Family Proverb

Nationality: American
Age: 22
Occupation: Student
Residence: New York City, NY
Language: English

Text: “Finish the job”

Context: C.’s mom would often say this to her when she was growing up to encourage her and her sisters to complete what they started as it made life and other tasks easier. Her mom would also say it at work. For example, her mom would say to finish the job when putting away laundry so that you aren’t left with it and it makes it better later. C. uses this mindset in her life now and says it to herself.

Analysis: This phrase is a family proverb that has now been passed down through the generations. It reflects the family’s strong work ethic and the belief that following through on things leads to longer term ease and success. It has been adapted to various situations (work and home) while still carrying its original meaning.

Family Proverb for Stressful Situations

Nationality: American
Age: 22
Occupation: Student
Residence: New York City, NY
Language: English

Text: “Sit down and think”

Context: C. shares how her mom often said this to guide her in stressful situations. Her mom learned it from her own father, who told her during a snowstorm when they were stuck in a car. C.’s mom also recalled it when she missed her stop on the German subway, getting separated from her friends and lost in a foreign country. Now, C. repeats it to herself in times when panic isn’t helpful, reminding her to pause and think instead.

Analysis: This is a family proverb and folk speech passed down through multiple generations now as a way to navigate stressful situations. The wisdom evolves through each lived experience, like survival knowledge. The knowledge has been helpful in many different situations.

Delta Love and Mine

Nationality: American
Age: 18
Occupation: Student
Residence: Los Angeles, CA
Language: English

This piece of folk speech was shared with me by S., a student in Los Angeles, CA.

Text: “DLAM”

“DLAM (Delta love and mine) to me is a phrase that reminds our Tri Delta community and our members of the love and relationships present in this sisterhood. It’s something that goes hand in hand with Tri Delta and our values, equating whatever Delta’s love is to my love. Whenever we spend time together or message each other online, we will end it with a DLAM as another way to cheer and support one another. By showing our love for this chapter and one another, we enforce the phrase Delta love and mine.”

Context: S. is a part of Tri Delta sorority at USC. This phrase is a form of in-group language in that it reinforces shared identity and among members of Tri Delta sorority and the group’s shared ideals of affection, unity, and commitment. It’s meaningful to people in the group and serves as a bond between members. It can also be used ritualistically as it continues through new generations of sorority members. When new members learn this phrase, they become a part of the group.

“If you do something, do it right the first time”

Nationality: American
Occupation: Student
Performance Date: February 25, 2025

MAIN DESCRIPTION: 

JPL: “ Back in middle school, I remember one time, I was just doing my usual chores for my mom. She always had me help around the house and one day she asked me to clean the kitchen. I wasn’t really into it honestly and I started rushing through it, just trying to get it done and over with to go back to playing video games. But then my mom came in, looked around and said, ‘If you’re going to do something, do it right the first time.’

INFORMANT’S OPINION:

JL: What do you think this phrase means?

JPL: “At first, I didn’t get it. I thought she was just being picky. But as she explained, she said that doing things halfway just meant more work in the end. I remember thinking about it after and realizing the truth behind it. If I had just taken my time and cleaned the kitchen properly the first time, it would’ve been easier than having to redo it all. It wasn’t just about chores, though, it connected with a lot of things in life. If you’re going to put in the effort, you might as well make sure it counts. I’ve carried that lesson with me ever since. Do it right from the start, because it’ll save you time and effort down the road.”

PERSONAL INTERPRETATION:

I understood what this phrase meant personally as I had also come across it growing up. My mom also told me this as I used to cut corners in my chores and other miscellaneous tasks. She told me that when I don’t put in the effort from the beginning, I end up wasting more time in the long run. I realized that when you get something right the first time it not only keeps you from having to do it again but it also makes you feel proud and accomplished. It helped me understand that working hard isn’t about being perfect and making sure everything is done quickly so you can go back to whatever you were originally doing.  It’s really about being purposeful and careful. This phrase stayed in my mind not only about chores and tasks but also about future friendships, choices, and my own personal development. If you decide to put your time, energy, or feelings into something, give it your all.

“Hard work pays off”

Nationality: American
Language: English

MAIN DESCRIPTION 1:

CL: “My dad was a huge role model to me growing up.He instilled a lot of quotes along the way that really stuck with me. One of the quotes was, ‘Hard work pays off.’ He felt strongly that you might have good luck at certain stages along the way, but your true success comes from working hard, setting goals for yourself and pushing yourself to do the best you can.  My dad always worked very hard in his job and his personal passions, and he instilled the same in us. We could decide what passions we wanted to pursue, but once we committed, then there was no quitting. For example, it was up to me if I wanted to play tennis a particular year or be on the debate team, but once I committed I was committed. There was no quitting at that point.  He never pushed us too hard, but he felt it was important for us to try our best and not look back and wish we had tried harder.”

INFORMANT’S OPINION 1:

JL: What do you think this phrase means?

CL: “He thought kids should be curious and go out of their way to entertain themselves, read, explore, etc., in their free time. To sit back and wait for others to entertain you and have a plan and decide that you are bored is only a sign of a boring person and nobody wants to be boring!”

PERSONAL INTERPRETATION 1:

I grew up with the same values and ideals and now I see how much they shaped how I approach challenges. As a child I sometimes felt discouraged by tough challenges but these sayings always reminded me that my hard work would eventually be worth it. I discovered that hard work is not only about the results you see right away. “It’s about what you create as you go on your journey.” These sayings still help me today and I understand them better as I get older. I work hard stay curious and don’t expect things to be easy. The amount of effort you put into your life will decide how successful you become in the end.