Nationality: American 

Age: 24

Occupation: Student

Residence: Los Angeles, but from Cleveland, OH

Collected Feb 27, 2025

Primary Language: English

Context:

“When Robert Griffin III was playing QB at Baylor University in 2011, the odds were stacked against them. Baylor’s football program at the time did not have a winning history and competed in the BIG 12 which is a power conference in college football. His mantra was “no pressure, no diamonds” to get his mind right when playing in the spotlight. That year, he led Baylor to a major upset win over Oklahoma and got to a new years’ six bowl. The phrase emphasizes that you need to deal with pressures and adversity to accomplish great things. Diamonds are created through immense pressure, so when I am confronted with pressure, I remind myself of this and power through. I learned this phrase watching him as I grew up and the phrase stuck with me.”

Personal Analysis:

With this one, the origin is relatively clear, although when exactly he learned it is less so. In talking to him, it seemed that he started saying this at around 9 years old, and in my own personal experience being his friend I’ve heard him say this many times. In this case I’d assess the significance that in the information age our proverbs and life lessons do not just come from our parents, family, and teachers, but instead from the outside world. Little kids listening to a postgame interview have their lives altered by the words of their favorite athlete. This is a mixed bag, but in this case, really cool.

“What goes around comes back around”

Nationality: American 

Age: 22

Occupation: Student

Residence: LA, CA but from San Francisco

Collected Feb 27, 2025

Primary Language: English

Context:

“This is a very common proverb and my I know my parents didn’t use it a whole lot growing up so I’m not entirely sure where I first heard it but I mainly think of the Justin Timberlake song when I use it or hear it. I interpret the saying as what you put out into the world will be reciprocated back to you. The main context I hear it used in is when someone is doing something clearly wrong or immoral someone else might use it to warn them that they’ll get “bad karma” for what they did.”

Personal Analysis:

A very common proverb, but one that remains common largely because of how true it seems to be for most people. I think the historical and societal values this saying is based on are one that preach, at least in theory, fairness. The idea that positive conduct is not done in a vacuum but instead rewarded, and that for those who are evil or dishonest that the same will be done unto them. I think this is a relatively Christian belief, or at least within Christian morality, or possibly within the Buddhist idea of karma.

Age: 22

Profession: Student

Hometown: San Francisco

“Two Wrongs Don’t Make a Right”

“My mom used to say this proverb to me growing up. To me what it means is that when you or someone else does something wrong, following it up with a wrongdoing of your own to try to undo it won’t make the problem any better. I don’t really use this very much but I do consider it when I’m in applicable situations.”

This is another fairly common folk saying. I was also taught this saying when I was little by one of my teachers, and have used it myself as well. I think the basis of the idea behind this one is that it is not good to act reciprocally bad to someone who has wronged you, or to treat someone with malice if they have chosen that course themselves.

“Don’t be a cake!”

Nationality: American 

Age: 53

Occupation: Attorney

Residence: Boulder, CO

Collected Feb 27, 2025

Primary Language: English

Context:

“I don’t know the exact origin of this one in my life, but I think it was something I started as a dad. One of my main principles in raising you guys was making sure you could handle adversity, and so from a young age if I thought you could toughen your way through something, I’d often tell you to stop caking, or to stop being a cake. To be a “cake” was to be a weakling, and was a source of shame. Funny enough, you guys adopted it yourselves, calling each other “cakes” if you were perceived as being meek in the eyes of the other twin.”

Personal Analysis:

Growing up with this one, it was really funny to hear my dad mention it as folk speech in our family of four. I’ve admittedly never heard this used outside our little circle, but we would use this all the time growing up and still jokingly use it. My analysis is that it makes sense to use a plyable and relatively structurally weak item as a stand-in for when a person isn’t acting tough and use it as a nickname. This is in the same vein as now antiquated speech calling people “lilly-livered,” using a flower to demonstrate their weakness.