Epidermis Taboo

Title: Epidermis Taboo Saying

General Information about Item:

  • Verbal Lore: Taboo Saying
  • Language: English
  • Country where Item is from: US
  • Date and Place of Collection: 10/24/16 in Hanover, NH

 

Informant Data:

Taylor Yamahata is a 20-year-old Japanese American female. She was born and raised outside of Sacramento, California and she currently attends Dartmouth College. She is a collegiate swimmer and she is currently pursuing a degree in psychology.

 

Contextual Data:

Taboo sayings and thymes are commonplace, especially when children are around middle school age. These rhymes or sayings are seen all over the United States and in other countries because they are a way for children to push the boundaries of what is appropriate without actually doing anything wrong. 

Transcript:

“Haha your epidermis is showing”

 Informant’s Comments:

Taylor learned this saying from a friend at school and she immediately went home and shared it with her parents. Her father is a plastic surgeon which is why Taylor found this saying so entertaining and why she remembers it all these years later.

Collector’s Comments:

This piece demonstrates the connection between parental influence and childhood folklore. Childhood folklore may be by children and for children, but parents can still play a role in its personal significance to the child.

Collector’s Name: Mikey Richards ’18

Tags/Keywords:

Taboo, saying, epidermis