I learned it at school! In like, kindergarten and we  played it during recess. Everyone I know knows the game so even today if my friend and I are bored we can just play for funsies. 

The following is transcribed from a conversation between the informant (CH) and interviewer.

Thoughts: 

Thumb-a-War was a very popular game when I was in elementary school. We would play it during recess or on bus rides to field trips. We would have big competitions between classmates to figure out who was the strongest boy and strongest girl in the grade, so I have a lot of very good memories of this game! Like CA said, everyone who’s around my age knows this game, so we can whip it out at any time and play if we’re bored.