The Lore and Language of SchoolchildrenFirst published in 1959, Iona and Peter Opie's The Lore and Language of Schoolchildren is a pathbreaking work of scholarship that is also a splendid and enduring work of literature. Going outside the nursery, with its assortment of parent-approved entertainments, to observe and investigate the day-to-day creative intelligence and activities of children, the Opies bring to life the rites and rhymes, jokes and jeers, laws, games, and secret spells of what has been called "the greatest of savage tribes, and the only one which shows no signs of dying out." |
Contents
INTRODUCTORY | 1 |
JUST FOR FUN | 17 |
WIT AND REPARTEE | 41 |
GUILE | 57 |
RIDDLES | 73 |
PARODY AND IMPROPRIETY | 87 |
TOPICAL RHYMES | 98 |
CODE OF ORAL LEGISLATION | 121 |
Juvenile Attitude to Folklore Ambulances Omens on the Way | 228 |
New Years Day St Valentines Day Shrove Tuesday | 271 |
OCCASIONAL CUSTOMS | 293 |
SOME CURIOSITIES | 306 |
FRIENDSHIP AND FORTUNE | 323 |
PARTISANSHIP | 343 |
THE CHILD AND AUTHORITY | 361 |
PRANKS | 377 |
Affirmation Testing Truthfulness Bets Bargain Making Swopping | 141 |
NICKNAMES AND EPITHETS | 154 |
Characteristics of Schoolchild Language Their Own Name Other | 172 |
Spoilsports Sourpusses Spitfires Cleverdicks Dafties Fools | 203 |
Door Knocking and Bell Ringing Prevalence of Pranks Pedestrian | 391 |
409 | |
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Common terms and phrases
Aberdeen Aberystwyth according answer appears apple asked become Book bring Britain catch century chant child collected comes common cross custom dead door eggs England eyes face fingers fool four friends girl give goes hair half hand head hold horse instance joke keep King Kirkcaldy kiss Knock known lines live London look lore luck lucky means Miss mother never night nose Notes passed person piece play popular practice pull recorded reported rhyme round Scotland seems similar sing sometimes song South spit stick street Swansea teacher tell term thing thumb touch traditional trick turn usually verse walking wish writes young
Popular passages
Page iv - ... culture' is used here deliberately) which is as unnoticed by the sophisticated world, and quite as little affected by it, as is the culture of some dwindling aboriginal tribe living out its helpless existence in the hinterland of a native reserve.