It’s Bad Luck to Be Superstitious: Superstitions, Omes and Folk Beliefs from Around the World.
This title is right out of The Confused Quote Book, found elsewhere in this website. I believe I said it myself but it’s possible I heard it somewhere and forgot about it. But you know how it happens, sometimes things you thought you forgot are hidden deep within the crevices of the brain and we just lack the recall mechanism to recapture them. Sometimes it can happen in a dream. Other times you can experience deja vu. It is clear that the brain is the most super computer of them all so I don’t doubt everything we sense is in there somewhere. But will it ever emerge? That’s the big question. I’m guessing most of it never will. This is why photographs and videos and diaries are helpful in refreshing memories. Things thought to be forgotten suddenly reappear when the prompt is available. Now to this compilation. It was sold to Random House and they paid me for it but then cancelled the contract and told me I could keep the advance. That’s happened a few times. So I present it here so that it may have the live it was promised. Random House did publish another, similar title called Knock On Wood, which can be found elsewhere in this website. Cross your fingers!
FORWARD
Superstitions have been with us since man first reached the age of reason. Some are funny, some ridiculous and many morbid. There probably isn t a person on Earth who hasn t believed in at least one superstition and no one can prove whether it is coincidence, luck or magic that seems to make certain things happen in our lives.
Over 500 people were interviewed in our search for these
beliefs and there were only a handful who said they weren t superstitious in any way, shape or form. Several weeks later, one of the men knocked on wood while relating a story and a woman walked around a ladder rather than under it.
We do have one suggestion. Before you start reading this book, rub your hand across this page three times and you will receive unexpected money. We tried it and it worked. You bought this book, didn’t you?
PART ONE – ANIMAL CRACKERS
Dog Days (dogs)
Cat s Meow (cats)
Birds of a Feather (birds)
Bats in the Belfry (bats)
Bees in the Bonnet (bees)
Creepy Crawlers (snakes, spiders and assorted insects) Animal Fair (assorted animals)
PART TWO – PEOPLE WATCHING
Rock-a-Bye Baby (babies)
Child s Play (toddlers, preteens and teens)
Oh Man! (superstitions about men)
Pretty Woman (superstitions about women)
Love and Marriage (weddings and prognostication of mates) Honey, I m Pregmant (pregnancy)
A Friend Indeed (friendships) Occupational Hazards (work superstitions) Down on the Farm (farmer s superstitions) Alas Poor Yorick (acting and theater) Amen (church and clergy)
The Grim Reaper (death and burial)
PART THREE – BODY OF EVIDENCE
Cover Up (Clothing)
Baubles, Bangles and Beads (jewelry and gemstones) Personal Hygiene (grooming)
Hairy Tales (hair)
The Eyes Have It (eyes)
The Big Itch (itching)
Gezundheit (sneezing)
Cure-All (health and medicine)
Sweet Dreams (dreams)
PART FOUR – LIFE STYLE
Home Sweet Home (everything but the kitchen sink)
Eat, Drink and Be Merry (food and cooking)
Spice It Up (spices, herbs)
Flower Power (flowers)
Clean Sweep (brooms)
Money is the Root (coins and money)
On the Road (travelling)
Gambling Fever (games and gambling)
Sporting Life (sports)
Gone Fishing (fish tales)
Happy Holidays (customs and superstitions)
PART FIVE – OUT OF THE BLUE
The Great Outdoors (everything under the sun) Moonstruck (moon)
Weather Forecast (weather)
PART SIX – BAD INTENTIONS
You Sly Little Devil (devil, demons)
Witch’s Brew (witches)
Boo! (ghosts)
PART SEVEN – ODDS & ENDS
Wishing Well (wishes
Bad Luck (signs and omens)
This and That (miscellaneous)
Double Entendre (double meanings)
Not at Your Local Supermarket (unusual remedies and amulets)
PART I
ANIMAL CRACKERS
DOG DAYS
GOOD DOG/BAD DOG
If a strange dog follows you, good fortune is coming your way.
If you name a dog once and then change its name, the dog will never be friendly.
A dog will have a sunny disposition if you name it after an evil person, i.e., Adolph, Borgia, Ivan, Sade, Rasputin. Black dogs are companions of the devil.
Let your dog out at the stroke of midnight, and a demon will possess it.
When a dog howls, someone you know will die soon.
HAIR OF THE DOG
To keep a dog from straying, bury some of its hair near the door.
CHOW TIME
If a dog continually eats from a plastic bowl, the pigmentation in its nose will transform and the nose will turn pale.
DOG TALES
If a dog sees itself in a mirror, it will take sick and die.
Stumble over a dog and someone will borrow money from you. Take food away from a dog and it will bite you someday.
To keep a dog from going mad, tie a button around its neck.
CAT’S MEOW
BLACK CAT
When you see a black cat, turn your hat backward to ward off bad luck.
If you see a black cat while driving, stop and wait until another car passes before you continue on or you’ll be involved in an accident.
When you see a black cat lying in front of a doorway, it is protecting a witch.
Rub the hair of a black cat in the dark and you’ll see the fire it brought back from hell.
If you’re fortunate enough to own a black cat, you’ll never lack for lovers.
CAT ASTROPHE
Never kick a cat or you ll be afflicted with rheumatism.
Kill a cat and bad luck will plague you for seven years.
When a cat s hair stands up, the devil is whispering secrets to it.
CAT BE NIMBLE
If a cat jumps over a corpse, the corpse will become a vampire.
CAT WALK
If a white cat walks in front of you on Friday the 13th, you ll be lucky all the days of your life.
Smear a little butter on a cat s paw to keep it from straying.
RAINING CATS AND DOGS
If a cat sits with its back to the fire, it will soon storm.
If a cat licks its tail it will soon rain.
CAT SCAN
If a cat jumps up and stares down an empty hallway, there s a ghost in the house.
Good luck abounds if you bring your cat to your wedding.
BIRDS OF A FEATHER
BIRDS OF PARADISE
Pluck a bright feather from a bird and you ‘l receive a colorful gift.
A blue parrot tells secrets to the devil so watch what you say in front of one.
WHO?
When you hear an owl hoot, someone you know is saying goodbye and will die soon.
When you hear an owl hoot, a young woman has lost her virginity.
To stop an owl from hooting, throw a hot coal out the window.
STORM WATCH
If your canary sings during a storm, it is in league with the devil.
A swan will only hatch eggs when there is thunder and lightning.
BIRD S EYE
If a bird drops a dirty surprise on you, it will make amends by seeing that you receive money on the same day.
BIRDFOOD
If you eat the heart of a wild bird you may turn into a werewolf.
FOR THE BIRDS
Don’t hang wallpaper with a bird design or you’ll never be happy in your home.
Stuff your pillow with pigeon feathers and you’ll never have a good night s sleep.
If a bird flies into your house, expect ill health. Two birds – expect a wedding.
Expect three days bad luck if you destroy a bird s nest.
Kill a wren and you’ll soon break a bone.
BATS IN THE BELFRY
ETHNIC BATS
To the Chinese and Polish, bats are a good omen. To the Irish, bats are a symbol of death.
BAT BATH
Wash your face with the blood of a bat and you’ll be able to see in the dark.
BAT AN EYE
If you see an albino bat, you will soon see the devil.
BAT CURE
The dried powdered heart of a bat placed on a wound will stop bleeding.
AT BAT
If bats move into a house, the occupants will soon move out.
If a bat swoops down on you, don t duck away in fear or it will chase you.
If a bat lands on your head, it will not move until it hears thunder.
If you disturb bats in a cave at rest, you ll be watched by one for the rest of your life.
If a bat gets tangled in your hair, it will bite your skull and draw out your brain fluid.
If you kill a bat, better hope others don t find you and seek revenge.
BAT MOBILE
A bat has the power to read your thoughts and carry them to the devil.
BEES IN THE BONNET
BEE FRIEND
If a bee lands on your head and stays for a while, you’ll rise to great heights.
BEE CALM
Good luck if a bee flies into your house and leaves but bad luck if one dies in your house. Apply wet clay to a bee sting to relieve pain.
If a bee lands on you, keep perfectly still and you won t be stung.
BEE LINES
A bee sting cures rheumatism.
If you find a bee in your shoe you ll be married soon.
When bees hover near their hives, a disaster is in the offing.
Carry a woodpecker s beak in your pocket you ll never be stung by a bee.
When a bee buzzes around your head, you ll soon receive an unexpected gift.
CREEPY CRAWLERS
SNAKE PIT
A snake will never go near a raw onion.
Poisonous snakes float on the water. Non-poisonous snakes keep their heads above water.
If you kill a snake, its mate will come looking for it.
You can survive a poisonous snake bite if you re drunk at the time you re bitten.
Snakes are attracted to ripe berries, so watch out when picking in a patch.
When you see a lizard, a snake is only a few feet away.
COME INTO MY PARLOR
Run into a spider web, you ll soon meet a friend.
When you see a spider s web, look for an initial in the design. If you find one, a person with that initial in their first name will bring good fortune.
SLUG FEST
Bury cloves of garlic near your tomato plants to keep slugs from destroying your crop.
ANT AGONIST
If you step on an ant, it will rain.
BEETLEMANIA
Never kill a beetle intentionally. It could be a reincarnated soul.
Don t kill a cricket unless you re prepared to face seven days bad lu
GLOW WORM
If you squash a firefly while it s lit, a star dies.
If a worm crawls on you, you’ll soon have new clothes.
ANIMAL FAIR
STUBBORN AS A MULE
When a mule won t cross a bridge, you can bet it s unsafe.
NEIGH
If a horse can roll over and back again, it’s especially clever.
A white horse will live longer than a black horse.
NOAH S ARK
When you see animals carrying their young to higher ground, there will be a flood.
FOXY
When you see a fox, you ll have a lucky day.
CLUCK
Chickens that lay brightly colored eggs are in league with the devil.
ODDS & ENDS
Penguins are so curious, they ll fall over backward to keep their eyes on an object up above them that caught their attention.
MICKEY MOUSE
If a mouse eats a hole in your clothes, you must repair it with a square patch to avoid bad luck.
ANIMAL HEAVEN
When an animal dies, its soul becomes a star in a galaxy.
PART II
PEOPLE WATCHING
ROCK A BYE BABY
BABY LUCK
Pass a newborn infant through the branches of a maple tree and the baby will live a long, prosperous life.
If a baby s hands are usually fisted, it will live a long life.
BABY FAT
Roll a chubby baby up and down the bridal bed to ensure the newly married couple has healthy male children.
BABY CLOTHES
Throw away the last of your baby s things and you ll be pregnant again within a year.
BIRTHING
A child born in summer will be smarter than one born in any other season.
or…..
A baby born in winter will be cold natured all its life.
A baby born in summer will sweat a lot.
BABY RITES
If a baby doesn’t cry at its christening, it will lead a wonderful life.
A new mother shouldn’t leave the house until her baby is christened or the baby will be irritable for a year.
Don t cut a baby s nails before its first birthday unless you cut them over a bible. However, it’s acceptable to trim the nails with your teeth.
Cut your baby’s hair before its first birthday and the baby could acquire a speech impediment.
When a boy and girl are christened at the same time, let the boy go first or he ll grow up beardless.
CRY BABY
\When a baby has colic, blow smoke into the baby’s milk.
FIRST STEPS
A baby should crawl before it walks or it will have poor circulation.
Don t leave a baby s shoes up high or the baby will be restless. Place them on the floor instead.
Sweep a baby s feet with a broom and it will walk earlier than usual.
BABY FACE
When babies smile in their sleep, they are talking to angels.
NIGHT BABY
Babies born on the stroke of midnight are able to see ghosts.
BABY TALK
Don t tickle a baby under its chin. It could cause stammering.
AND……
A set of twins has only one soul.
Twins bring good luck to each other.
CHILD S PLAY
LEAP FROG
Boys who play with frogs grow up bow-legged.
SLEEPY HEAD
Waken a sleepwalking child and it could die from fright.
SURPRISE
If you find a louse in your child s head, crack it against a bell and your child will be a good singer.
SUGAR AND SPICE
If a mother is ornery, her daughter will be sweet.
IT S IN THE GENES
Children will always be taller than their parents.
Children with high IQ s tend to be sickly.
A seventh son will be a healer, a seventh daughter will have second sight.
Daughters tend to resemble their mothers.
CURE ALLS
To cure a child of timidity, open all the windows in the house and hope that a yellow butterfly comes to visit.
A spanking doesn’t make as big an impact as a mother s tears.
If a boy insists on wearing strings of beads, he’ll come to a bad end.
OH MAN !
MACHO MAN
A man with a dimple will never commit murder.
A short man is an aggressive man.
A man with bushy eyebrows has great sexual prowess.
MANSLAUGHTER
Watch out for a man if a dog growls in his presence.
Male mass murderers are always quiet, polite and well-mannered.
If a man with deformed eyes stares at your long enough, you’ll get a raging headache that will lead you to commit an evil act.
Never marry a man with a long chin. He’ll be a jealous husband.
I’M YOUR MAN
Wealthy men all long for a simpler life.
Men with red beards have evil but interesting thoughts.
A man who smokes a cigar is a braggart.
RICH MAN, POOR MAN
A man with small fingers is stingy.
If a man s initials are M.A.N., he will be wealthy.
Pipe smokers are lousy tippers.
WISE GUY
There are no brave men in a dentist’s office.
Republican men aren’t all that bad once you drink with them.
PRETTY WOMAN
GET AN UGLY GIRL TO MARRY YOU
Men, kiss a pretty woman on New Year s Eve, you ll be lucky in love. Kiss an ugly woman on New Year s Eve and you’ll be rich.
BEWARE
If a woman s ears are small, she will be a whiner and a stingy wife.
I M YOUR LADY
Women who ride horses are oversexed.
Preacher s daughters are sexually active by the age of fifteen.
Oriental women are better at sex than any other race.
LIKE A VIRGIN
A young woman should avoid going out with a man to a restaurant that has white tablecloths as these will remind him of bed sheets and stir his lust.
WOMAN S INTUITION
Stare long enough at a woman s back and she will turn around.
BRAINS OR BEAUTY
Buxom women are less intelligent that those meagerly endowed.
SPIDER WOMAN
Never trust a woman who begs to meet your husband. She wants him for herself.
Never trust a woman with long nails. She’ll tear you apart.
LOVE POTION
If the girl you love doesn’t reciprocate the feeling, take two pieces of food she likes best and put them under your armpits for a few seconds so the food absorbs your scent. When the girl eats that food she ll quickly fall in love with you.
LOVE AND MARRIAGE
BRIDAL PATH
Get the front of your dress wet while washing clothes and you re fated to marry a drunkard.
Place a sixpence inside a bride s shoe to wish her a happy marriage.
Lift up your feet when walking over a railroad track and don t step on a rail or you ll lose the man you love.
A WOMAN S WORK IS NEVER DONE
A new bride should borrow a pot for one month so she’ll have a good marriage.
If a bride cooks the wedding dinner she will have a gloomy marriage.
ALWAYS A BRIDESMAID
A girl will be a spinster if she cuts her fingernails on Sunday, or if she sits on top a table, or if she takes the last cookie from the plate.
Never be a bride’s maid more than three times or you’ll never be a bride.
A girl who refuses to be kissed under mistletoe will be an old maid.
LOVE SICK
Throw three kisses into the wind and the man you love will call within twenty-four hours.
Hang a horseshoe over your door on May Day and the first person who enters your house will resemble your future husband.
If you put on a man s hat, someone will kiss you.
When you stumble, kiss your thumb and you’ll be kissed in return.
When you peel an apple, don t break the length of skin. When you have a complete peeling, toss it on the floor and it will form the initials of your future husband.
If a butterfly flutters around your head, you’ll soon be married soon.
THE HONEYMOON S OVER
If your second toe is longer than your big toe, you will be the dominant partner in marriage.
Newly married couples should bring a hen into the house. If it cackles, they will have a happy life together.
Use your new name before your wedding day and you ll have an unhappy marriage.
Pick a sunflower in August, place it in one of your wife s pockets and she won t be unfaithful.
RAIN, RAIN GO AWAY
Place a statue of the Virgin Mary in your window on the morning of your wedding and you ll have a sunny day.
Marry on a stormy day and your entire marriage will be stormy.
LOOKING FOR LOVE
Cold hands? You’re in love.
Find a pod with nine peas and the first man who walks through the door will be your husband.
Unable to find a husband? Turn your bed around and let your head rest where your feet once rested and you’re sure to find the man of your dreams.
Find a feather in your hair and you’ll marry a cranky man.
WEDDING BELLS
Never have a head table of thirteen at your wedding reception. If you do, the marriage will end in divorce.
It s bad luck to change your wedding date once it s been set.
Selling your wedding gown is a bad luck omen. Lend it instead. OPPOSITES ATTRACT
It s bad luck to marry a person with the same initials as yours.
HONEY, I’M PREGNANT
WHAT LL IT BE?
Stick a threaded needle in a pencil eraser and hold it over a pregnant woman’s stomach. If it swings back and forth, it will be a boy. If it swings in a circle, it will be a girl.
Want a baby girl? Put a frying pan under your mattress.
Want a baby boy? Put a knife under your mattress.
APRON STRINGS
If you have a child that clings to you at home, your next baby will be the opposite sex.
CONTAGIOUS?
Dream of a fish and someone you know is pregnant.
Break a ribbon on a shower gift and you ll be pregnant within a year.
WHAT I DID FOR LOVE
A red streak running down a pregnant woman’s stomach means she’ll have twins.
Throw a little black pepper on an expectant mother to insure the birth of a healthy child.
A woman will lose a tooth for each pregnancy.
Don’t touch your stomach if you re looking at a monkey or ugly person while you re pregnant or your baby will be marked with that ugliness.
Heartburn during pregnancy? Your baby has a lot of hair.
PICKLES AND ICE CREAM
Pregnant women should always eat the food they crave or the baby will be born with a birthmark in the shape of that food.
SHARING
If you crawl over your husband three times in bed, he ll share your labor pains.
BOYCOTT
If a pregnant woman sees a rope in her path, she must never walk over it but go around instead or the umbilical cord will wrap itself around the baby s neck.
Girls are more difficult to birth than boys.
BIG MOUTH
A woman with a large mouth will have an easy labor.
GLOWING
When a woman is pregnant her skin will clear, her nails will grow faster, but her gums will ache.
A FRIEND INDEED
FRIENDS FOREVER
Never step directly in the tracks made by a friend or the friendship will end.
If you and your friend are in love with the same man, best that neither of you gets him because he isn t meant for either of you. If you want someone to be your friend and they re against the idea, burn a strand of their hair and you’ll soon be bosom buddies.
CUTTING EDGE
Don’t give a sharp object to a friend or the friendship will be torn in two.
When you see a pair of open scissors, close them immediately or you’ll quarrel with a friend.
Never tell a secret to a friend who has a mole on the back of her neck. She will spread and elaborate on that secret.
STICKS AND STONES
Spilling salt at the table means a quarrel between friends.
THAT’S WHAT FRIENDS ARE FOR
When walking with a friend, never let a tree come between you or the friendship will end.
OCCUPATIONAL HAZARDS
SHIP AHOY
Never name a ship after a reptile or the sailors aboard will come to a bed end.
Whistling on board a ship brings high winds.
Most sailors won t board a ship if they meet a nun or priest on the way to the harbor fearing a disaster at sea.
To dispel a sea mist, throw a coin overboard.
Sailors get tattoos to ward off evil spirits.
GRAVEYARD SHIFT
Never jump oven an open trench if you re a construction worker. A trench signifies a coffin.
A gravedigger must stay in the cemetery until the grave he was digging is filled or he s asking for trouble. 49er
A miner who whistles underground is doomed.
If a miner sees a dove flying around the entrance to the pit, there will be an accident.
JOB CLASSIFICATIONS
All bartenders have enough material to write a best selling novel.
Politicians don t turn crooked until after their first term in office.
The lawyer who argues loudest will win the case.
All dentists have hairy arms.
LOVE SHACK
If you work in a brothel, burn cologne in an ashtray to bring in customers OR
light three lamps in the windows and customers will come running.
RESUME
If you re going on a job interview, forget something at home and go back for it, you won t be hired for that job.
DOWN ON THE FARM
PIGSKIN
Never pull a pig s tail or you re sure to have a miserable day.
Walk three times around a pig sty every day and you ll enjoy good health.
Speak to a pig gently after she gives birth or she ll eat her young.
Hogs should not be butchered until the first frost or the meat will spoil.
HOLY COW
The milk of a red cow is sweeter than that of a white cow.
When a cow moos after midnight there will be a death.
FRUIT CAKE
Horsewhip a peach tree and it will bear abundant fruit.
Drive a nail into a fruit tree to keep fruit from falling off before it s ripe.
Bury several pieces of coal near a fruit tree trunk to help its growth.
SO SHALL YE REAP
Your crops will fail if you laugh while planting.
You’ll grow more potatoes if you plant them on St. Patrick’s Day.
Always plant potatoes and turnips by the dark of the moon.
Transplant parsley and you ll find yourself in a dangerous situation.
TALK TO THE ANIMALS
Play music in the hen house and the hens will lay double.
GOOD LUCK CHARM
Hang a horseshoe above a barn door and it will never burn down.
WHEN THE COCK CROWS
If you re robbed, put a rooster under a pot and have the suspects touch the pot. The rooster will crow when the thief puts his hand on the pot.
EQUIPMENT
Use cooked grease on the axles of your wagon and mice won t eat your harvested grain.
ALAS POOR YORICK
OPENING NIGHT JITTERS
Never bring peacock feathers into a theater or there’ll be a disaster during the run of the play.
Terrible rehearsals mean a great opening night.
Actors dislike people looking in a mirror over their shoulder.
Producers don t like opening a new play on a Friday fearing it will have a bad run. It s bad luck to wish an actor good luck.
It’s good luck for a cat to make a mess backstage before a performance.
If an actor isn’t nervous before a performance, he ll perform badly.
Actors prefer to leave their dressing rooms left foot first for luck.
Never entertain in a dressing room before a performance or you ll forget your lines.
Spit to each side of an actor before a performance to wish him well.
A yellow garment worn on stage brings bad luck.
The last line of a play is never spoken at rehearsals.
Should a costume be torn before going on stage, something bad will happen.
LULLABY OF BROADWAY
Don’t whistle backstage. Actors take it as a prelude to disaster.
SHAKESPEARE
Disaster usually strikes every production of Macbeth and actors refuse to call the play by its proper name. It s referred to as The Scottish Play .
AMEN
If a man never believed in God, he will while fighting a war.
When you walk into a church you’ve never been in before, light a candle and ask God for a favor.
Visit nine churches on Holy Thursday and you’ll go straight to heaven if you die during that year.
15th Century Superstition: Catholics believed they did not grow older during mass.
Have your clergyman bless your pet once a year and it will be well behaved.
When church bells ring on their own, a holy person has just died.
If you wear a scapular, you will not die without the last rites.
The eyes in religious portraits will follow your movements.
When a candle goes out during a religious service, evil spirits are lurking nearby. Make the sign of the cross when passing a church or you re slighting God.
THE GRIM REAPER
HIGHWAY TO HEAVEN
Always hold on to a button when a hearse passes or its next trip may be for yours.
When a hearse passes, bow your head or the ghost of the deceased will haunt you.
If a burial takes place on a rainy day, the departed spirit goes straight to heaven.
See a falling star and someone you know has died.
Never count cars in a funeral procession or there will be a death in your family.
When a husband dies, the wife should put on one of his garments and sing to him. This will make his soul rejoice.
TO DIE FOR
A phantom hearse sometimes appears in front of the house before a death.
Never step on a grave intentionally or someone you know will die.
When three people are photographed together, the middle one will die first.
When you shiver, someone is walking over the spot where you will be buried.
Never hold the hand of a corpse. It could pull you into the beyond.
GRAVEYARD
Trip in a graveyard, you ll be dead within a year.
Point at a grave and your finger will rot.
Bring home a little dirt from the cemetery for good luck.
Walk with one shoe off and one shoe on and you’re walking your mother to the grave. When light is seen rising from a grave, the deceased was a holy person.
GHOST STORY
When a picture or painting falls off the wall, someone you know will die.
Wearing expensive jewelry to a wake or funeral attracts evil spirits.
A corpse buried with an open mouth will become a vampire.
Whistle when walking in a graveyard to keep ghosts away.
Cooking in a house where there s been a recent death shows disrespect for the deceased.
DEATHBED
Never scream when a person is on his deathbed or he/she will recover and live a horrible life.
Place your hat on a bed after a funeral and you’re inviting death to come calling again soon.
If you notice a very ill person picking at the bedcovers, death is imminent.
DEATH WISH
Never wish death on anyone because fate will see to it that someone you love dies instead.
MERRY WIDOW
The longer a widow’s veil, the shorter her mourning period.
STATISTICS
Most people will eat a large meal before dying. Most deaths occur at sunrise.
MIRROR, MIRROR ON THE WALL
Cover your mirrors when someone in the family dies or you ll see a reflection of the deceased.
STOP SIGNAL
If you re stopped by a freight train on the way home from a funeral, you’ll hear of another death soon.
If you don’t attend a neighbor’s funeral you won t have mourners at your own.
PART III
BODY OF EVIDENCE
COVER UP
HOLE IN ONE
If you see a hole in your stocking, you ll soon receive a letter from a friend.
BUTTONS AND BOWS
When you place a button in a wrong buttonhole, take off the garment and put it on again before rebuttoning it or you’ll have an unlucky day. When you find a black button, you ll have good luck all day.
When you find a white button, you’ll receive an important letter.
TOPPERS
Don’t walk into a house wearing a new hat or you ll have bad luck. Carry it inside instead.
SEAMSTRESS
Never sew a dress on Friday unless you finish it that same day or you’ll never enjoy wearing that dress.
Never bite off a thread when you re sewing or your teeth will rot.
Sew some salt into your hem and if anyone talks against you they’ll get a toothache.
FASHION SENSE
Wear something new on a Friday and you’ll be involved in an accident.
Should you put on a piece of clothing inside out, it must be worn that way all day or you’ll have a bad day.
A piece of clothing will last twice as long if first worn on a Sunday.
Clothes washed on Good Friday will soon be spotted with blood.
When wearing a new jacket or coat, put a coin in the right hand pocket and you’ll never be without money.
Never wear another person s new clothes or harm will befall you.
Catch a butterfly, bite of its head and you’ll soon have a new garment the same color as the butterfly.
GARTER BELT
If your stockings fall around your ankles, someone is thinking of you.
Wear a green garter and you’ll receive a present.
SHOEBOX
Wear new shoes to a wedding and you’ll never have an opportunity to wear them again.
Spit on new shoes for good luck.
Give a pair of shoes to a beggar and you won t have to walk barefoot after death.
Don’t put on your left shoe before the right or step out of bed on the left foot. Misfortune awaits if you break this rule. If your shoelaces untie by themselves, someone is thinking of you.
Don’t keep your boots on in a movie theater or you’ll develop arthritis.
Never walk backwards with one shoe on and one shoe off or you’ll have a disastrous day.
SWEET REVENGE
If you put on a piece of your husband s clothing when he s away from home, he’ll have extremely bad luck.
BAUBLES, BANGLES AND BEADS
RINGS ‘N THINGS
Never take a ring off another person s finger or you take away that person s good luck.
If your ring cracks, it means a disaster was averted and the ring took the damage instead of you.
If the stone in your engagement ring turns cloudy, don t marry the man who gave it to you. He is insincere and will cause you grief.
HUSBANDS TAKE NOTE
Give your wife a turquoise if you think she s unfaithful. It s rumored to change color if she is.
PEARLS OF WISDOM
You will cry, either from happiness or sorrow, if you wear pearls.
Wear a pearl when you sleep. It will tap into your energy and become a powerful amulet against evil spirits who try to take possession of your body at a vulnerable time.
JEWEL BOX
Wear the following:
o An emerald to improve memory.
o An amethyst for peace of mind.
o A ruby to ward off evil spirits.
o A sapphire to prevent evil thoughts.
o An onyx for happy dreams.
o An aquamarine to prevent drunkenness or cure laziness.
o A topaz if you re looking for love.
o A diamond as a cure for insanity, nightmares and leprosy.
o A blond will stay blonder longer if she wears an opal necklace.
o A ruby will change color as an enemy approaches.
o An emerald, worn near the head will protect against the evil eye.
o An opal will pale in the presence of poison.
o Any blue stone or beads will keep danger at bay.
PERSONAL HYGIENE
BUBBLE BATH
Bathing in rosemary water makes you feel young.
Never take a bath during a thunderstorm lest you electrocute yourself.
DIRTY WORK
If you have dirt from a cemetery under your fingernails, wash it away as soon as possible or you could be lying under that dirt soon.
MAMA ALWAYS TOLD US
Never sit on a public toilet seat without first covering it or you will develop a red cross on your butt.
Sit on an uncovered public toilet seat and you ll develop a dread disease.
Always wear clean underwear in case you re involved in an accident.
Never use an outhouse because a monster can pull you into the hole.
PLUCKING
It’s best to tweeze your own eyebrows. If a jealous person does it for you, she could pick away your senses.
COMBINGS
Don’t pick up your own comb after dropping it or bad luck will befall you. You can pick up someone else s but never your own.
FOUL MOUTH
Suck on a blue stone to cleanse bad breath.
HAIRY TALES
BLUEBEARD
Beware the man whose beard is a different color than his hair.
Burn clippings from your beard or wash them down the drain so the devil can t get them.
BAD HAIR DAY
Most of the people who report UFO sightings never comb their hair.
If you get a hair in your mouth, you’ll soon kiss a fool.
SHAMPOO
Go outdoors after washing your hair and you re likely to catch pneumonia.
Rinse your hair with daisy juice and your gray hair will disappear.
Rinse your hair with rum and it will curl.
CURLIQUE
God loves and protects people with curly hair.
Don’t have your hair permed while you re pregnant or it will all fall out.
BLACK WIDOW
A woman with a widow s peak will marry more than once.
BALD EAGLE
Wearing hats causes premature baldness.
When a man loses all his hair, he gains sexual powers.
Don t let anyone sweep up your hair after a haircut or you’ll go bald.
Never thank a person for combing your hair or you’ll go bald.
PARTING OF THE WAYS
If you part your hair differently, you’ll get a headache.
Comb your hair at night and you’ll become forgetful.
HAIR SPLITTING
Don’t trim your moustache late at night or you’ll have a nightmare.
Never trust a person with long hairs in their eyebrows.
Pluck your eyebrows too often and you’ll go blind.
Anyone with hair in their ears has a keen sense of hearing.
If you wind a strand of hair around your finger while thinking, it indicates you re an idler.
VOODOO
Throw a few strands of your hair into a fire and you will see an image of an upcoming event in your future as you stare at the flames.
If a man has treated you badly, wrap a strand of his hair around a candle and let the candle burn down. Something awful will happen to him.
BLONDES HAVE MORE FUN
A virgin shouldn’t die her hair blond or chances are she’ll turn into a loose woman.
Brunettes are more trustworthy than blondes.
HEY RED!
Meet a person with red hair before dawn and your wish will come true.
SHAVE AND A HAIRCUT
Shaving makes your hair grow in faster.
THE EYES HAVE IT
EVIL EYE
A person with a cowlick is sure to have the evil eye .
Beware the man or woman with turquoise eyes. They will tempt you into evil ways.
EYESTRAIN
You ‘re going to meet an important person if your eye twitches.
Place copper pennies on the eyelids of a corpse to keep evil spirits from entering the body.
Reading in dim light will ruin your eyesight.
TWENTY LASHES
Should an eyelash fall out, place it on the back of your left hand and make a wish. Place your right hand over the lash and press hard. If the lash sticks to your palm, your wish will come true.
COLORS
If you happen to meet a person with gray eyes, listen carefully to what he or she has to say.
A wife with blue eyes will be truthful.
A husband with blue eyes is a flirt.
Blue eyes indicate intelligence.
Gray eyes indicate a cold, calculating person.
Green eyes indicate creativity.
Brown eyes indicate a flirtatious nature.
PAIN IN THE EYE
If your eye hurts, put a warm raisin in your ear.
DOUBLE TROUBLE
A cross-eyed man loves two women equally.
THE BIG ITCH
FACE
When your nose itches, you’ll soon have a visitor with a hole in his pants.
When your nose itches, you’ll be kissed by an old man.
When your right eye itches, you’ll be lucky.
When your left eye itches, you’ll be disappointed.
When your lips itch, you’ll hear a lie.
ARM
When your left hand itches, you’ll receive money.
When your right hand itches, you’ll give money away.
When your thumb itches, you’ll have an unwelcome guest.
When your elbow itches, a dark man will betray you.
HEAD
If your scratch your head too hard, you ll develop a brain tumor.
FEET
When the sole of your foot itches, you will walk on strange ground.
BELLY
When you feel a pleasant little itching inside your tummy, you re in love.
GEZUNDHEIT
BLESS THAT SNEEZE
Sneeze three times in a row and you re expelling a demon.
A sneeze is a breeze from Satan s wings.
Sneeze with food in your mouth and you’ll hear of a death.
At the moment of sneezing, you’re as close to death as you’ll ever be.
Sneeze on Sunday and the devil will be with you all week.
Sneeze on a Monday before breakfast and you ll be in love all your life.
Sneeze on your wedding day and you ll marry more than once in life.
Sneeze while making a decision and your choice will be the right one. Sneeze in church and you ll have good luck all day.
When two people sneeze at the exact same time, they’ll each receive a surprise.
To stop a sneezing fit, inhale steam from boiling water.
Sneezing was considered a sign of good health.
CURE-ALL
o Aches – Sleep with a young dog and the puppy will absorb your pain.
o Acne – Frequent sex gets the blood flowing and flushes out body poisons.
o Arthritis – A grapefruit a day keeps those aches away.
o Asthma – Boil some chestnuts, add a little honey to the water and drink the mixture.
o Boil – Cover the boil with the lining of an eggshell to bring the boil to a head.
o Childbirth – Put the father s hat under the bed.
o Constipation – Break an egg over your stomach.
o Cough – Set cooked onions on your chest to break up congestion.
o Cramps – Tie a red string or ribbon around your stomach.
o Depression – Eat an apple a day. Not only will it give you a lift, but it will make you feel amorous.
o Diarrhea – Drink a cup of blackberry tea and you’ll be fit as a fiddle.
o Drunk – Swallow a teaspoon of olive oil before your first sip and you won t feel the effects of the liquor. Earache – Place a few drops of beet juice in the affected ear.
o Eyes – Red eye, sore eye, tender eye – flush the eye with wine or a beaten egg.
o Fever – Place slices of any root vegetable on your forehead to bring the fever down.
o Headache – Drink daisy juice for migraines.
o Kidney – Tea made from watermelon seeds stimulates kidneys to function properly.
o Nerves – Mint in your bath water will have a calming effect.
o Nosebleed – Chew on paper
o Neck Ache – Hold both arms high above your head, or
o Nerves – Drop a ring of cold keys down your back.
o Sore Throat – Rest one foot on a raw herring.
o Sty in Eye – Rub a sty with a gold ring for quick relief,
o Sunburn – Rub the affected area with ivy.
o Sunstroke – Put a glass of cold water atop your head.
o Toothache – Rub lemon juice on the gum near the painful area and it will end a few minutes.
o Warts – Rub a wart with apple slices and then bury the apple without allowing anyone to touch it or the wart will transfer itself to that person.
MISCELLANEOUS
Always apply healing ointments with the ring finger.
If you use the forefinger (the poison digit), the sick person will never get well.
Touch the diseased part of the body with an iron nail and then hammer the nail into a tree. The disease will be trapped in the tree trunk. If you have pimples on your face, it s a sign your mother stole something.
If all else fails, whiskey cures anything!!!
SWEET DREAMS
DREAM LOVER
Place ivy leaves under your pillow and dream of the one you love.
Put your shoes next to your bed in the shape of a T and you’ll dream of the one you love.
Pass one of your stockings through a wedding ring, place the stocking under your pillow and you’ll dream of the man you’ll marry.
Place a piece of wedding cake beneath your pillow and you’ll dream of your future husband.
Put a piece of clothing in four corners of your bedroom and you’ll dream of the person you’ll marry.
NIGHTMARE
Don’t leave a dent in your pillow when you rise. A dent leaves a place for an evil spirit to rest.
When you’re sound asleep and dreaming, your soul has left your body and if someone awakens you suddenly, your soul won’t be able to find its way back until you fall asleep again.
If you can’t sleep, get out of bed and turn your shoes upside down.
DREAM COME TRUE
Sleep with your head pointing north for good luck since magnetic waves flow from north to south.
Dream the exact same dream three nights in a row and it will come true.
If you want to dream but can t, put your socks under your pillow.
SPECIFICS
When you dream of:
o Angels – Happiness is on the way.
o Anger – Your enemy will become your friend.
o Baldness – You ll lose a friend.
o Bread – A streak of good luck is near.
o Cats – Watch out for enemies.
o Church – Mend your ways.
o Dancing – Good fortune in your future.
o Death – Something good will happen.
o Dogs Barking – Bad news for your business or job. Doors – If open, success. If closed, failure. Drowning – A happy event coming.
o Drunkenness – A new love affair is in your future. Faces – You ll hear a secret
o Falling – Trouble in store.
o Fire – You’ll be happy.
o Hats – Beware.
o Hospital – You ll enjoy good health.
o Jewelry – You re a show off.
o Keys – You’ll be lucky in a new love affair. Kisses – Excitement ahead.
o Rats/Snakes – You’ll hear of a death.
o Snow – Happy days ahead
o Stars – Success ahead.
o Teeth – Someone you know will die.
o Water – If it s muddy, there will be a death. Wedding – Death coming.
o Yawning – You have a tendency to bore people.
If you never dream, you lead a dull life.
PART IV
LIFE STYLE
HOME SWEET HOME
HOUSE PARTY
If you drop a fork, a man will visit.
If you drop a knife, a woman will visit.
When a rocking chair begins skittering along the floor and no one is sitting in it, you’ll have company.
RAT TRAP
Catch one mouse and you’ll catch eleven more.
Want to rid your house of rats? Write them a letter and leave it lying near the baseboard at night.
HOME PLATE
If you break a dish, you must break three before your luck will change for the better.
ANIMAL HOUSE
It s considered very lucky to take a horse through your new home.
BEDTIME STORY
Never laugh before getting out of the bed in the morning or you ll cry before getting into it again.
When sleeping in a strange bed, name the four bedposts and you ll have a good night s sleep.
FOR SALE
If you re unsuccessful at selling your house, bury a statue of Saint Joseph upside down, facing toward the house and you’ll quickly have a buyer.
HOUSE BREAKER
Never leave a neighbor s house by a door in which you did not enter.
Never leave a house through a window or you ll be involved in a scandal.
BUG HOUSE
A few shakes of red pepper on your doorstep will keep ants away.
HOUSE PLANTS
Plant holly around your home to prevent lightning strikes.
Holly hung on the mantle brings fertility to the house.
Place a tomato on the mantelpiece for prosperity.
HOUSE CLEANING
Cigar ashes are good for your carpeting.
Bad luck looms if two people dry their hands on the same towel at the same time.
MIRROR, MIRROR
To end the cycle of seven years bad luck after breaking a mirror, bury the broken pieces.
ROUND TRIP
If you leave your house and forget something, don’t go back inside unless you walk around a chair three times and sit for a moment.
HOUSE WARMING
When moving into a new house, set the salt and pepper shakers out first for a happy home.
When building your new home, use a few pieces of old wood for good luck
EAT, DRINK AND BE MERRY
IN A PICKLE
Eating pickles will help you get over love sickness.
TINY BUBBLES
Champagne causes the worst hangover.
When bubbles form in the glass as you drink milk, drink them down before they break and you’ll receive money.
To spill champagne is a bad omen. If you do, rub a few drops behind your ear to break the spell.
BREADWINNER
You’ll never go hungry if you bring a loaf of bread and salt to a neighbor.
When two people reach for the same slice of bread, visitors are coming.
Cut all slices of bread evenly and you ll be rich one day.
Don t cut bread at both ends or an evil spirit will fly out.
Mark your bread with the sign of the cross before baking and the bread will have healing powers. Corn bread should never be cut with a knife. Break it into pieces instead for good luck.
If a fish bone is lodged in your throat, swallow a piece of bread to dislodge it.
If you burn bread while baking it, you ll be angry all day long.
PEPPERONI TO GO
Every slice of pizza sold puts a nickel in the hands of the mafia.
COFFEE, TEA OR ME?
Let a tear fall into your coffee or tea and your heartache will lessen.
LET THEM EAT CAKE
Never stir cake batter in more than one direction. If you do, the cake will not rise.
KEEP ON TRUCKIN
If a roadside restaurant has a lot of trucks in the parking lot, the food is excellent.
INNARDS
Eat chicken gizzards and you’ll be pretty.
Early African Legend: People became black by eating the liver of an ox. COOK BOOK
An evil woman can t make good applesauce.
Eating artichokes provokes lust.
If a cook drops a dishrag, she can expect a dirty visitor.
CHOP SUEY
A Chinese restaurant has excellent food if you see Orientals eating there.
Food tastes better when eaten outdoors.
If you like pineapples, you’re a perfectionist.
SPICE IT UP
HOT SEAT
When you want an unwelcome guest to leave, put a pinch of pepper beneath his chair.
SPICE OF LIFE
Send someone cinnamon and you re saying my fortune is yours .
Use ground nutmeg to remove freckles.
Oil of cloves will ease a toothache.
Use ginger in your recipes and your sex life will improve.
Place caraway seeds in your pocket and you will never be frightened.
HOT, HOT, HOT
Eating red pepper cleanses poisons from the body.
Don’t eat pepper if you have a fever. It will make your temperature rise.
ROSEMARY
A few sprigs of rosemary beneath your bed will keep nightmares away.
Eat food cooked with rosemary to improve your memory.
SALT SHAKER
Throw salt over your shoulder if you tell a lie.
If you accidentally spill salt, throw some over your left shoulder or you ll go hungry.
FLOWER POWER
WEEDS BEGONE
If your child carries a bunch of dandelions too long, he or she will wet the bed.
WILTED
Don t steal flowers from a cemetery or you’ll soon have the same flowers at your funeral.
LOVE POTIONS
An eye-drop of frog blood is an aphrodisiac.
A glass of melted ice cube water will make one more appealing.
Drinking the juice of a boiled lobster to find a reliable spouse.
Rose water sprinkled on the shoulder will attract a soul mate.
Send tulips to declare your true love.
A ROSE IS A ROSE
Sending yellow roses to actors is wishing them bad luck.
SEEDLINGS
Sow flower seeds on Palm Sunday and you’ll double your blooms.
Carry a fern seed in your pocket and you become invisible to some people.
BOUQUET
Wild poppies grow on battlefields in tribute to the soldiers who died there.
Smelling buttercups can drive you insane.
If a geranium grows out of season, there is cause to worry.
Stare at marigolds too long and you’ll become a drunkard.
Watch out when bringing peonies into the house. Insects hide inside their petals.
FLOWER DOCTOR
To repel flies, place pots of geraniums around the area.
Bury a dead animal beneath your rose bushes and you’ll have a profusion of blooms.
Bring a flower home from the hospital and someone in your family will get sick.
CLEAN SWEEP
BROOM MAMBO
Dance with a broom and you’ll never find a husband.
BROOM ATTACK
In Nigeria, if you hit a man with a broom, he will become impotent unless he retaliates seven times with the same broom.
Never hit a mouse with a broom. It could run up the handle and bite you.
SWEEPSTAKES
When you sweep at night, you re disturbing lost souls.
When you clear away a spider web with a broom, make sure you take the broom outside immediately and shake it out or your house will become infested with spiders.
Never sweep house dirt out the front door. You’ll be sweeping away your good luck.
WET BROOM
Don’t leave a broom outside in the rain. If you do, you’re sure to have plumbing problems.
BROOM CLOSET
You’ll have a streak of bad luck if you buy a new broom in August.
Never burn a straw broom or your house could burn down.
Buy a new broom for good luck when moving into a new house.
MONEY IS THE ROOT
PENNY WISE
Should you ever find a penny with a hole in it, you ll spend a fortune in the coming year.
DIRTY MONEY
Never pray for money for yourself or you’ll get unexpected bills instead. However, it’s fine to pray for money for another person.
BANK ACCOUNT
When you find money, put it in your right shoe and you’ll soon double that money.
PENNY PINCHER
Find a penny, never spend it and you’ll never be poor.
Carry a newly minted penny in your pocket for luck.
Don’t steal coins from a fountain because you take away the good fortune of the person who threw the coin into the water.
PRETTY PENNY
A bowl of pennies placed in the kitchen brings good luck to the household.
BIG BUCKS
You can t solve a problem by throwing money at it.
SWEET CHARITY
Always give a coin to a beggar. It could be God in disguise.
ON THE ROAD
SENTIMENTAL JOURNEY
Look up at the sky and smile before getting into your car to start a journey and you’ll have an exciting trip.
When you cross a state line, bow your head and the state you’re leaving will always welcome you back.
CAR JACK
When you come to a fork in the road, pretend you will go one way but turn at the last second turn in the right direction to confuse the evil spirit that may be following you.
POINT OF NO RETURN
After starting on trip, don t turn back for anything unless you count backward from ten.
NUT-MOBILE
Put a walnut in your car to prevent an accident.
PASSPORT
Make the sign of the cross upon entering a foreign country so you won t run into trouble while you re there.
ORIENT EXPRESS
When getting on a train, make sure you face forward for the first minute of the trip or you’ll have trouble getting home again.
CAR POOL
When travelling through mountains at night, never pick up a stranger if there is a fog. It could be an evil spirit.
GAMBLING FEVER
BORN TO LOSE
Don t put your money on a bed if you intend to gamble or it will go to sleep on you.
Bad luck coming if a woman touches a man s shoulder while he s gambling.
WHITE ELEPHANT
When playing bingo, place a small elephant figureine, trunk facing up, on the top row of bingo letters and you re bound to win.
IT’S IN THE CARDS
If you get four queens dealt to you, beware of a false woman.
If you get three queens dealt to you, you ll be involved in a scandal.
If you get three jacks dealt to you, don t confide a secret you’ve been keeping.
WINNER TAKE ALL
Stick a pin in your coat and you ll have a winning streak.
To win big, put the dried heart of a bat in your purse or pocket.
HOUSE OF CARDS
You’re sure to lose if you play cards with a cross-eyed partner.
The deck of cards was invented by the devil.
Never let your elbow touch the two of spades or you’ll lose your bankroll.
Never let a black ace fall to the floor or you’re sure to lose.
LOTTERY FEVER
To win the lottery, carry your ticket somewhere next to your skin.
ONE ARMED BANDIT
When playing slot machines, use your left hand for the first play and then switch to the right and you’ll win. If you re left handed, use the reverse.
KNOW WHEN TO FOLD UP
Gamblers equate a deuce with the devil, hence the unpopularity of a two-dollar bill. If you should get a two-dollar bill, tear off the four corners to negate the evil spell.
SURE THING
You re sure to lose if you re angry when you gamble.
If a gambler has wide teeth, he’ll die wealthy.
RED PAYS DOUBLE
Rub the dice on a red haired person for luck.
SPORTING EVENTS
TENNIS ANYONE?
You won t win the game if you hold three tennis balls in your hand while serving.
TAKE ME OUT TO THE BALLGAME
Many baseball players won t have their uniforms washed during a winning streak.
If the lead-off batter strikes out, his team will lose the game.
Stick a piece of chewing gum to the top of your baseball cap and you’ll play well.
LOCKER ROOM
Never wear anything new if you re playing a championship game.
TKO
Some boxers throw salt around the ring before a fight to chase away evil spirits.
TAKE A SHOWER
Most athletes believe they should refrain from sex before a big game lest it weaken their strength.
DRAG RACE
If a race driver eats peanuts before a race, he’ll run into trouble.
FORE!
When teeing off, place the golf ball trade name or number facing up or you’ll golf badly on that hole.
WIN, PLACE, SHOW
Horses with four white hooves are unlucky. Don’t bet on them.
GONE FISHING
FISH HOOK
Spit on a worm before putting it on your hook and you’ll have a good catch.
HOOK, LINE AND SINKER
The halibut has a face that resembles a baby’s face so their heads are cut off as soon as they’re caught or people would never eat them.
FISH TAIL
Don t stop and count your fish or you won t catch more that day.
Fish bite only at sunset and dawn.
If you cuss, fish will avoid you.
If you step across a pole of another fisherman you ll catch no fish until you step over that pole again backward.
FISH WIFE
If you meet a cross-eyed woman on the way to your favorite fishing hole you won t catch any fish unless you spit into the water first.
SACRIFICIAL OFFERING
Toss the first fish you catch back into the water and you ll have a good catch.
HAPPY HOLIDAYS
NEW YEAR RESOLUTIONS
Put fish scales in your purse on New Year s Eve and you’ll have a prosperous year.
Eat herring on New Year s Eve for a prosperous year.
All debts should be settled before the stroke of midnight on New Year s Eve.
AULD LANG SYNE
Wear a new dress on New Year s Eve and you ll be pretty all year long.
Run out of salt on New Year s Day you ll be poor all year.
Don’t take anything out of the house on New Year s Day or you’ll take out your good fortune for the year.
If you walk along a river on New Year’s Eve you’ll find gold on the banks, but only for that one minute.
Wash clothes on New Year s Day and you’ll work hard all year.
MAYPOLE
Sex on May Day is most fulfilling.
TRICK OR TREAT
Burn a fire on Halloween to keep witches away.
SANTA CLAUS IS COMING TO TOWN
Lay a welcoming penny on your doorstep on Christmas Eve and you’ll have an interesting visitor.
A green Christmas means a full graveyard.
CUPID’S ARROW
Put your nightgown on inside out on St Valentine s Day and you ll dream of your true love.
PART V
OUT OF THE BLUE
THE GREAT OUTDOORS
BRIDGE OF SORROW
If you say goodbye to someone while standing on a bridge, you’ll never see that person again.
SAFARI
When leaving for a camping trip, bring a handful of dirt from home and you won’t be attacked by a wild animal.
If a family member goes on a trip, don’t dust his room until you know he s crossed a river or he’ll have a terrible time.
UP A TREE
When you plant a weeping willow tree, someone you know will die.
Lighting will not strike an elm tree.
Never burn wood from a tree that was struck by lightning or your house may be next.
Rub an oak tree for good luck.
FIRE ALARM
It’s unlucky to spit into a fire.
MOONSTRUCK
Sleep outdoors in the moonlight and you’ll go insane before you’re age fifty.
ROCKY MOUNTAIN HIGH
When looking down from a great height, never stare at an object below or you ll be tempted to leap.
DOWN BY THE RIVERSIDE
When you pass a river, spit into it and you ll get a letter or call from someone you haven t heard from in ages.
POT OF GOLD
Walk under a rainbow and you ll change into the opposite sex.
SUN/MOON/STARS
When there is an eclipse, a war is going on somewhere in the world.
MOONSTRUCK
MOON MADNESS
Never point at the moon or you’ll be involved in an accident.
Stare at the moon on Halloween and you’ll see a witch fly on a broomstick.
If the moon should turn red, the end of the world is at hand.
MOONSHINE
Don t stare at the moon at ebb tide or you’ll be pulled into the ocean and drown.
A man met in the moonlight will be a perfect husband.
Don’t wander about outdoors under a full moon. You could go mad.
HARVEST MOON
When singing to your plants, it s much better to sing to them under the light of a full moon.
The sound of your voice and the effect of the moon s rays will make them grow luxuriously.
Cut your hair when the moon is new and it will grow in thicker.
MOON DOG
Never walk in the woods under a full moon. A werewolf will target you.
BY THE LIGHT OF THE SILVERY MOON
When you see a new moon, turn the money over in your pocket and it will double before the next new moon.
Fish by the light of the moon and you could pull in something unexpected.
WEATHER FORECAST
STORMY WEATHER
When people you know are grumpier or more depressed than usual it will rain.
Sprinkle holy water around the house during a storm and you will be safe.
When a rooster crows at night, it will rain by morning.
When dry tree limbs fall when there s no wind, it will rain soon.
A dark yellow sky indicates hail is on the way.
A seagull flying inland foretells a coming storm.
NO LAUGHING MATTER
Never laugh when raindrops fall on your face or you will cry soon.
Rain signifies tears and most people believe rain drops are tear shaped.
CHARGED
Stay away from feather comforters and put your dog out of the house as protection against lightning.
Acorns placed on a windowsill will protect your home against lightning.
Never drink milk during a thunderstorm or it will sour in your stomach.
LET IT SNOW
Big snowflakes indicate a light snowfall.
Small snowflakes say the snow will be heavy.
FARMERS ALMANAC
Thick husk on corn indicates a cold winter ahead.
Thunder in February means frost in May.
TORNADO WATCH
There s a chance of a tornado if cats suddenly begin scratching themselves furiously.
THE HOWLING
When you hear wind howling under your eaves, someone needs your help.
DOG DAYS
It will rain if dogs suddenly begin to eat grass.
COCOON
If butterflies appear late in autumn, cold weather is coming soon.
LET IT SNOW
If snow melts slowly and lingers on the ground, it’s waiting for another snowstorm.
PREDICTIONS
If the sun is behind the clouds at sunset, it will rain.
Popping, crackling fires say snow is on the way.
The first twelve days of January predict the weather for the next twelve months.
If it rains on Easter Sunday it will rain on the next seven weekends.
A dry March indicates a rainy spring.
When grass is bone dry at dawn, it will rain later in the day.
If fish swim near the surface of a stream, rain is on the way.
It will rain if whistles and bells are heard more clearly than usual. When walls seem to sweat, it will rain within twenty-four hours.
It will rain if flowers remain open all night.
PART VI
BAD INTENTIONS
YOU SLY LITTLE DEVIL
TALL, DARK AND DEVILISH
When you dance with a dark stranger, never leave the room with him unless you first look down at his feet to see if he has cloven hoofs. You may have been dancing with the devil.
The best place to meet the devil is at a crossroads at midnight.
BEGONE SATAN
Never walk backward in the dark or you’ll bump into the devil.
To chase away the devil beat drums or tin pans loudly.
GAMES DEVILS PLAY
Never play the Ouija board alone because the devil will be answering your questions.
Whistle inside the house and the devil will join you.
WELCOME MAT
An open doorway is an invitation for the devil to enter.
Never call on the devil when you’re desperate for help; he might come to your aid but will demand death as repayment.
DEVILRY
The devil will not enter a circle. Hence lipstick.
A red circle drawn around the mouth keeps the soul inside and the devil outside.
When you feel a draft, the devil is ready to pull a prank.
HERE COMES THE DEVIL
Bridesmaids dress much like the bride to confuse the devil, who would like to take the bride for his own.
HIDE AND SEEK
Don’t hide beneath a weeping willow tree. The devil will always find you.
WITCH S BREW
A woman is a witch if:
o Her eyebrows grow together, or
o She has a birthmark under her arm, or
o She is unable to cry.
o She has a widow’s peak.
o Her fingernails roll inward.
o She can roll her tongue.
o She can touch her toes with her elbows.
WITCH HUNT
Place a walnut beneath a witch s chair and she will be rooted to the spot.
To chase a witch from the house, put a broom behind the door.
BEWITCHED
To lessen a witch s power, stare at her while brandishing a broom.
Iron objects cause a witch to lose all power.
To put a curse on someone, turn their picture upside down or face it against a wall.
If you wake with a bleeding nose, it means a witch has just left the room.
SAVANT
A witch can recite the Lord s prayer backward.
WITCHING HOUR
The last person to leave the church on Christmas Eve is a witch.
Witches fear the sound of church bells and try to remove them from belfries in the dead of night.
To keep a witch away while you re sleeping, put a sifter on your face.
PEEPHOLE
Always leave the key inside the lock since an open keyhole provides entry for a witch.
BOO!
FUNERAL PROCESSION
When a hearse passes, bow your head or the ghost of the deceased will haunt you.
ARE YOU AFRAID OF THE DARK?
Turn on a light when entering a dark room after a funeral or there s a good chance you’ll see the ghost of the deceased. When you see a white ghost it s good. When you see a black ghost, it is evil incarnate.
When you enter a haunted house, take off your hat and throw it behind you and you won t see a ghost.
Ghosts only appear to good people, never evil people.
MY BONNIE LIES OVER THE OCEAN
Ghosts are afraid to cross the ocean.
PLAYING FOOTSIE
If you fear a person who just died will haunt you, touch his toe and the ghost will never visit.
TREASURE CHEST
When a person dies and leaves money hidden he will return as a ghost to disclose the hiding place.
PART 7
ODDS AND ENDS
WISHING WELL
WISHFUL THINKING
When looking at a cloud and it forms a picture in your mind, make a wish for something related to that image.
Never wish for riches and fame. You wish might come true and you’ll live to regret it.
Never wish for another woman s fiancé. You’ll get a man who is cruel instead.
WISH-FISH-DISH
If you accidentally make a rhyme while speaking, quickly make a wish and it will come true.
CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR
Accept yourself as you are and never wish for great beauty lest the beauty you already have is taken from you.
WHEN YOU WISH UPON A STAR
When you sleep under a new blanket, close your eyes and make a wish.
TOSSING
If you come across a horseshoe on the ground, pick it up, throw it over your head and make a wish.
If you find two kernels inside a nut, eat one and throw the other over your head and make a wish but don t speak to anyone until you can answer yes or your wish won t come true.
WISH BONE
Make a wish when you eat the first fruit of the season.
BAD LUCK IN GENERAL
ODDS AND ENDS
You’ll have seven years bad luck if you:
o Open an umbrella in the house.
o Ridicule a dwarf.
o Accidentally put on two different shoes.
o Walk beneath a ladder.
o Espy a black cat at night.
o Break a mirror.
o Bump a dwarf.
o Spill goat’s milk.
o Drop a dozen roses.
o Step on a crack in a sidewalk.
Give a chicken away. (Something must be paid or bartered in return.)
You can change bad luck to good luck if you:
o Turn around in a clockwise circle three times.
o Pull your pockets inside out.
o Place a mushroom in your purse.
o Carry a polished stone in your pocket.
o Clip a sprig of holly in your hair.
o Rub two robin’s eggs together until they both crack.
o Wear a red rubber band around your ankle.
o Let your watch stop for two days.
o Tap the top of your head until your finger aches.
o Pray to St. Theresa
o Prick your finger and let a drop of blood fall onto a holy object.
o Kiss someone you don t like and you’ll pass on your bad luck to that person.
THIS AND THAT
TRIVIA
Everyone who lives over a hundred years enjoys whiskey and tobacco.
If a witness coughs on the stand, he’s committing perjury.
Put tinfoil in your hub cabs and you’ll confuse police radar.
Volkswagens will float in the water for an indefinite period of time.
When you see a fat man sitting at a front table in a restaurant, the food will be good.
Sit on cement steps too often and you’ll get piles.
All great artists are thin.
If you have to borrow money, always go to a big-eared person as they re more generous.
When your wisdom teeth grow in, half your life is over.
If you beat up your brother or sister, you ll get beat up by a stranger one day.
The best way to find an artist in a crowd is to look for slender fingers.
Buckteeth indicate a non-stop talker.
Never say thank you for the gift of a plant or it will wither and die.
If you have more than five moles on your body you’ll be wealthy one day.
If you step over someone’s feet they will stop growing unless you step back over them.
All small New England towns have at least one haunted house.
Swallowing seeds will cause your appendix to burst.
The Chinese say when you reach the age of sixty, your life begins again.
Never pick up a spoon lying on the street. If you do, you pick up another person’s ill fortune.
When giving a knife as a gift, always include a coin or the recipient will cut himself.
When you carry a piece of parsley in your pocket, an enemy will turn into a friend.
Sing in bed before falling asleep and you’ll have a nightmare.
Laughing juries never convict.
If your father is short and your mother is tall, you’ll be too tall.
Wool will shrink if washed in the dark.
Hindus are afraid of a yawn and will snap their fingers to dispel danger after someone yawns.
Tie an acorn on your umbrella as protection against lightning.
When you drop a glass and it doesn’t break you’ll have a lucky day.
Always pick up the phone before the third ring or you’ll hear bad news.
Never eavesdrop on a conversation because you will hear something hurtful about yourself.
Fasting will shrink your stomach.
If you have three drinks in a bar, you re sure to return to that bar before you die.
Save a slice of raw potato when cooking and rub it over your body when you have a few free minutes. You ll feel refreshed. Eating carrots improves your vision.
DOUBLE ENTENDRE
If two women in black cross your path, you will hear of a death, OR, it s convent shopping day.
If you wake up and get out of bed with a feeling of panic, you will hear bad news.
If fish aren’t biting, throw a fisherman into the water and then haul him out.
Don t light a cigarette three on a match or you’ll have an accident.
Catch a snowflake on your tongue and you’ll receive a compliment.
Don’t get greedy for compliments because if you walk around with your tongue out in a snowstorm catching flakes, you’ll develop a cold heart.
Spit three times in the face of an evil person to lessen their power.
If insane people drink a brew of boiled daisies for fifteen days they’ll be cured.
Drop a live baby eel in a person’s drink to cure alcoholism.
If you pull a hair out of a horse s tail and wind it around your finger, you’ll fall in love soon.
If a clock stops while you are looking at it, someone you know has died.
If your elbows hurt, you will receive a letter from a long lost friend.
If a strange man enters your house, you will receive money.
NOT AT YOUR LOCAL SUPERMARKET
Carrying a horse chestnut on your person guarantees good health.
You’ll have good luck if you carry the foot of a graveyard rabbit.
Carry a bone chip of a saint and you ll always be healthy and happy.
Wear a wolf’s tooth on a chain around your neck and you’ll never be bit by a wild animal.
Tea made from acorns cures weakness.
Boil the heart of a wild pig and place in on a teething baby s gums to ease the pain.
Drop oil of cloves into broth made of snakeskin to cure nausea.
For diarrhea, boil moss and drink it down quickly.
Carry an eagle s feather on your person and you’ll have great strength in a crisis.
To regain the love of a man who has spurned you, make him a toad stew.
Spit-roast a badger and the smoke will cause a rival to become dizzy and fall over.