Title: Secret Language For S&S
Genre: Verbal, Taboo Speech
Informant Information: Hailey Noronha. Dartmouth ’18. From Ottawa Canada
Type of Lore: Verbal Folklore/ Secret Speech
Language: English
Country of Origin: U.S.A
Social / Cultural Context: Again like previous items mentioned, this secret speech comes from those trying to protect themselves during S&S’ walkthroughs. Additionally, the type of speech typically used when imbibing tends to incriminate those participating. Therefore, students have adopted the secret speech described below.
Video: https://youtu.be/rgyTN8znD2s
This is the video interview with the informant who speaks about the taboo words that students avoid.
Transcript: (Summarized from video). During things like pregames in a dorm students don’t use specific words in order to avoid getting in trouble. Words that pertain to drinking or un approved activities are avoided and replaced with neutral words that S&S wouldn’t think twice about.
Informant Comments: All students will avoid these words during times of partaking. The informant commented about how her and all of her friends did this as well as being a widely by the students on campus.
Collector Comments: I have personally ran into issues with S&S when I did not avoid the taboo words. This secret speech is an important thing to do to avoid getting in trouble with S&S and therefore I have been apart of the practice of this folklore and was familiar with the topic before speaking with the informant.
Collected by Carter Copeland ’19, Luke Hudspeth ’19, and Albert Mitchell ’19, and Luka Pejanovic ’17