Subject:Teaspoon
Entries
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 1359
Take any ole snake dust that is dry or lizard dust or any kinda ole creeping, yo' know, a snake lak that. Take that dust an' place it up undah the lettah an' as yo' open that lettah an' git that on yore han's, natch'ral yo' rub it on yore skin an' it will create. It take yo' in yore han's right immediately. May be a little while befo' those han's goes tuh eetchin' but it will go through an' through. Dose are black art works.
(What happens to my hands?)
Whut happens tuh yore han's? Yore han's start tuh eetching an' burnin' an' if yo' don't take care of 'em with that snake dust or that lizard dust, those bumps will fin'lly graj'ly grow, an' aftah while why that snake or that ole scorpion will grow roun', yo' know, in yore skin. Yo' see people dat have snakes in dey laigs. Dey eithah gits it from sweepin' or not takin' a bath when de had things lak that. Dat whut it comes from. If yo' git it in yore laigs, yo' be sweepin' yore flo' - dat's when it gits on yore laigs, yo' see. Dat rattlesnake dust is on de flo' an' when yo' sweep it gits in de pores of yore skin an' by not takin' an' washin' it off, it'll jis' grow an' graj'ly that little bump will come an' that snake will fin'lly grow.
(Is there any way of getting them out?)
Yes, dere's a way tuh git it out, but yo' have tuh take herbs. Yo' have tuh take jimson weeds an' John de Conker, lodestones. Either git John de Conker an' give it to yo' three times a day in a pint of boilin' watah - a teaspoonful, or a tablespoonful is bettah, an' he will gradually die.
Entry 1448
Yes, ah heard about dat. Dey say dat If yo' think somebody gon'a work roots on yo' or somepin lak that, or somepin dey 'fraid tuh walk ovah, den yo' git chew some cayenne peppah an' put 'bout six swallows of watah in there, yo' understand, an' boil it down to three swallows.
[This is the magic of diminishing amount.]
Yo' take three swallows of dat watah dat night - see, dat first night. Well, yo' don't take nuthin dat next night - yo' skip a night chew see. [This skipping magic is a recurrent magic delay; not the same as alternating magic - left and right, up and down, forward and backward, etc.] Take yo' a teaspoonfula sulphur de next night, chew understand, an' do that fo' - lemme see, yo' take three doses of dis peppah an' den yo' take six doses of dat sulphur. [Here is the complementary magic of increasing amount. Both diminishing and increasing amounts are in multiples of three magic. The exchange between three doses of pepper and three of sulphur is alternating magic; the three additional doses of sulphur being repetitive magic.] An' dat will keep the evil roots an' things off of yuh, so nobody can't harm yo'or nuthin.
Entry 1882
Well, they say if you take a frog and make him drunk and go to the game and, you know, have him in your pocket. Well, if you are going to play wrong, well that frog will move and you'll know what to do - you'll know that you fixin' to bet some money in the wrong place.
(That frog warns you?)
Yes.
(He'll move around?)
Uh huh.
(How do you make him drunk?)
Well, just take the teaspoon and pour the whiskey down in him.
Entry 3947
Dat yo' could take an' do a man. Jes' lak if ah wuz doin' wit mah ole lady - ah goes runnin' roun', won't stay home, comin' in at twelve or one a'clock at night. She kin go ahead an' take - jes' go to de sto' an' git her some toma- toes. Take de tomatoes an' cook 'em. An' jes' lak dis periods be on 'er, take Some of dat, about two teaspoons fulla dat, an' put it in de tomatoes. An' she COuld dO 'im any Way. SHE CAN'T GIT 'IM OUTA HER TRACK. EVAH TIME SHE TURN ROUN' HE'S RIGHT DERE - won' nevah left home no mo'. Or eithah yo' could take disaway. Yo' kin go ahead, go to de sto' an' buy yo some Po'k meat lak dat. Take it an' wear it, wear it 'tween de laigs an' aftah wearin' i t'tween de laigs fo' about thirty minutes, take an' cook dat. An' she can't keep 'im 'way from 'er tuh save her life. WHEN HE GO TUH WORK, HE TURN ROUN' AN' COME RIGHT ON BACK HOME - have no trouble Wit. [Florence, S. Car.,
(1311).2223:5.]
Entry 4261
If yo've got a husban' an' he's capable of leavin' home an' stayin' away, yo' wash yore jah [jar] an' yo' let 'im use it. An' den yo' take dat urine an' yo' po' it in de [glass] jah. Put about three teaspoon of sugah in dere, an' three pieces of spice, an' yo' write his name nine times an' jes' fold it up an' put it in dere. Yo' don't do anythin' but write an' put it in dere, an' den yo' shut dat jah up tight, airtight, an' it's no good until dat papah has turned tuh powdah. Dat urine will natch'ly [naturally] powdah dat papah. It'll jes' look lak white lime in de bottom of dat urine. An' den if yore husban' is away, yo' can shake dat urine an' put it undah yore bed on de side yo' layin' on, an' lay on it, an EVAH TIME YO' SHAKE IT HE'S SUPPOSED TUH TURN OVAH. If yo' SHAKE IT DE THIRD TIME HE CAN'T SLEEP, HE'LL GET UP AN' COME HOME EVAHWHERE HE IS.
Entry 5371
Yo' kin take a person's foot track an' ran 'em away. Well, perhaps some time we cain't find 'em [tracks] an' sometimes it be's so dat we cain't git de dirt from undah 'is track. Yo' might watch an' see jes' he put his feet on de concrete. Yo' kin take a clean pocket han'- ke'ch'ef an' yo' kin go dere an' jes' wipe dat track tuh yo' - wipe dat track tuh yo'. An' den yo' kin take dat han'ke'ch'ef an' yo' kin take it home. Set down wit it an' buy yo' a bran'-new box of red cayenne peppah, an' yo' kin take a teaspoon of dat cayenne peppah an' tie in de - yo' might say in de east corner of dat han'ke'- ch'ef. Dat track is all ovah dat han'ke'ch'ef [because] quite natchly [naturally] yo' wipe it lak dat, see. An' yo' take dat teaspoon of cayenne peppah an' yo'tie hit up in dere wit 'is name wrote. Yo' cross 'is name an' yo' tell 'im tuh go an' yo' put a bad name - yo' put a bad word tuh hit, on dere name. '[Bad name] an' ah wish yo'd go an' don' stay nowhere yo' go in peace." An' tie it up an' carry it tuh de rivah 'fore de sunrise. Throw it in runnin' watah an' he'll leave.
Entry 5474
If dey wan' chew tuh leave town - if yo' givin' dem trouble an' dey Wan' chew tuh leave town, why dey'd ketch it [your track]. If yo' goin' dis way, dey'd ketch it disaway. Den dey would take dis dirt - take it an' put it in a new piece of home- spun. When yo' go tuh a graveyard, git chew two bran'- new teaspoons. Go tuh a graveyard wit two bran'-new tea- spoons. Git chew two teaspoonsfulla dirt offa two sinnahs graves. Well, yo' takes two pennies an' pay each one of dese sinnahs fo' de dirt. Well, yo' takes dat gunpowdah an' thundah-strucken wood, red peppah, an' mix it all tuhgethah. What ah mean thundah-strucken iw where lightning struck a tree. Well yo' take it an' divide it intuh two parts. Yo' put one in a red chunk bottle [bottle with long neck] an' bury it in de east, an' yo' put de othah one in a red chunk bottle an' yo' go tuh runnin' watah, an' yo' pitch it 'cross yore shouldah - turn yore back, pitch it 'cross yore shouldah. Befo' yo' pitch it 'cross yore shouldah, yo' say, yo' do dis, In de Name of de Father, an' de Son an' de Holy Ghost - fo' yo' tuh go an' nevah return. An' in three days time yo'll be left town, yo' can't stay. Yo'll tread dat watah until yo' drown.
(You say you put all that stuff in a red chunk bottle?)
In a red bottle - quart bottle [the ordinary brown beer or whiskey bottle one "chunks" or throws away.]
(Which shoulder do you throw that over?)
Ovah yore lef' shouldah.
Entry 6576
(A lizard can harm her?)
If yo' done wanta, take a lizard, jis' keep 'im swimmin' in watah, jis' keep 'im alive in dat watah. Keep 'im in dat watah, while dat woman is neah 'er time. Always jis' keep dat lizard in dat watah an' evah mawnin' git chew a teaspoonful of dat watah an' drop it in de watah she drinks. An' keep dat lizard in dat watah. An' it will make 'er have a hard birth or a miscarriage.
Entry 6667
Take a spidah fo' n'instance an' put 'im in yore pot an' cook 'im in yore pot. Jis' cook 'im in a quart of watah, let it cook an' cook an' cook until he come tuh pieces. An' den yo' take dat dere spidah an' yo'll see nuthin but jis' li'le teensy pieces on de bottom of de pot; where he done cooked tuh pieces yo' know, jis' about lak de end of mah fingah- nails, jis' about - about so [demonstrates]. Well, yo' take dat an' yo' set it aside till it git good an' cool. An' when it git good an' cool - until it's very cool - den yo' take dat dere. Take yo' a teaspoon an' yo' skim all de way roun'. Skim de top an' gft de top all de way roun', off de top where yo' boiled dat spidah intuh a quart of watah. Yo' skim de top an' den yo' take dat watah an' yo' po' dat watah off. Yo' take dat watah an' yo' put it in a jah [jar], see. Well, yo' take dat spidah watah dat yo' got already new an' put it in drinks, diff'ren' things.
(What will that do to them then?)
DAT'LL MAKE 'EM CRAWL, GIT ON DERE KNEES AN' CRAWL. HAVE FITS. HAVE ALL KINDS OF FITS. BE "FITTY" OFF AN' ON.
Entry 4109
Yo' takes de dead skin off de bottom of yuh feet an' put it in a halfa pint of whiskey an' takes one teaspoonful of pee an' po' it in. Dat'll make dem become tuh love yuh.
Teaspoonful denotes a quantity in this reported recipe. No utensil, calibrated modern volume or demonstrated effect is established.
Entry 6902
(What's the name of it?)
It's called de red shank.
(The red shank root?)
Yes, sir. It's called de red shank an' ah'll tell yo'. If ah came tuh yo' an' if ah've got a bad disease, see. Well, yo' take dat red shank, yu' undah- stan', if it's put out, why yo' take de top of it; an' if it's not put out, yo' take a grubbing hoe an' dig the root up an' wash de root. See. Put it intuh two quarts of watah, an' bile [boil] it down tuh one quart [the magic of diminishing amount]. Unnahstan'?
(I understand.)
Bile it down tuh one quart. Den yo' take - when yo' bile it down tuh one quart, yo' take it an' yo' set it off [the stove]. Unnahstan' dat?
(Yes.)
An' den when yo' set dat off, yo' git a li'le piece of bluestone, lak a speck- led pea, an' beat it up right fine an' stuff it in dere. Git chew a li'le piece alum about dat long. Put it in dere, but let de watah be good an' cool. See, don' put it in dere hot. An' den yo' takes it den, an' yo' give it tuh 'im an' tell 'im tuh take three swallows three times a day. Now de way a boy, or man eithah - whutevah he is don't yo' take it jis' lak yo' drinkin' watah, becuz if yo' drink it lak yo' drinkin' watah, well it don't do yo' any good, becuz it will git down in yore stomic an' it will be dere so much till it will sour. It will be de same as milk, when yo' drinks it. Dat buttahmilk when a man is in bad shape, it's jis' a dose of poison tuh 'im. It keeps sour on 'is stomic. Jis' take no more dan three teaspoonsful a day. Take it as [medicine] yo' know. If yo' take too much of it, why it don't do you any good. It'll do yo' harm.
(Three swallows. One swallow before each meal?)
Dat's right.
(I see, each day. All right.)
An' den don't eat so much grease.
(What did you say?)
I say, let de buttahmilk alone.
(I see.)
Entry 6921
Silkweed, silver, sulphur, and 3 drops of turpentine boiled tuhgethah; teaspoonful 3 times a day.
Entry 10745
If she goin' over- time an' she want it tuh quit, yo' know, she wanted tuh go out an' make a date, an' it wuzn't time, she kin take some of dat stuff an' some sugah an' some nutmeg an' eat a teaspoon of it an' it will stop it.
Entry 11384
Yo' take dat file an' it's a certain place at chure steps. yo' stick dat file down on de point. But chew gotta have sompin else tuh go undah dat. Yo' gotta have... Yo' take dat John de Conkah, yore chamber lye an' a teaspoon fulla sugah. An' de blue- stone yo' beat it up, if yo' don't git it compounded. Yo' beat it up an' put it in dere, an' yo' take it an' yo' put it in a hole. Den yo' take dat file an' yo' stick it down - po' it [ingredients] in dat hole an' stick it [file] down dere, about two or three inches from yore steps. Dat's whut dat file is fo', tuh keep down dose sharp things [an enemy could bury under your doorstep].
(What will that do now?)
Dat will hold yore luck in dat house. It will hold yore luck.
Entry 11712
Well, garlic's for luck for skinning.
(For what?)
Any kind of card games. You take garlic and antiphigestin. They have a' 'nointment, a salve-like they calls aniphigestine. People use it for sores. Well, you take garlic - take those little buttons of garlic - take one of 'em and cut it up into nine pieces. (Nine pieces.) Nine pieces of it. Take this - a whole tube of anamjestine... (Ana - anamajestine?) Anamajestine. Yes, sir. (All right.) Then you take it and wrap it up in a nice clean ohite cloth - just so the cloth is nice and clean. Then you take and take a piece of white - red flannel and wrap it up in that. And take this stove coal - hard, hard, you know, and beat it up just like a powder.
(Black coal?)
Black coal, yes, sir. And take some vinegar and put this coal in some vinegar, nalf a glass of vinegar. And put about a teaspoonful of that coal dust in that and steel dust - a small amount of steel dust. And put it on and boil it down i real low. And then you take and soak that garlic and anamajestine in it. That akes a toby.
(What's a toby?)
For cards - that tells you when your cards is on the table, when to turn 'em D. Tell you when to set.
(How will it tell you that?)
Well, when it's....it'll jump in your pocket.
(Do what?)
It'll jump.
(It'll jump to tell you to do that.)
Entry 12655
Yo' git chew dis peppah, peppah sauce, an' yo' git a tea- spoon an' yo' put nine drops of dat peppah sauce in dat teaspoon an' stop it up in a bottle. Go undah de house an' bury it upside down. Dat'll move 'em - move anything yo' please, anyone yo' wanta do.
Entry 13027
If person is poisoned, boil Brown Mule chewing tobacco with grated silver dime, boil teaspoonful twice a day. [Memphis 1569:7.]
Entry 1568
Yo' mean if anybody try to hurt yo' - how yo' kin protect yoreself. Yo' kin take de least bit of sulphur in a teaspoon nine mawnin's, In de Name of de Father, de Son an' de Holy Ghost, an' yo' kin eat anything that anyone give yo' an' it won't hurt chew.
Entry 13263
If yo' wanted tuh bring in customers, at six a'clock in de mawnin' burn yo' a little sulphur - 'bout a teaspoonful fo' nine mawnin's, an' stop nine, an' jes' keep aburnin' it lak dat, an' yore customers will come in jes' plentyful. [Savannah 2174:7.]