Tag Archives: verbal

Joke – Weighing Saying

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Title: Weighing Saying

General Information about Item:

  • Genre: Verbal
    • Subgenre:   Joke
  • Language: English
  • Country of origin: USA

Informant Data: Will Kaufman ’20 is a 19-year-old male caucasian light-weight rower from Boulder, CO. He is the middle child between two sisters. He started rowing his freshman fall upon entering Dartmouth. As a walk-on rower, he came in knowing nothing about the sport.

Contextual Data: 

Social Context: Like any folk, the D150’s have a unique series of unifying experiences. One of these is racing against other school teams. This joke comes from constantly interacting and listening to the D150 coach. Since every member of the D150 team is at practice, they all come into contact with the same coach very frequently. As such, they have come up with a collective joke that mimics one of his common sayings.

Cultural Context: This joke comes from everyone on the D150 team constantly hearing the same advice over and over again. Because the coach is a constant figure that last for more than a couple years, he outlasts multiple generations of rowers and allows for this joke to continue. In addition, all the rowers in this folk group seem to understand the humor and therefore make it much more likely that the joke will continue on.

Item: This item is a verbal piece of folklore, specifically a joke. It relies on the fact that everyone interacts with the same person (the coach) on a very frequent basis. The coach’s long tenure as well as the constant mimicry by both new and experienced rowers allows for this joke to continue past generations.

Associated media:

Transcript (11:27 – 12:33):

WK: “So there’s one just with respect to weighing in. It’s, uh, ‘You can’t win a race on a scale but you sure as hell can lose one.’ Uh, that’s just something our coach says basically any time we could possibly step on the scale, um, with respect to racing.”

BC: “Right.”

WK: “… and it’s true. Um, because, we’re light-weight rowers and so there is some weight specification, and if we miss that then we can’t row, and it’s basically the idea that like, you should focus on weighing in effectively but that isn’t the race itself. It’s basically just like punching a ticket to be able to race.”

BC: “Right.”

WK: “So it’s just the first step in that process.”

BC: “So for a slogan like that, do you guys, like, say it to each other also or is it just like something that the coach says?”

WK: “It’s mostly the things that coach says, but then, just to kinda like, have some levity during the spring season, which is kinda hard to come by, a lot of times people will just repeat that line, um…”

BC: “Like a joke?”

WK: “Yeah, and I mean it’s true but it’s definitely a joke on the team. So people will say that just to kinda, I don’t know, mock the coach a bit but also to lighten up the mood.”

Collector’s Comments:

  • This internal joke is interesting because it shows that not all folklore is dependent on serious topics like motivation or competition. In this case, this small joke is understood only by light-weight rowers and dependent on their collective interactions with their coach. New rowers who are incorporated, like in the three stages of liminality, learn to recognize this joke after they have spent some time with the team at practices, and it helps bridge the gap between first joining and really becoming a part of the team.

Collector’s Name: Brian Chekal

Joke – Fun V

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Title: Fun V

General Information about Item:

  • Genre: Verbal
    • Subgenre:   Joke
  • Language: English
  • Country of origin: USA

Informant Data: Will Kaufman ’20 is a 19-year-old male caucasian light-weight rower from Boulder, CO. He is the middle child between two sisters. He started rowing his freshman fall upon entering Dartmouth. As a walk-on rower, he came in knowing nothing about the sport.

Contextual Data: 

Social Context: Like any folk, the D150’s have a unique series of unifying experiences. One of these is racing against other school teams. This joke nickname for the third varsity boat comes from other rowers noticing now much fun they’re having and consequently giving the name “Fun V”.

Cultural Context: This joke name is contextualized by the underlying competitiveness of racing against other schools’ teams. Because the third varsity boats don’t have to race against the most competitive boats, they can have more fun and be more “playful” as Will describes it – hence the nickname “Fun V”.

Item: This item is a verbal piece of folklore, specifically a joke. It relies on recognizing competitiveness in racing and comparing the first and second varsity boats to the less pressured third varsity boat. It is folklore because it is recognized and preserved by all the members of this folkgroup and is taught to new rowers when they join the team, like Will.

Associated media:

Transcript (10:36 – 11:03):

WK: “We have like a First Varsity boat, which is the 1V, 2V, and 3V. Um… and typically the 3V is also known as the Fun V, just because, like, there’s much less pressure to perform. Uh, and you’re not competing against the best boats at Princeton or Harvard, and so it’s a lot more relaxed, and typically the guys are much more playful and seem to have more fun on the water. So typically it’s like the 1V, 2V, and then the Fun V.”

Collector’s Comments:

  • This internal joke is interesting because it shows that not all folklore is dependent on serious topics like motivation or competition. In this case, this small joke is understood only by light-weight rowers and taught to new rowers. New rowers who are incorporated, like in the three stages of liminality, learn to recognize this joke.

Collector’s Name: Brian Chekal

Alumni Legends – Josh Konieczny

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Title: Legend of Josh Konieczny

General Information about Item:

  • Genre: Oral
    • Subgenre:   Folk Narrative, Legend
  • Language: English
  • Country of origin: USA

Informant Data: Wyatt Smith ’19 is a 20-year-old male caucasian light-weight rower from Hong Kong. He is a long-time rower, having rowed competitively before Dartmouth, and was recruited to Dartmouth’s D150 Lightweight Rowing team.

Contextual Data: 

Social Context: Another legend, similar to that of Ian Accomando, is that of Josh Konieczny, who was also a star rower for D150. The D150 Light-Weight Crew team revolves around competition, mainly in the form of races against other college teams. In addition, it is a highly demanding sport that requires near daily practices and continual weight-cutting and exercise. As such, many rowers rely on legends to remind them of past glory and to motivate them to continue with the sport. The legend of Josh Konieczny is told to rowers as they discuss past achievements and compete at races in order to provide motivation.

Cultural Context: Similarly, the legend of Josh Konieczny is passed down verbally from one generation to the next and is an effective way to create a sense of common knowledge and unity within the team. Every team member hears this legend and because the hero is someone that also was on D150, he is easy to relate to.

Item: This item is an oral piece of folklore that focuses on the passing down of a Folk Narrative, specifically a legend, that is suppose to help motivate rowers to live up to the glory of past rowers, and continue their legacy by devoting themselves to the sport. It is shared by every member of the D150 team and is retold whenever rowers need motivation.

Associated media:

Transcript (8:59 – 9:46):

BC: “In regarding the legends for example, right, who are some legends that, um, you guys talk about? Like what did they do and why are they important? And why do you guys keep talking about them?”

WS: “Um… it’s, I think, we all think it’s really important to remember the guys who came before us. Um, especially because a few years ago ten… five, ten, fifteen years ago, we were one of the best teams in the country…

BC: “Right.”

WS: “… and we had some amazing, great rowers on our team. So it’s important – we see it as important – to remember the past rowers who came before us to motivate us to work harder and to remember who were… you know we have this kind of… we have to uphold this legacy that they left us…”

BC: “Right, right.”

WS: “… and to remember them. So some guys that I can name are Josh Sans, Ian Accomando, um, Josh Konieczny…”

Transcript (10:07 – 10:31):

WS: “… Josh Konieczny was in the Olympic boat that came fifth at the last Olympics, um…”
BC: “Right.”
WS: “… and so having him on the world stage, and knowing that he was once in our shoes…
literally in our shoes, and uh…, we’re wearing his kit, um…, is… is really motivational and makes
you work harder. Like you can be this good if you work this hard.”
Collector’s Comments:

  • Similar to the legend of Ian Accomando, this Alumni Legend also claims to be historical and portrays an actual person or event. Josh Konieczny is a former Olympian who prominently won fifth at the last Olympics, so it’s easy to see this legend using his image and heightening it to build motivation in current rowers.

Collector’s Name: Brian Chekal

Alumni Legends – Ian Accomando

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Title: Legend of Ian Accomando

General Information about Item:

  • Genre: Oral
    • Subgenre:   Folk Narrative, Legend
  • Language: English
  • Country of origin: USA

Informant Data: Wyatt Smith ’19 is a 20-year-old male caucasian light-weight rower from Hong Kong. He is a long-time rower, having rowed competitively before Dartmouth, and was recruited to Dartmouth’s D150 Lightweight Rowing team.

Contextual Data: 

Social Context: The D150 Light-Weight Crew team revolves around competition, mainly in the form of races against other college teams. In addition, it is a highly demanding sport that requires near daily practices and continual weight-cutting and exercise. As such, many rowers rely on legends to remind them of past glory and to motivate them to continue with the sport. The legend of Ian Accomando is told to rowers as they discuss past achievements and compete at races in order to provide motivation.

Cultural Context: The legend of Ian Accomando is passed down verbally from one generation to the next and is an effective way to create a sense of common knowledge and unity within the team. Every team member hears this legend and because the hero is someone that also was on D150, he is easy to relate to.

Item: This item is an oral piece of folklore that focuses on the passing down of a Folk Narrative, specifically a legend, that is suppose to help motivate rowers to live up to the glory of past rowers, and continue their legacy by devoting themselves to the sport. It is shared by every member of the D150 team and is retold whenever rowers need motivation.

Associated media:

Transcript (8:59 – 10:06):

BC: “In regarding the legends for example, right, who are some legends that, um, you guys talk about? Like what did they do and why are they important? And why do you guys keep talking about them?”

WS: “Um… it’s, I think, we all think it’s really important to remember the guys who came before us. Um, especially because a few years ago ten… five, ten, fifteen years ago, we were one of the best teams in the country…

BC: “Right.”

WS: “… and we had some amazing, great rowers on our team. So it’s important – we see it as important – to remember the past rowers who came before us to motivate us to work harder and to remember who were… you know we have this kind of… we have to uphold this legacy that they left us…”

BC: “Right, right.”

WS: “… and to remember them. So some guys that I can name are Josh Sans, Ian Accomando, um, Josh Konieczny. And Ian Accomando is now a coach at Harvard and we see him now and then, but he was known to be just this amazing rower who would go and party hard, but he would show up regardless of how tired he was…”

BC: “Uh-huh.”

WS: “… or how busy he was…”

BC: “Right.”

WS: “… and he’d show up and be the best on the team and work harder than anyone else. So it’s showing that you can balance your life, and you can show up and work really hard.”

Collector’s Comments:

  • These Alumni Legends are interesting because much like the typical legends we see in Folk Narratives, they claim to be historical and are meant to portray an actual person or event. Ian Accomando is an actual person who was on the D150 team, and continues to see the team as a coach at Harvard, so it’s easy to see this legend using his image and heightening it to build motivation in current rowers.

Collector’s Name: Brian Chekal

Kipsalana Cheer

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Title: Kipsalana Cheer

General Information about Item:

  • Customary: Verbal, Cheers
  • English
  • United States of America

Informant Data:

  • Robert Purvis was born on May 27th, 1997 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He got into swimming because his two sisters were swimmers and inspired him to start. He started swimming year round at age 6 at his local club, the Boys and Girls Club of Northern Westchester. He is now a sophomore at Dartmouth and is a butterfly specialist on the varsity swim team.

Contextual Data:

  • Robert learned this cheer from his captains within his first month on the team. It is taught to all incoming freshmen on the team. This is a video of the team after practice teaching the freshman the day before their first met.

Item:

  • The men’s team cheer reads as follows

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Associated file (a video, audio, or image file):

Informant’s Comments:

  • “No one knows what this cheer means anymore or where it originated from. I once spoke to a ’76 about it and he said the same thing, that no one knew the origin or meaning of the cheer.”

Collector’s Name: Robert Purvis

Tags/Keywords:

  • folklore, swimming, water sports, men’s swimming, cheer, verbal, customary, ritual

“Chicory”

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Chicory
Informant info: (Left to Right) Sadhana Puri, age 20, Jessica Link, age 20, Alex Ledoux, age 21 all from New Orleans, LA.  Collected May 15, 2016 via iPhone.
Verbal Lore: Slang/ Material Lore: Drink
Language: English, French
Country of Origin: The Caribbean, France
Social / Cultural Context: This is a caffeinated root which is ground up and added to coffee for a stronger flavor and increase the amount of caffeine in the beverage.  It is one of the many French influences in New Orleans.

 

 

Transcript:

“Sadhana: Chicory

Jessoca: I was about to say Coffee and chicory.  Is a thing.

Sadhana: What exactly is chicory.

Jessica: Chicory-

Alex: Is it a root?

Sadhana: Yeah it’s like a root.

Jessica: Yeah it’s like a root.  The myth is that the reason we started using chicory is because during the civil war during the union blockade when the union soldiers came and blocked New Orleans off so we couldn’t trade or whatever anymore.  People could grow chicory in new Orleans even though we couldn’t really grow coffee beans, I guess.  So people started using chicory because it has caffeine and it kinda tastes like coffee so they use that to make coffee.  But in reality what it was, was like French people even in the 1700s and 1800s were also using chicory, like I don’t know from- it grew in the Caribbean and stuff so they brought it back to France which brought it to New Orleans.  New Orleans people were already drinking chicory with their coffee before the civil war.  But during the civil war when it was harder to get coffee they drank even more chicory with their coffee. I think that’s it, I remember reading that somewhere.  Cause that’s like a misconception.  But the point is we still make, like some places still put chicory in their coffee, like Café Dumont which is where everyone goes to get beignets.  And it’s super famous.

Sadhana: Alex you have chicory blocks in your room right.

Jessica: Well it’s coffee and chicory.  You can’t get just chicory by itself.

Alex:  Well it’s coffee.  So like the coffee from Café- Well I think maybe you can (get chicory itself), I don’t think you could just make coffee with that.

Jessica: I feel it would taste gross.

Alex:  Yeah that’d be really gross.

Sadhana: It’s pretty bitter.

Jessica:  It’s extremely bold.

Alex: It’s super strong.

Sadhana: it’s an acquired taste.

Alex:  Like for me it’s really funny because I can drink like black regular coffee, because I am so used to drinking CDM which is Café Dumont coffee with Chicory ad um it’s super strong.

Sadhana: How much chicory do they put in it, do you think?  Like probably just.

Alex: *shrugs*

Sadhana: I like it.

Alex:  I don’t know it’s just ground up, it looks like regular coffee grinds I put in my thing.

Katelyn: So you drink pure chicory?

Sadhana: Sorry I was confusing.

Alex: No, no it has coffee and chicory the chicory just makes it a stronger coffee.

Sadhana:  Yeah it give s it a slightly bitter.

Jessica: Yeah like a super strong flavor.

Alex: It’s like dark dark, like probably the darkest roast coffee you could have.

Sadhana: It’s not real coffee though.

Aex: The chicory isn’t.

Sadhana: Oh no, but the taste is of coffee”

Collector’s comments:  This word again shows off New Orleans French roots while also giving the chance to tell a myth about the origins of Chicory.  The word can be considered slang because of it’s specific use in New Orleans and this one item that is not used much elsewhere.  It is also most likely that the French pronunciation of the word is different which adds to the slang aspects of the word.

Tags/Keywords: Chicory, caffeine, food, material lore, verbal lore, café du monde, New Orleans.

 

Dartmouth Monogamy Club

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Informant Info
The informant was Josie Nordrum, a 20 year old junior at Dartmouth and a member of the DMC. She was born in San Francisco, CA and raised in Corte Madera, CA. She learned how to climb at Dartmouth from Jay Dumanian two and a half years ago on her DOC freshman trip. Josie’s climbing phobia is exposure to the elements. She loves the feeling of satisfaction after a long climb.

Type: Verbal, Joke

Language: English

Country of Origin: US

Date Collected: May 15, 2016

Place Collected: Jonathan Belden Daniels Climbing Gym, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH

Social/ cultural context: Within the Climbing culture, it is said that many are highly monogamous with other members. This is a socially accepted notion in the DMC.

Associated File:

Picture3

Transcript: “DMC stands for both the Dartmouth Mountaineering Club and, to its members, the Dartmouth Monogamy Club.”

Lore: DMC is jokingly referred to as the Dartmouth Monogamy Club, instead of the Dartmouth Mountaineering Club.

Informant’s Comments: As an example, one DMCer Josie met her boyfriend in the DMC during her freshman year and has been with him for the past two and a half years. No one knows why, but a lot of club members tend to form close relationships over the years.

Collector’s Comments: The club is a relatively close group of friends which tease many of the couples who meet through, and are active in, the DMC. The fact that the club is so open and accepting of these people reflect how friendly and inclusive the club is.

Tags/Keywords: Dartmouth Monogamy Club, DMC, joke, verbal