Horse to the Barn – Farming Culture Proverb

Nationality: Australian
Age: 18
Occupation: Student
Residence: Hyderabad, India
Language: English

Saying: You can take a horse to the barn but you can’t make it drink water.

Context: Being brought up in India, and coming from ancestral roots in farming, he told me about a saying that his dad has taught him. Being a child who was extremely talented, and had a passion for learning his dad instilled in him throughout his life. Historically, his dad learned this saying from his grandfather, and is something that he and his sisters, his aunts, grew up with. In a competitive environment that required everyone to be the best of the best, his grandfather wanted to ensure that all his kids succeeded and that money would never be the issue but rather the passion and heart that they put in could be the only thing that held them back.

Analysis: I find it interesting that the horse is the object of this saying, specifically surrounding the fact that ancestral roots in India are in farming. Furthermore, a horse is seen as one that can be guided and tamed which can lead to certain implications. With a rider or an owner who takes care of and grooms them, they can be a workhorse or one that is very talented through practice as seen through shows and races like the Kentucky Derby. This can also apply to friends helping friends, in the fact that you can offer advice to someone about life, education, or a sport, but it is up to them to take it and listen for what is best for them.

Idiots – Wealth Saying

Nationality: American
Age: 18
Occupation: Student
Residence: Miami, Florida
Language: English

Saying: “Don’t go half idiot, go full idiot.”

Context: Being passed down from her grandpa to her dad to her, this saying comes from when her father immigrated to the States for the first time. With uncertainty and restraints such as doubt and fear having the ability to hold someone back, her grandfather wanted to remove this preconceived notion to ensure the fact that if he went through with something stupid, such as a useless business idea, or buying a used Cherokee with 40,000 miles. Generationally, this has changed for her coming from the East to the West Coast, especially with friends. To her, if you make friends with someone don’t talk to them once, continue talking with them and stay in touch.

Analysis: I find this saying particularly interesting, especially from an ethnic perspective, as she is Korean. Talking with her, I learned that until the latter half of her high school years, her parents embodied the stereotypical tiger parent image. However, breaking off this and creating her own identity she was able to do this by putting her 100% into everything she does, whether or not it came to fruition. Especially with the idea of half vs full, something that comes to mind is a glass of water half full vs half empty. As such, with this saying, something that can be perceived is that if you plan on doing something and whether it succeeds or fails go down with the idea don’t leave it at the tilting point. This saying has evolved and culturally differs especially in the US. Similar to the glass of water is the idea of a captain sinking with the ship. As such, the meaning of the saying stays the same but changes depending on how/the cultural background you were brought up in. Strict parents follow the idiot idea, a family with ties to the naval space would have a ship, and a traditional American family of 4 going from the American dream would have a glass of water.

JoJos – Saying/Synonym for Food

Nationality: American
Age: 18
Occupation: Student
Residence: Seattle, Washington
Language: English

Saying/Culture: “JoJos” as Potato Wedges

Context: Hailing from Seattle, Washington, I was told about her and childhood friends referred to potato wedges as jojos in elementary school. Growing up with this, she was able to reflect on how this has evolved and how her friends laughed about this in high school. According to her, there was a sort of irony to it. Reading an article from Willamette Week, a newspaper based in Oregon, the name ‘Jojo’ comes from the middle-class industrial working man in the 1900s. Coupled with the invention of the pressure fryer, and an ideal combo of batter, spices, and frying, jojos were born. The pressure fryer was nicknamed Jojo, giving these wedges a northwest nickname.

Analysis: I find it interesting that the historical upbringing of this region of the United States can have such a large cultural influence, primarily because we normally find history rooted in museums or some buildings left behind by those who came before us. This unconventional naming speaks to how the working class back then was inventive and thought of cultural and food-related items through a lens that can heavily relate to their own everyday life. Traditionally, I have heard fries referred to by different names rooted in different ethnic or demographic cultures but one that comes from historic divides is truly fascinating. Furthermore, the Jojo is a testament to how history remains intact even from a 2-year-old to a senior citizen in Oregon and Washington, as they have been brought up with this reference. When these individuals go elsewhere and exit this limited box, seeing the mixture of cultures truly comes to fruition.

Treat others well proverb

Information Info

Age: 18

Date_of_performance: 02/16/2025

Informant Name: CK

Language: English 

Nationality: American 

Occupation: Student 

Primary Language: English

Residence: Westwood, Los Angeles 

Text:

““Treat other’s the way you’d like to be treated” My mom engrained that into my brain growing up anytime I ever did or said something she thought was unfair, especially towards other kids my age. It’s a fairly common saying, but I associate it most strongly with my mom because of her strong sense of justice and compassion.”

Analysis:

It is fascinating to me that most of the proverbs you hear around, are introduced you by your parents or specifically by your mother. This one stands out the most to be out of all of the them. It has 2 meanings we could dive into. 1. The simple and widely known meaning of treating people with respect and kindness. Putting yourself into their shoes and imagining what it would be like if someone those awful and disgusting words towards you, how would you feel? What you give out will come right back to you. 2. This meaning is a bit harder to find, but it also could mean do more than what is expected of you and put your own needs aside. The proverb follows the first meaning more, because CK mentioned how his mom would say it to him whenever he did something unfair towards siblings or kids around his age and her sense of justice getting passed down to him because of this saying that he will carry with him throughout life and help create his own sense of justice for others and doing what is right.


Knock on Wood for Luck

Information Info

Age: 38

Date_of_performance: 02/17/2025

Informant Name: CF

Language: English 

Nationality: American 

Occupation:  Senior Manager, Digital Marketing lol

Primary Language: English

Residence: Virginia, US

Text:

“You better knock on wood so something bad doesn’t happen or you don’t jinx yourself”.  It’s a big saying among my family and while I’m not particularly superstitious in general, I always knock on wood or the closest possible hard surface after I say “knock on wood”.  I’m not a religious person but I do believe in karma and that things can happen universally, so I will always “knock on wood”.  My family, particularly my mom’s side, has said this my whole life so I feel like I’ve been saying it since I was able to understand the saying.  

Analysis

Knock on door is a proverb I’ve heard many time before. It brings up an interesting conversation about where that saying came to be. C mentions how she isn’t religious but believes in karma, which makes me believe that it lands in the lap of people who are less spiritual and simply want protection and luck from the universe. Superstitious proverbs most of the time lead back to nature, as we can see from the one above, knocking on wood (whether if its a tree or a table made out of wood from trees) and it connects to wanting to be on good terms with the universe and what surrounds us. I also find this story sweet, even though she isn’t superstitious like her family, it is still ingrained into who she is because her mom taught her it and wanted to have luck throughout life.