Emma White

Title: Emma White

General Information:

  • Pre-Performance Folklore—American
  • Emma White
  • Student, American
  • English
  • Annapolis, MD
  • May 24, 2019

Text:

Before leaving the dock for a race, the informant shares a saying with her teammates. The chant is three letters, TMB, but the meaning is secret to anyone not on the team. Teammates shout this expression to each other enthusiastically to the members of the team heading out in the boats, and the teammates in the boats shout it back to the team members on the dock.

Context:

Emma described numerous different contexts in which this expression is said. The team uses it to pump each other up as they send each other away from the docks, in the minutes before a race, to conclude team meetings, and after working out in the gym. This folklore is essentially said at any moment in which the team is gathering and is about to separate from one another. The context in which a team member learns the expression is important. It is usually during their freshman year on the team. One letter is revealed each time the freshman wins a race. However, Emma noted that once one freshman learns the saying, they usually share it with others. Although, sometimes freshman try to remain loyal to the upperclassman and to the tradition by not sharing the meaning, even in the face of pressure from their fellow classmates.  

Meaning and Interpretation (Informant):

Emma described this tradition as one of the most important pieces of folklore on the team. She said it is very special because no one knows from who or when it originated, but the tradition has been preserved throughout the history of the team. She said that the meaning of the saying, which she asked not to disclose, is not actually that important, but it unifies the members of the team once they know it.

Meaning and Interpretation (Collector):

I think the most important thing about this tradition, after listening to the informant, is its preservation through orally passing it down. I think the way in which the freshmen come to learn the expression is important because it represents team unity once they do. It is an expression that only the members of the team are allowed to be a part of, and in this way, it is an unofficial form of culture specifically to the folk of the sailing team. I also think when the expression is said at different team meetings is a clue to how it demonstrates unity on the team. I noticed that the members say this when they are breaking apart, whether it be after a team meeting or before a select few members of the team go out for a race. In this way, the saying is a constant reminder of ones place within the team, and not only the team at the present moment, but throughout the entire history of Dartmouth Sailing.

 

Collector’s Name: Audrey Giblin

Tags/Keywords:

  • Sports
  • Athletics
  • Sailing
  • Performance
  • Chant
  • Pre-performance folklore

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