Information about Wellerism

An apologetic proverb (also known as a joke-like form of proverb common to Dutch and known in English as Wellerisms), which argues that it is pointless for humans to attempt to alter the conditions of life in the mortal sphere and/or to make fun at established proverbs by proving that they are wrong in certain situations often when taken literally. Typically it consists of 3 parts: a proverb or saying, a speaker and an (often humorous and literal) explanation.

Folklorist Archer Taylor has written over 100 articles and books on proverbs, and established the scholarly journal Proverbium in 1965. He was the first to apply a comparative approach to the proverb, and his books have influenced and inspired paremiologists (those academics who study proverbs) for over 70 years.

Taylor notes that Wellerisms are usually of obscure origin, difficult or near impossible to trace, and include sardonic humor.

A special format for Wellerisms which incorporate a pun (as in the "rehearse" example below) is the Tom Swifty

Examples in English (Wellerisms):

• "Everyone to his own liking," the old woman said when she kissed her cow.
• "We'll have to rehearse that," said the undertaker as the coffin fell out of the car.
• A body can get used to anything, even to being hanged, as the Irishman said. (Lucy Maud Montgomery--Anne of Green Gables)
• "This week is beginning splendidly," said one who was to be hanged on Monday.
• "Much noise and little wool," said the Devil when he sheared a pig.
• "So I see," said the blind man as he picked up his hammer and saw.

Some Dutch examples include:

• "Alle beetjes helpen", zei de mug en hij pieste in zee.

(English:Every little bit helps, the mosquito said, and it pissed into the sea.)

• "Het is kruis of munt" zei de non en ze trouwde met de bankier.

(English:It's cross or coin said the nun, and she married the banker.)

Explanatory note: In Dutch "Heads or Tails" is referred to as "kruis of munt", literally meaning "cross" (i.e. religion) or "coin" (i.e. money).

• "Alles met mate", zei de kleermaker en hij sloeg zijn vrouw met de el.

(English: "Everything should be done measuredly," said the tailor and he hit his wife with a ruler.)

Bibliography

• Dictionary of Wellerisms, ed. Wolgang Mieder, Stewart A. Kingsbury (New York: Oxford University Press, 1994).
• Mieder, Wolfgang, American Proverbs: A Study of Texts and Contexts (New York: Lang, 1989).
• Mieder, Wolfgang, Proverbs Are Never Out of Season: Popular Wisdom in the Modern Age (New York: Oxford University Press, 1993).
• Taylor, Archer, The Proverb (Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 1931).
• Taylor, Archer, The Proverb, and An Index to The Proverb (Hatboro, PA: Folklore Associates, 1962)