What They Say in New England PDF Download

Author: Clifton Johnson
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Folklore
Languages : en
Pages : 280

View

Book Description

Author: Clifton Johnson
Publisher: Lulu.com
ISBN: 1257042300
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 186

View

Book Description
"WHEN I began to collect these signs and sayings, it was with the idea of gathering them for my own entertainment. In days like the present of universal books and schools, I thought I could hope to get only a few remnants of the thought and notions that have descended to us from the illiterate and superstitious ages of the past; and I supposed that by the time I had picked up two or three scores of these oddities the subject would be exhausted as far as New England was concerned. But when I began to notice, I found that people in their every-day conversation were constantly dropping remarks on the significance of all sorts of things that were a part of this old folk-lore. When questioned, nearly every one, old and young, could repeat a few sayings of the kind I sought, and among these were almost always some I had not heard before. My collection grew until I saw the possibility of a volume, and I could not but wonder what the superstitions of the Dark Ages were like if these were only remnants."

Author: Joseph A. Citro
Publisher: Sterling Publishing Company, Inc.
ISBN: 1402733305
Category : Travel
Languages : en
Pages : 300

View

Book Description
"It may seem like clambakes, the Red Sox, and the Patriots define New England, but boy did the Pilgrims land in one very strange spot! These six states are filled with odd curiosities and bizarre legends, such as the elusive Vermont hum, the hibernating hill folk, hillside whale tales, and the Holy Land (yes, you read that right). Tongue-in-cheek and filled with dry wit, this is a journey you'll not soon forget."--P. [4] of cover.

Author: Joseph A. Citro
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN: 1493032216
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 273

View

Book Description
New Englanders are always cursing. But a colorful profanity uttered by some stero-typically taciturn old Yankee is usually more humorous than menacing. Yet, true maledictions (the opposite of benedictions) have frequently been spoken on New England soil, curses intended to invoke evil, injury, or total destruction against other people. Stories about preternatural revenge are numerous in Yankee lore, with each New England state providing its favorites. You’ll read about curses that were followed by the strange disappearance of a father and daughter in Rhode Island, mysterious afflictions in Massachusetts, a river of death in Maine, an unaccountable blight in New Hampshire, unexplained madness in Connecticut, and other eerie happenings from New England’s colorful history. Some are well known, at least regionally. Others are nearly forgotten. Within these pages, storyteller Joseph A. Citro vividly brings these tales to life, letting us decide if these tales of woe were bad luck or . . . something else.

Author: Robert Hendrickson
Publisher: Booksales
ISBN: 9780785815556
Category : Humor
Languages : en
Pages : 0

View

Book Description
Yankee Talk provides in-depth coverage of the different New England dialects and definitions of the popular phrases used.

Author: John Powers
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Humor
Languages : en
Pages : 132

View

Book Description
Humorous examination of Boston curiosities from geography to politics to driving habits to weather.

Author: Clifton Johnson
Publisher: CreateSpace
ISBN: 9781468090178
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 194

View

Book Description
Quotes and saying from old New England

Author: Clifton Johnson
Publisher: Palala Press
ISBN: 9781357644871
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 268

View

Book Description
This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

Author:
Publisher: Arabi Manor
ISBN: 9781608643219
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 0

View

Book Description
In the rich tapestry of American folklore, New England occupies a distinctive place. This region, with its unique blend of indigenous traditions, Puritanical influences, and immigrant contributions, has developed a robust cultural heritage. Clifton Johnson's What They Say in New England: A Book of Signs, Sayings, and Superstitions, first published in 1896, offers a compelling glimpse into this heritage. Johnson, a notable folklorist, photographer, and author, dedicated his career to documenting the vernacular traditions and oral histories of rural America. His work captures the essence of New England's folk culture at a time when industrialization and modernization threatened to erode these traditions. Johnson's book is a comprehensive compilation of the superstitions, aphorisms, and proverbial wisdom prevalent in New England at the turn of the 20th century. Through meticulous fieldwork, he gathered a diverse array of sayings and beliefs from various communities, reflecting the region's multifaceted social fabric. The collection encompasses a broad spectrum of topics, including weather predictions, agricultural practices, health remedies, and moral aphorisms, all of which provide valuable insights into the daily lives and worldviews of New Englanders. One of the book's most significant contributions is its preservation of oral traditions that might otherwise have been lost. As a folklorist, Johnson recognized the importance of capturing these ephemeral elements of culture, which often escape written records. His methodology involved direct engagement with informants, allowing him to record their sayings and superstitions in their authentic vernacular. This approach not only ensures the accuracy of his documentation but also imbues the text with a vivid sense of place and character. Furthermore, What They Say in New England serves as a vital resource for understanding the interplay between folklore and regional identity. The sayings and superstitions cataloged by Johnson are not mere curiosities; they reveal the underlying values, fears, and aspirations of the communities from which they originate. For instance, many agricultural superstitions reflect a deep connection to the land and an intimate knowledge of natural cycles, while health-related sayings often highlight the resourcefulness and pragmatism of rural New Englanders. In addition to its ethnographic value, Johnson's work offers a window into the dynamics of cultural continuity and change. The book captures a transitional period in New England's history, when traditional ways of life were increasingly challenged by new social and technological developments. By documenting these traditions, Johnson provides a baseline against which the evolution of regional folklore can be measured. In conclusion, Clifton Johnson's collection is an indispensable text for scholars of American folklore, cultural history, and regional studies. Its detailed and authentic portrayal of New England's folk traditions offers a rich source of material for understanding the cultural and historical contexts that shaped the region. As both a record of the past and a testament to the enduring power of folklore, Johnson's work continues to resonate with readers and researchers alike, highlighting the timeless nature of human experience as reflected in the signs, sayings, and superstitions of a bygone era.

Author: Joseph A. Conforti
Publisher: Univ of North Carolina Press
ISBN: 0807875066
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 404

View

Book Description
Say "New England" and you likely conjure up an image in the mind of your listener: the snowy woods or stone wall of a Robert Frost poem, perhaps, or that quintessential icon of the region--the idyllic white village. Such images remind us that, as Joseph Conforti notes, a region is not just a territory on the ground. It is also a place in the imagination. This ambitious work investigates New England as a cultural invention, tracing the region's changing identity across more than three centuries. Incorporating insights from history, literature, art, material culture, and geography, it shows how succeeding generations of New Englanders created and broadcast a powerful collective identity for their region through narratives about its past. Whether these stories were told in the writings of Frost or Harriet Beecher Stowe, enacted in historical pageants or at colonial revival museums, or conveyed in the pages of a geography textbook or Yankee magazine, New Englanders used them to sustain their identity, revising them as needed to respond to the shifting regional landscape.