Halloween in Detroit
Charles Bishop
fact that not too many kids came trick or treating, and the hell in a
handbasket aspect of this change. She mentioned that when she was of the
age in Detroit (I think she is about 70) they didn't call it trick or
treating, or at least didn't use that phrase when acquiring treats. They
would dress in bum-like clothes and instead of ringing or knocking, would
stand outside and wail, "heellllp the poooorrr" or similar.
It was still the same amount of fun and mischief that I enjoyed but I
hadn't heard this version of t O t'ing before. Anyone else?
She also mentioned that one of the mischiefs they used to do was to take
an empty thread spool, and put in on a pencil. Wrap a string around the
spool and when the thread was pulled off suddenly, with the spool next to
a window pane, it would make a rapid tap-tap-tap sound, startling someone
inside.
charles, the times change and pass me by
Magnus, Robot Fighter.
Not necceserily on Halloween, but friends and I would get on each side
of a road and act like we were playing tug-of-war with an invisible
rope over the road.....inevitably cars would come to a screeching
halt, passengers would scream at us, we'd scatter like a flock of
quail.
James Gifford
> She also mentioned that one of the mischiefs they used to do was to take
> an empty thread spool, and put in on a pencil. Wrap a string around the
> spool and when the thread was pulled off suddenly, with the spool next to
> a window pane, it would make a rapid tap-tap-tap sound, startling someone
> inside.
Right up there with the "rattlesnake egg" thing for envelopes. Used to have
a lot of fun with those.
--
|=- James Gifford = FIX SPAMTRAP TO REPLY -=|
|=- So... your philosophy fits in a sig, does it? -=|
Boron Elgar
Bishop) wrote:
>The early years. I was talking to a client of mine today, bemoaning hte
>fact that not too many kids came trick or treating, and the hell in a
>handbasket aspect of this change. She mentioned that when she was of the
>age in Detroit (I think she is about 70) they didn't call it trick or
>treating, or at least didn't use that phrase when acquiring treats. They
>would dress in bum-like clothes and instead of ringing or knocking, would
>stand outside and wail, "heellllp the poooorrr" or similar.
We said "trick or treat" or "help the poor," but the latter did not
depend on costume. This was in Detroit of the 50s and 60s.
Boron
Rick B.
That's a usage I've heard from my mother and her parents (Camden, NJ,
from before 1950) and nobody else. Google turns up nothing on the web,
one offhand reference in a spammy Usenet post from 1996.
Greg Goss
"Shell out, Shell out, the [__________]s are out."
Toronto, early sixties.
--
Tomorrow is today already.
Greg Goss, 1989-01-27
Charles Bishop
<boron...@hotmail.com> wrote:
Thanks. Sounds like the crossover period. She said they got pennies along
with their candy.
charles, if I have the gumption, I'll ask her when this was
Boron Elgar
Bishop) wrote:
>In article <slmim15vht99rm1te...@4ax.com>, Boron Elgar
><boron...@hotmail.com> wrote:
>
>>On Wed, 02 Nov 2005 21:29:53 GMT, ctbi...@earthlink.netttt (Charles
>>Bishop) wrote:
>>
>>>The early years. I was talking to a client of mine today, bemoaning hte
>>>fact that not too many kids came trick or treating, and the hell in a
>>>handbasket aspect of this change. She mentioned that when she was of the
>>>age in Detroit (I think she is about 70) they didn't call it trick or
>>>treating, or at least didn't use that phrase when acquiring treats. They
>>>would dress in bum-like clothes and instead of ringing or knocking, would
>>>stand outside and wail, "heellllp the poooorrr" or similar.
>>
>>We said "trick or treat" or "help the poor," but the latter did not
>>depend on costume. This was in Detroit of the 50s and 60s.
>
>Thanks. Sounds like the crossover period. She said they got pennies along
>with their candy.
>
>charles, if I have the gumption, I'll ask her when this was
Penny bowls were the highlight that could make or break a Super-Duper
Halloween. Some kid would hit a house that was giving out pennies and
word would spread like wildfire and we'd all go there. In fact, that
sort of action took place with the candy, too. Some kid would tell of
a house giving out full-size Hershey bars or similar & we'd be sure to
get there.
Remember, though, that this was all done in the baby-boomer years.
Almost every house had kids. Almost every house had the light on & was
offering candy. We had sidewalks and street lights, too. Easy to walk
along.
A kid could get quite a load or loot just on the home street, but it
was more fun to wander around looking for the great stuff. We'd
sometimes stop off home & empty the bags and go back out again.
We avoided houses that gave out candy corn or popcorn balls.
Boron
Charles Bishop
I asked my client, and she said it was 1940 to 1950, roughly. She also
said she would see mention of "trick or treat" in magazines and not know
what it refered to. She wondered if it was just her immediate neighborhood
or was for larger Detroit. They called it "going begging".
Would any of the linguists' sites be of help do you think?
charles, once sewed the costume I was making to my bedspread
Boron Elgar
Bishop) wrote:
>In article <3stnq3F...@individual.net>, go...@gossg.org wrote:
>
>>Boron Elgar <boron...@hotmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>>On Wed, 02 Nov 2005 21:29:53 GMT, ctbi...@earthlink.netttt (Charles
>>>Bishop) wrote:
>>>
>>>>The early years. I was talking to a client of mine today, bemoaning hte
>>>>fact that not too many kids came trick or treating, and the hell in a
>>>>handbasket aspect of this change. She mentioned that when she was of the
>>>>age in Detroit (I think she is about 70) they didn't call it trick or
>>>>treating, or at least didn't use that phrase when acquiring treats. They
>>>>would dress in bum-like clothes and instead of ringing or knocking, would
>>>>stand outside and wail, "heellllp the poooorrr" or similar.
>>>
>>>We said "trick or treat" or "help the poor," but the latter did not
>>>depend on costume. This was in Detroit of the 50s and 60s.
>>
>>"Shell out, Shell out, the [__________]s are out."
>>Toronto, early sixties.
>
>I asked my client, and she said it was 1940 to 1950, roughly. She also
>said she would see mention of "trick or treat" in magazines and not know
>what it refered to. She wondered if it was just her immediate neighborhood
>or was for larger Detroit. They called it "going begging".
>
We called it going begging, too. but I am quite positive about the
"trick or treat" part, too, as I vividly remember being told I had to
earn my treat with a trick and singing a song. We moved from that
house when I was 5, so that would be 1954 or earlier.
Boron
Bill Kinkaid
"If you don't shell out
we'll turn your windows inside out".
--
Bill in Vancouver
Spindler of Puppies
news:ctbishop-021...@user-2ivfi5o.dialup.mindspring.com...
: In article <slmim15vht99rm1te...@4ax.com>, Boron Elgar
I remember getting pennies in the '60s...but I'd never heard of this
"begging" business until this thread appeared.