Tag Archives: proverb

The stick that went up the camel’s ass – Joke

Nationality: Irish/German
Age: 19
Occupation: Business Undergraduate Student at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Residence: Champaign Apartments in Champaign, IL
Language: English

Text:

The stick that went up the camel’s ass

Context:

“One time me and best friend were talking about how shitty our week had been, and I specifically told her about how finding a hole in my sweater was my breaking point. I was like, ‘this is officially the camel’s back thing,’ and she was so confused but kind of understood what I meant. We were so stuck on what the exact saying was–it was on the tips of our tongue–so I think she was like, ‘wait isn’t there like a stick or something… the stick that something the camel…’ and to be funny she was like, ‘oh! The stick that went up the camel’s ass!’ It clicked with me then that the correct saying was, “the stick that broke the camel’s back,” but we genuinely died laughing at her version for a whole minute. It was so funny. So now, when something particularly frustrating happens, we’ll look at each other super seriously and say, ‘this is like the stick that went up the camel’s ass,’ and die laughing. It’s so stupid, and we always get weird stares, but it’s still funny every time.” 

Analysis:

This joke originates from the proverb “the stick that breaks the camel’s back.” This proverb is a metaphor for how something small (like a stick) can affect someone so much that it becomes their breaking point despite how strong (like a camel’s back) they seem in comparison. Where this phrase evolves is in how the “folk”– or these two best friends– recalled the saying. In injecting their own spin on the phrase, the saying became a new phrase in only their folk vocabulary, which they ritualistically use in times of hardship to ease tension. The exclusivity of this phrase is further emphasized as this person mentions they get weird stares from others when spoken as others are in the out-group when it comes to this folklore.

好狗不挡路/Good mutts don’t get in the way – Proverb

Nationality: Chinese
Age: 19
Occupation: Undergraduate Student at the University of Southern California
Residence: University of Southern California Parkside Dormitory
Language: Chinese

Text:

好狗不挡路 (hǎo gǒu bù dǎng lù)

Translation:

Good mutts don’t get in the way

Context:

“This saying is extremely prevalent in Chinese media such as novels or films, and it basically means to mind your own business. I don’t hear it said often as it’s considered a curse, and it’s pretty rude. It’s been around for so long that one of the most martial hero novel classics play off of this proverb.”

Analysis:

This proverb implies that people who are well-mannered should know their place and not cause any trouble. However, with the context of this being considered a curse, the phrase “good mutt” implies the receiver is nothing but an obedient pawn who shouldn’t “get in the way,” implying there is an “…or else.” It is especially prevalent in Chinese culture as it reflects a Confucian influence on social order and the emphasis on respecting those who are superior, with hierarchy typically based on age and duty.

Teaching the Fishermen How to Fish

Text: “I’m teaching the fishermen how to fish right now.”

Context: Whenever my boyfriend teaches me how to do any kind of skill that involves housework or life skills in general, he always says this phrase. He has said this while teaching me to work his laundry machine, how to fold certain clothes in a more efficient way, and other ways of organizing other house items.

Analysis: By saying this, he references this popular phrase: “Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.” I would say that this proverb is used in situations similar to the original saying and meaning. My boyfriend wants to teach me a skill that I can keep doing for myself instead of just doing it for me once and having to rely on him. I believe the first time he said this to me, he asked me if I knew what the phrase was. We both remembered hearing it but I couldn’t say it word for word, so he just made up his own shortened version of the proverb: I’m teaching the fisherman how to fish. I think it’s interesting that neither of us knew the proverb, and when asking my boyfriend about it, he still doesn’t know what it was until I looked it up for this project and told him. It makes me think about how popular sayings can be misinterpreted or shortened through oral telling until the meaning of the original proverb is lost. In this case, I don’t think the original meaning was entirely lost. However, I can see how easy it is for sayings to be twisted into something else entirely.

Health Proverb

AGE: 19 

Date of performance: 02/18/2025

Language: English

Nationality: American

Occupation: Student 

Primary Language: English

Title- ‘Eat one apple, 3 eggs, and 3 glasses a milk a day and you won’t have to see the doctor’ 

Context- J is a student studying Business & Econ. She tells me that whenever she talks to her grandmother, who resides in Shanghai, she always sends a text that translates to “Eat one apple, 3 eggs, and 3 glasses a milk a day and you won’t have to see the doctor” in order to make sure J stays healthy. 

Analysis- The phrase that J’s grandmother consistently tells her is a twist on the commonly known proverb “An apple a day keeps the doctor away’. However, J’s grandma has added her own advice to the phrase such as 3 eggs and 3 glasses of milk. The way that J’s grandmother, who lives on the opposite side of the globe, knows of the common proverb and decides to add her own twist to it is a prime example of how flexible and applicable pieces of folklore can be to apply to certain demographics and cultures. Specifically within East Asian culture, eggs and milk are seen as valuable sources of nutrition as they provide protein through easily attainable resources. 

Gratuity Proverb

Age: 20 

Date of performance: 02/11/2025

Language: English

Nationality: American

Occupation: Student 

Primary Language: English

Title- ‘Don’t Bite the Hand That Feeds You’

Context- A is a student studying Human Biology. A shares a saying that his dad tells him whenever he criticizes him for random things— “Don’t bite the hand that feeds you”. A says “My dad always says that whenever I ridicule him about things, telling me that he is the one who pays for everything so I should be quiet”. 

Analysis- Proverbs are very common in everyday life as they are short, catchy phrases that carry a bigger meaning while giving advice. The proverb ‘Don’t bite the hand that feeds you’ serves as a warning to stop being ungrateful towards those who provide for you while emphasizing the privilege of being able to be taken care of. A’s father using this proverb as a way to convey this message to A is very fitting as I have heard it from my parents as well. I’m sure most people have heard this phrase or a variation of it from their primary caretakers/providers, especially if gratuity is not explicitly shown.