Subject:Scrape
Entries
Entry 3624
Yo' have tuh take his nature fo' it, yo' understan', dat he wouldn't want othah wimmins. Yo' have tuh take his nature fo' it. Well, now to take his nature yo' would have tuh - where his privates lay on 'is clothes. Undahstan', his drawahs. Well, yo' scrape dat lint from dose drawahs - scrape de lint from dose drawahs, see. An' den yo' take dat lint an' sew it up intuh a nice white piece, see. An' den yo' got 'is nature, see. An' den yo' jis' take dat evah nine days an' dip it in urinate. Jis' dip it in yore urinate, yore own urinate. An' as yo' takin' dat yo' take de measure of 'im. See, yo' take de measure of 'is privates where dey lay at, an' dat's whut yo' scrape out - dat lint right in de seat of dat.
(What do you do with that string?)
Well, now, yo' know whut chew do wit dat string, if yo' take a notion tuh measure wit dat string [instead of measuring the drawers place] - co'se yo' kin measure wit chure fingahs. But yo' put nine knots in dat string. Yo' put nine knots in it an' yo' sew it up intuh dis white piece wit de lint. De lint is in dere. An' den yo' dip it intuh dis watah, intuh yore urinate an' yo' got 'im:
(Where do you keep that then?)
Wear it right round yore wais' an' let it hang right down straight 'tween yore laigs. Dat's whare yo' keep it at.
Entry 3716
Ah tell yo' whut he kin do. Whut dey tell me is very good. Yo' take dat cow's horn, yo' know whut belong on a cow's haid, an' yo' scrape it up an' let it - don't scrape it down. Git de shavings up dat way an' make a tea out of it, an' he drink that. Dat's as good a medicine as yo' want.
(That's to bring his nature back.)
Bring it back.
Entry 5190
Dey say dat chew could take a li'le shoe sole an' burn it, an' den scrape it aftah yo' burn it, an' it wus good fo' good luck.
(Just how would they prepare that? Then, after they have got it scraped?)
Well, ah don't know sir, only jes' know dey put it in a little bag an' wear it.
(You mean the shoe sole, that thick sole at the bottom?)
Yessuh, yo' parch it lak yo' would peanuts or anythin' lak dat. Well, yo' kin scrape it tull [till] yo' scrape a dust off it.
Entry 5221
If yore wife or anyone is gone 'way from yo', yo'll take dat shoe an' scrape de toe out of it wit yore pocketknife, on de inside. (Both shoes or just one?) Well, one of 'em will do - eithah one. An' yo' take dat scrapin' an' yo' put dat in a bottle an' yo' bury dat. Dat will turn dem aroun' - turn 'em back tuh yo'.
(Do you bury that bottle in any particular way or just any old way?)
Well, yo' should bury dat bottle tuh de sunrise.
Entry 5682
Take de print of yore lef' foot, about a teaspoon an' bring it toward 'em, an' in nine days time yo'll be gone. (Here's your left-foot track and you get a teaspoon?) Bring it towards yo', bring it back towards yo'. Dey'll be gone in nine days time.
(What do you do with that after you get it in the teaspoon?)
Entry 6384
Dat he tole yo' concernin' scrapin' part of de foot, didn't he [my contact man]? [My contact man always required a rite before anyone could enter interviewing room. We wanted to be certain informant knew what we wanted. The rite in- formant gave now follows.] Yo' wash 'am an' evahthin' an' yo' take an' yo' scrape a li'le bit of de skin off yore foot. Ah don' know if white folks do or not. Ah know colored do, but now yo' - co'se ah nevah knowed zactly whut dey [white folks] do. Yo' take an' scrape de foot an' - take a knife, a dull knife so yo' won' cut chure foot, an' scrape it lak dat. Yo' take an' put it in a li'le [can or jar] top an' put it in de stove [oven] an' brown it. When it brown - yo' mix it [with] black peppah an' put it in de stove. An' whoevahyo' Wanta see, dat all yo've gotta do. An' whoevah dat chew want - whatevah one yo' want, yo'll have 'em right down undah yore foot. Dey'll come an' give yo' evah- thin' an' stick right tuh yo'.
Entry 6409
Take an' wash yore feets an' take de dead skin from undah yore feet. But now, what dis is fo', what I'd [use] it fo', would do it fo' diff'ren' things. I'd take de dead skin from undah yore foot. An' yo' wash it, yo' scrape dat dead skin an' yo' let it dry. Put it on de stove an' make a powdah out of it. An' aftah yo' make dat powdah out, wellyo' kin drop it intuh dere Coca-cola or anythin' a person eat. Dat's when yo' wanta control 'em, yo' see; keep 'em so dey can't do yo' nuthin. Take advantage of 'em, yo' see.
Entry 6446
Well, see - jis' lak yo' go tuh de fo'ks of de road. An' dey supposed Th be crossed lak dat [demonstrates]. Well, yo' take dat part of it - dat's de same as buryin' it an' [or] throwin' it in runnin' watah. Yo' take de skin from dey feet, de one's [feet] whut chew wanta do somepin tuh "a, yo' undahstan'. Well, yo' takes it an' yo' scrapes it back. See, jis' lak da [demonstrates]. If yo' from or tuh yo' lak dat. If yo' are cleanin' dere feet, yo'll have dat chance. Yo' take it an' bury it jis' lak ah tole it. An' o takes it tuh de fo'ks of de road an' throws it ovah yore lef' shouldah. An: look back at each one of de fo'ks, an' den go on where yo' goin'. Makes a as nark in de road an' turn aroun'.
(What will that do to them?)
Dat'll make dem go - jis' insance [insane]. An' dey mind nevah will come tuh 'em lak it supposed tuh.
Entry 6447
Yo' take yore fingahnails - do dat on Friday. An' yo' trim all 'em off an' den git chure toenail de same way, an' scrape de bottom of yore feet. An' yo' parch dem toenails an' fingahnails tuhgethah. Parch 'em separate so dat de toenails be hard as de fingahnails an' de trimmin' from de bottom of yore feet. When yo' git 'em all parched, den yo grind 'em up tuhgethah. Yo' take dem den an' yo' sprinkle it ovah de food dat dey eat, an' dey'll eat dat. Well, now, yo' puttin' dem undah yore feet den.
(That's for love?)
Yes.
Entry 6487
(You were saying something about a woman holding or bringing something back - to hold it back or something. What were you going to tell me about that?) Hold yo' back? (Yes.) Oh! Keeping yo', jis' keepin' yo'. Jis' lak, if yo' come here, lak yo' is now an' someone taken a likin' tuh yuh. Well, she will fool around wit yo' but she nevah could git yuh mind. Well, dat's like me. Well, ah could be a man of plenty of money an' a woman could heah talk of me. She say, "Well, I heah talk of dat fellow. He got plenty of money. I'm goin' tuh try tuh git in touch wit 'im." Well, she gits - some day she be settin' down an' she'll scrape de bottom of 'er feet. But she'll scrape it a diff'ren' way at least - a man kin take an' git holt of a woman de same Way, if she is a whiskey drinkah. Well, she scrape it back. Don' nevah scrape it fo'ward.
[Informant will continue to confuse person or sex of who is doing what.]
(How will she scrape it back, from the toes to the heel?)
[This is quite evident, but I wanted a statement from informant.]
From de toe tuh de heel, right in de hollah yo' see. Well she'll git dat. Well, her feet is got tuh be soft yo' know, got tuh be soft tuh do dat. She'll soak 'er feet in watah, yo' know, tuh git dis skin of it soft. Well, she'll take dat den an' she'll put dat intuh dis whiskey, an' she'll let dat whiskey set about ten days. In ten days time, well yo' kin hold it up an' yo' cain't see anything atall in it. Well, yo' might come an' yo' be settin' aroun' an' she come an' set in yuh lap an' yo' say, "Well, sugah," say, "ah brought somepin fo' yo'." Yo' reach back in yuh pocket. She say, "Whut is dat?" She say, "Aw, yo' been talkin' about whiskey." She say, "Ah'll give yo' a drink of whiskey. Ah bought some fo' yo'. Ah git ti'ed [tired] of yo' worryin' me fo' some whiskey all de time." Say, "Ah bought dis especially fo' yo'. Ah don' wan' nobody drink dis but yo'." Well, she take some an' drink it. Well, yo' still-drink. Yo' ain't drinkin' none atall, 'cuz yo' know whut it is. Yo' say, "Drink - drink - drink. Help yuhself, drink." Say, "I bought it fo' yo'." Well, fin'ly yo' - yo' do dat twice. Unlessen not, if it don' take no effect, well yo' do it three times. Well fin'ly it will take effect. It gits so den, when yo' git ready tuh go, if she'sa young girl - if she - yo' kin take holt of a young girl de same way. Her mothah cain't keep 'er at home. She'll come zactly where yo' is at. She'll - first thing yo' know, yo' look dere, an' yo' see her comin'. She say, "Where's Mr. So- and-So at? "' 'He's not here." 'How long he been gone?" '"Oh, he's been gone such- an'-such a time! He'll be back directly." "Do yo' reckon dat he'll be back?" "Yeah." Well, if yo' don't come, well she'll go on away huntin' yo'. Well, yo've got de underholt of 'er, see. Dat's where yo' take de underholt of 'er.
Entry 6488
Take de skin from undah yore feet. Yo' wash yore feet clean an' den yo' take a knife, jis' lak yo' scrapin' yore feet an' carry it back dat way, back tuh yo'. An' take dat an' mix it wit some sugah an' put dat in sompin tuh eat. Yo' give dat tuh 'em.
(What will that do?)
Dat will make 'em bring yo' evah cent dat dey git.
Entry 6489
Yo' wash yore feet right good, an' start at de - look, de toe of yore feet lak dis way, an' scrape down on de lef' feet. Come down [from toes to beel] an' let it be real quick. An' when yo' cook 'is food, see dat's when yo' wants 'im udah yore feet so yo' use him lak yo' want. When yo' coot 'is food yo' don't 'sposed tuh cook dat in dere [the food] but sprinkle dat ovah de food; see, whut he eats. An' dat hold 'im undah yore feet. Yo' kin use 'i jis' lak yo' wanta. See, dat keep 'im from gittin' away from yo'. Long as yo' use dat on 'im he cain't git from undah yo'. He's undah yore feets.
Entry 6490
(Now what do they do with that stuff from the bottom of your feet?) Well, yo' takes dat an' yo' dries it. Dat's if dey're washin' [the feet], yo' know. Yo' take dat. Dey soak dere feets an' dey take de scissors an' instead of scrapin' it down - an' dey scrape it up.
(They scrape it up from the heel to the toe?)
To de toe.
(Well, why do they do that?)
Well, dat's de way dey do it, from de heel tuh de toe. Dey dries dat. Let it dry an' roll it lak a powdah. Put it intuh de sugah an' let yo' sweeten it intuh yore coffee or intuh yore food. Dat's fo' makin' people lak me, yo' know. Bring on luck, brings all dat, see.
(I see.)
Entry 6491
When yo' wash yuh feet clean, don' wlpe it, wait until it begin tuh dry an' den yo' scrape de bottom of each feet from de heel tuh de toe. See. Save dat an' put it intuh a vessel an yo' put yuh own chamber lye on it. Den yo' stop it up an' yo' let it stan' nine days - nine days. An' de las' day take it out an' dat party, if yo' kin git neah tuh 'em, drop a drop or two of dat in whutevah dey eat or dey drink. Why dey will eithah have tuh be yuh frien' or dey will die. I've knowed of dat [death] evently [eventually].
Entry 6502
You can scrape the bottom of a person's feet, you see, aftah yo' sweat, an' dat's yer stren't'. An' if you scrape the bottom of a person's feet an' you buries it, well some people say to leave it stay buried about six months an' some about nine. Well, you begin to feel bad. Nuthin'll hurt you at all, but you just getting weak, they tell me, in your breath, an' you begin to feel bad until you just pines away to nuthin until yo' die.
Entry 8201
Use it fo' back luck, by scrapin' dat silvah offa dere; well, dat silvah offa [the back of] dat lookin'-glass. Dey take dat an' scrape it offa pichure. Jis' lak if dey wanta harm yo', dey take an' scrape dat silvah off dat pichure [mirror] an' put it in yure face, on yure pichure.
(On the face of your picture?)
Dat's right, an' den dey take it an' put it in sompin, [anything to hold the scrapings and photo], an' bury it, bury it [face] down. Dat'll make yo' dwindle down an' die. Make yo' stay sick an' nuthin will cure yo' unlessen somebody [hoodoo doctor or healer] take an' find whut's wrong wit chew.
Entry 10649
Ah heard if yo' take a ant, if yo' wus tuh take, if yo' could a - jes' lak a ants' nest. Jes' lak yo' go to a ants' den dey have made. Jes' lak if yore husban' or sompin lak dat would wash his feet an' yo' would scrape his feet, well yo' take dis dead skin offa yore husban's feet an' take an' put it in dis ants' nest. Den dat et [eaten] by de ants an' den dat would cause him to walk jes' lak a ants, if yo' wanta do somepin to him or somepin lak dat. Dat would cause de husban' to walk jes' lak de ants.
(What do you mean, run him away or something like that?)
Yeah, jes' gives him de wanderin' an' sturbin' an' all lak dat. Jes' lak he'd love somebody an' yo' thought yo' could break him - yo' know, stop him from lov- in' 'em. Yo' jes' wanta do somepin ill to 'im. See, yo' takes an' wash his feet an' git some of dis heah, yo' know, dead skin off his feet, an' yo' puts it in dis ants' den, an' say den when he starts tuh walkin', he jes' wouldn't be sat- isfied novhere he goes, jes' lak de ants.
Entry 10854
In gambling, yo' take an' git chew a dime worth of dat Georgia Pure Syrup [perhaps brand name] an' sprinkle a little sulphur in it an' cook it an' jes' pull it to a candy. An' when yo' git it to a candy, take a little piece - about dat much [shows a finger] an' wear it. After it git dry, yo' grease it an' wear it. An' ever' time yo' git in bad luck, yo' pull off an' yo' scrape a little of it in de bottom of yore shoe an' go on. Yore luck's always on.
(Luck in what?)
Fo' gamblin'.
(And you have a piece of this candy about the size of one of your fingers?)
Yassuh, a little piece about dat long, about de size of yore finger. An' old-fashioned candy, yassuh. An' ole reg'lah syrup candy. But chew put dat sulphur in it.
Entry 11692
Go to a table, de fo' corners of a table, an' scrape de dirt off it - de fo' corners of a table an' cook it in his biscuits or anything she cook it in an' give it to him to eat, an' ah guarantee he won't leave. He'll stay right there [I had heard about sitting down at a kitchen table, scraping the corner to your right and feeding scrapings to dog, also scraping 3 corners for the same purpose, keeping animal home (see FACI, 2nd ed., Nos.2295-2296, p.91- 92); but keeping a man home with scraping from 4 corners was new to me. Is a man harder to keep home?]
Entry 13291
If yo' got a man an' he's runnin' aroun' an' yo' wanta stop him, dey say yo' feed him offa de fo' corners of de table. Scrape de fo' corners of de table. Git dat stuff, yo' know, off de fo' corners of de table an' put dat in his food, an' dat'll make him stay home. [A dog rite transferred to man!]