Tag Archives: family

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.

Glass Houses – Proverb

Nationality: American
Age: 20
Occupation: Student
Residence: United States
Language: English

Text:

“People in glass houses should not throw stones.”

Context:

“my dad used this saying a lot when i was little so that’s where i learned it. i think it means to not be hard or talk down to or about others because you probably are just like them in one way or another. and i use it in softball when my teammates talk down about the way someone hits or fields a ball when we all know everyone has had their off days”

Analysis:

The folk group that this proverb is used in seemed to evolve. The informant first learned this saying from their father, which then spread into being used within their softball team, showing the spread of this phrase. The saying itself seems to refer to the idea of being nice to everyone instead of immediately getting upset and “throwing stones” when you yourself might have been in the same situation. It’s purpose is to teach a lesson to other people who may be to focused on their anger and frustration.

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.

Letting go of things proverb

Information Info

Age: 20

Date_of_performance: 02/18/2025

Informant Name: HH

Language: English

Nationality: Puerto Rican  

Occupation: Student/works at the National History Museum

Primary Language: English/Spanish

Residence: Los Angeles, CA

Text:

“One saying I grew up hearing (and learned wasn’t that common?) was “let it roll off you like water off a duck’s back.” I think this came from my dad who’s from Alabama so it might have southern roots. The idea of the saying is to encourage someone to let something go, to be flexible, and not to fixate on something too much. Basically a cute way to tell someone to let it go, or that it’s not that deep”

Analysis:

This proverb sounds like it could have southern roots because I haven’t heard of it until H told me in our interview and I’m from the east coast. I can understand why her dad would tell her this proverb growing up, it’s a sweeter version of saying “Don’t freak out. You need to calm down”. It gives you the idea that you need to breath and let it all go. Let go of things you can change, it isn’t the end of the world. We all needed to hear this proverb growing up with all of the pressure being put on us. “Let it roll off you like water off a duck’s back”, ducks don’t get upset when water rolls off their back, they don’t even pat an eye towards it. They let the water roll off them and move on like it never touched them in the first place. This is what the saying wants to feel, like the uncomfortableness come over us and let it go without a second thought or care.