Title: Mable, Mable
General Information About Item:
- Verbal: Proverb
- Language: English
- Country of Origin: US
- Date and Place of Collection: 10/2/16 in Rye, NY
Informant Data:
Alicia Chabot, age 54, grew up in Cambridge, MA and Long Island, NY. She went to college in Massachusetts and has lived on the East Coast for pretty much her entire life. She told me that as she was growing up, her mom would always say to her, “mable, mable, get your elbows off the table.” This is childlore and more specifically a proverb. It stuck with her because she is very concerned about manners and wanted her children to be as well, so she used it on myself and my brothers.
Contextual Data:
My mom grew up as the youngest of four. She had two older sisters and an older brother. When I asked how frequently her mother used this expression, she said that it came up “at least once per week.”
Associated File (a video, audio, or image file):
Transcript of Associated File:
“Hi my name is Alicia, and I’m watching my son, Peter, put his elbows on the table while he’s eating. My mom used to sing this song to me: mable, mable, get your elbows off the table. I hope it works with my children!”
Collector’s Comments:
Because of the simplicity of this proverb, it is easy for children to remember, and it allows for social rules or lectures to be presented in a more relatable way. Rhyming helps children to remember things, and a lot of children don’t respond well to harsh tones. Thus, using a playful rhyme can occasionally help to obtain results.
Collector’s Name: Addie Chabot ’18
Tags/Keywords: proverb, rhyme, manners