No Brain, No problems (Hebrew Saying)

Text

אין שכל אין בעיות

Translated roughly to no brain, no problems.

Context

The informant said that this saying might be used “if you do something dumb or if someone else does something dumb.”

Both of the informant’s parents were born in Israel, and the family all speaks in Hebrew to one another.

Analysis

The term “no brains, no problems” may be used in a situation where a person near you has erred, and the person enacting the statement wants to point out the error without being rude or offensive towards the other. By offering a sense of humor, it allows the user to diffuse the tension which may otherwise come from pointing out a mistake, and lets the other person admit to fault.

Hebrew Racing Joke

אני נהג מרוצים כי אני הנהג ואתם המרוצים

Phonetic Translation: A-nee na-HAGh me-roo-TSEEM kee A-nee ha-na-HAGh ve-a-TEM ha-me-roo-TSEEM

L: which means I’m a race car driver because I’m the driver and you’re the pleased people. It is a pun that works in Hebrew and not at all in English. I guess because race and fulfilled are the same.

Context

Both of the informant’s parents were born in Israel and they speak in Hebrew together as a family. The informant claims to have heard this joke from their Grandfather.

Analysis

As the informant pointed out, this joke is based on a play on words that calls attention to the homonym מרוצים, which means both satisfied and race. Jokes that involve a play on words are often used to communicate wit and mastery of a language. In the case of Hebrew, a language that is so uncommon, it might be even more important to be able to demonstrate such mastery.

Spirit of the Woods

Text:
KK: So, in high school, I used to live in a neighborhood that was known for having a soccer field, right? And the soccer field–I never did this, of course–in high school, a lot of people would go to the soccer field late at night to host these things that they would call “wood parties.” Basically, at the end of the soccer field there’s this long path, and you go straight into the woods from there. And people would go into the woods and they’d basically have this free-for-all where they’d drink, they’d do a lot of things, they’d hook up with people, whatever. Late at night, towards the end of my senior year, one of my friends went to one of these wood parties, and she said that there was this person in the woods that would follow the people who would stray from the group. And they could hear, like, the crunching of leaves, and they would hear, like–I don’t know what it was, but they would describe it as this wood spirit, or something, that would follow them if they were not in their group.”

Context:
KK: The context, I would think–I’m not saying she made it up, but– I’m pretty sure that, I think they were nervous cuz they would go pretty deep into the woods to hide from cops and stuff like that (laughs). So, I’m not sure if this wood spirit was maybe like, a manifestation of their fears towards getting caught by authority. But they would say that it would like, take their drinks and it would do certain things–but um, it was interesting cuz I think they were afraid of getting caught so they were very anxious. So people would say that they would notice certain things going on at their wood parties. You know, it was also a bunch of drunk teenagers, so. I don’t know.

Analysis: I think there’s definitely some value to KK’s theories about why this spirit was believed in. For high schoolers rebelling by drinking in the woods, it makes complete sense that superstitions surrounding a spirit of the forest would arise–it’s a very common set-up to spooky stories and horror movies, and the anxiety is understandable. I also think most forests and wooded areas tend to hold a bit of fear and/or mysticism for humans, and the idea of a spirit of the woods is also extremely common.

“Shit Damn Motherfucker” – Theatre Ritual

Text: “Shit damn motherfucker / motherfucker damn / this dumb bitch just stole my man / got to find another fucker better than the other fucker / shit damn motherfucker / motherfucker damn”

Context: HC is a Theatre BA at USC, and has performed / participated in many musicals on campus.

HC: I first encountered “shit damn motherfucker” during MTR’s Fun Home, my first show at USC. If I’m remembering correctly, the seniors taught it to us. You repeat it three or four times, starting really quiet and getting really, really loud, like shouting and jumping all together. It’s like– a way for the cast to get energized and pumped for the performance. From then on… I believe I’ve done it before every USC production I’ve been a part of? It just gets passed down by word of mouth by those who’ve done shows at USC before, which I think is very special. I love it, because it gets everyone connected, grounded, and really free before a show. I think it’s like… a way to get the cast out of their heads and into their bodies. Allowing them to be present and prepared for the work they’re about to do!

Analysis: I agree with HC’s analysis of this–I think the ridiculousness of the tradition allows for an outlet for nerves. It’s a reminder to not catastrophize or overthink–instead allowing the actors to have fun, jump, scream, swear in their friends’ faces, and get adrenaline up for the performance. Similar to a lot of pre-show rituals for theatre, it’s a unifying experience, and something of a reset for the entire group before undertaking a practiced performance.

“Striking” – Theatre Slang

Text: “To strike” or “striking”

Context: AB is a Screenwriting BFA at USC, though has a substantial background in theatre. In a theatrical context, the word “striking” means to clear something [a prop, set piece, etc] from the stage. This is often used during scene transitions within a performance, but can also be used in a rehearsal context for any physical piece that needs to be removed from the performance area.

Analysis: As someone with extensive experience in theatre, it can be interesting to realize what specific terminology isn’t widespread. These terms are so ingrained into your muscle memory when working in theatre, it’s startling to realize they’re not intuitive. Both AB and I are film majors with backgrounds in theatre–in film, “striking” means to turn a light on, which is completely removed from its usage within theatre.