Tag Archives: proverb

Leaves of 3, Good TP

Nationality: half Chinese, half German and various European countries
Age: 20
Occupation: USC Undergrad
Residence: Los Angeles
Performance Date: 4/21/19
Primary Language: English

Context

My 2 friends and I got together to exchange funny stories with each other. L is the storyteller in this, C is the second friend, and I am ‘Me.” My friend heard this modified version of a proverb from her dad, who read it in a newspaper article.

 

Main Piece

 

L: So you know how there’s like, “Leaves of 3, let it be”?

 

Me: Yeah

 

L: Umm, I think my dad heard it in a newspaper or something. He told me and I can’t stop thinking about it. Where it’s like – it was a newspaper competition to purposely give bad advice, and one of the winners was Leaves of 3, good TP. And so now every time I think of poison ivy, I think of leaves of 3, I don’t finish it with the normal proverb ending, I think, “Leaves of 3, good TP!” and then it’s all messed up in my head.

 

C: Is that because you have to like, itch your…?

 

L: Yeah, like good toilet paper and it’s bad advice. And another one was strangers have the best candy.

 

Notes

Original proverb: “Leaves of 3, let it be; berries white, take flight.”

The original proverb is a rhythm to teach people how to identify poison ivy and stay away from it, as contact with the plant causes severe itching and rashes. The play on words of this proverb in the text above is joking that leaves of three (poison ivy) makes good toilet paper! Well, the point of the newspaper article was to give bad advice. So you would not want to use poison ivy as toilet paper or you’ll have a serious rash in an uncomfortable location…

 

I thought this was a clever play on this proverb. I’ve heard of the original 3 leaves proverb and keep it in mind when I go hiking. Here is a link to another version of this proverb: http://www.stillmannc.org/Poison%20Ivy.pdf

The Early Bird Gets the Worm

Nationality: American
Age: 71
Occupation: Retired
Residence: Los Angeles, CA
Performance Date: 4/5/19
Primary Language: English

The following is AJ’s interpretation of the proverb, “The Early Bird Gets the Worm.”

 

“The Early Bird Gets the Worm”:

The bird that is up first will get to the worm before another bird gets to it, and eats it, instead. Meaning, the earlier that one gets up, starts a project, etc., the better chance they have at having success compared to one who starts their day later. In other words, it pays to be proactive; don’t be lazy.

 

AJ doesn’t remember when she began to say this, she recalls her father saying it a lot to her when she was a kid. AJ went on to say it to her kids all the time to get them up and ready for the upcoming day, and now her kids say it as well. It’s a proverb that has been passed through the family and AJ says she will probably never stop saying it.

 

My Interpretation:

I feel like this is a very common proverb that I’ve heard said, and that I’ve said, in several different ways. I’ve heard “The early bird catches the worm,” “you don’t want to be a late bird, do you?”, “go get that worm!”, and more. There are several variations to this proverb, many of which I have never heard, but I think they all mean the same thing.

I think this proverb is also reflective of core American values, though I’m not sure when people began saying it. American values of being hard-working, ethical, energetic, and starting the day off bright and early, are all very apparent in this proverb. When AJ said the proverb, when I say it, and when others say it, it is said in a very matter-of-fact tone, like it’s a logical explanation. I believe that almost every American child grows up hearing this proverb at least once, most likely from their parents when they were trying to get them out of bed and ready for their day when they were younger.

A Sailor’s Proverb: Red Sky at Morning, Sailor Take Warning

Nationality: American
Age: 66
Occupation: Machinist
Residence: Los Angeles, CA
Performance Date: 4/5/19
Primary Language: English
Language: N/A

The following is CL’s interpretation of the proverb, “Red Sky at Morning, Sailor Take Warning; Red Sky at Night, Sailor’s Delight,” in a conversation.

 

“Red Sky at Morning, Sailor Take Warning; Red Sky at Night, Sailor’s Delight”:

 

CL: The reason why [it’s called this] is [the following]. So, think sailors setting out to port at the first daylight; if the sky was red in the morning, that meant there was a lot of dust in the air and there was a chance that as you got out to sea, you’d get rained on because of the thickness in the air. So, if you got into a storm, it was bad for the sailor. Red sky at night meant it would be safe sailing because it would probably rain that night, and in the morning, you could set sail; you’d be safe to leave the port.

 

EK: Interesting, so where did you learn this from?

 

CL: That is an old, old story, and I think it probably goes back to the middle ages or before. I don’t know if it’s European in nature or if it’s something that was developed here. I learned it from my mother, though, who for some reason knew everything about sailing and sailing stories.

 

EK: So, what does this story mean to you, then?

 

CL: Well I’m not really much of a sailor, I just know the proverb exists. The closest tie I have to it is from my mother, so I guess it connects me to her in some way. I’m not sure if it’s still implemented today, but I’d imagine it is or was a pretty big superstition for sailors.

 

My Interpretation:

I’ve never heard this proverb before, most likely because I’ve never come in contact with a sailor. It could be true, or maybe it was something only used back in the day, before new technology has allowed us to set sail during a little rain or thunderstorm. I don’t believe I’ve ever seen a red sky; it’s possible that the redness could be from pollution- I’ve heard that the deeper the sunset, the more particles from pollution. However, it is interesting to me that this is/was such a superstition for sailors. I can only assume that in past times they would have had to be more careful when setting sail because they didn’t have the knowledge of the seas or technology that they do today that could have given them more peace of mind and less uncertainty in their travels.

Crooked Dog Tail Proverbial Phrase

Nationality: American
Age: 49
Occupation: Doctor
Residence: Rhode Island
Performance Date: 031019
Primary Language: English
Language: Hindi, Telugu

Informant: There is a saying in Telugu that goes కుక్క తోక వంకర (kukka tōka vankara), which translates literally to “dog’s crooked tail.” Basically, even if you try to straighten out a dog’s curly tail, it goes right back to the way it was. That’s what I think applies to you when you forget to empty the dishwasher.

Context: The informant is an Indian immigrant who grew up in a Telugu household, which is a Southern Indian ethnic group. The informant said this proverb to me when I failed to do something that I promised I would. She likes to use this saying often, and whenever she says it, it is usually make the recipient feel shameful about their own actions.

Analysis: The informant had learned this proverb from her family whenever she failed to kick a habit. The proverb is a reflection of Indian culture surrounding bad habits along with its tendency to use animal metaphors, especially those that include dogs. Stray dogs are very common in the country, so the animal is often equated with immoral or flawed people. This proverb is a reflection of human nature, and our tendency to go back to the way that we actually are despite our best efforts to change ourselves. The simple 3-word proverb is easy to remember due to its accurate representation of people and its applicability to everyday life. However, the proverb is only ever used to remind people of their bad habits, rather than their good ones. This is a reflection of the fact that stray dogs are usually seen as immoral or flawed.

The simple 3-word proverb is easy to remember due to its accurate representation of people and its applicability to everyday life. In order for a proverb to be easily remembered, repeated, and used on a regular basis, it needs to be “catchy,” or rather, witty so that it can stick with those that hear it. Whenever I slip into poor habits, I recall this proverb–with or without someone saying it to me. If the proverb was not easily remembered, then it would have no cultural significance any more.

Don’t let the bugs bite

Nationality: American
Age: 20
Occupation: Student
Residence: California
Performance Date: 03/23/2019
Primary Language: English

Text

“Sleep tight, don’t let the bugs bite. If they do hit ‘em with a shoe, and they’ll turn black and blue!”

 

Background

The informant knows this saying because her parents would always say it to her right before she went to sleep every night. It reminds her of childhood and she remembers that when she was younger, it comforted her because it gave her a sense of power over the things she couldn’t control (like monsters under the bed or in this case, bugs in the bed). She currently thinks it’s just a silly rhyme but would also like to pass it on to her children some day.

 

Context

The informant is a college student in Southern California and grew up in Orange County. She grew up in a nice area and went to a local public school.

 

Thoughts

Interestingly enough, one time when I was babysitting, I said “Sleep tight and don’t let the bedbugs bite!” to the kid I was babysitting because I remembered that my mother use to always say that to me. To my surprise, the boy got very upset and scared that there were bugs in his bed. When I was a kid, I knew that this was a very common phrase, so I did not take it literally, but I saw firsthand how this nursery rhyme might be scary to young children. This version that the informant told me about fixes that problem by giving the child some sense of control over this fictional bed bugs by giving him or her a sufficient way to take care of the problem (by hitting the bed bugs with a shoe).