Spotlight on Students: Origins and Meanings of American Idioms

 This post highlights the work required of my SA 202: Introduction to Anthropology students. Students were given the opportunity to research and identify the origins and meanings of time of a specific American phrase that they selected. Several students were given the opportunity to have their exemplary work featured on the blog, and the students who provided permission have their work featured here in this and the following blog posts. Please show your appreciation for their work through the comments.

 

The phrase "Hail Mary" was popularized by football games (Image Source: YouTube)

 

By: Ahmesha Johnson

I decided to choose the sports phrase “ Hail Mary.” I chose this phrase because when I think of "Hail Mary" personally, I think of a last resort that may or may not work, but you have to take the chance. A lot of times I hear the term "Hail Mary" in television shows with doctors. 

What I think this phrase means based on context clues from the ways that I have heard it I think that it means desperation.  You have no other plan or idea of what to do, and you just have to go with what your gut is telling you.  When it comes to sports the phrase "Hail Mary" came into the Sports World because of the quarterback of the Dallas Cowboys, Roger Staubach, in 1975. Roger Staubach used the term to describe a miracle touchdown that he threw to Drew Pearson in the playoff game against the Minnesota Vikings. 

The original term "Hail Mary" came from The Gospel of Luke in the Bible where they are praying about blessing the woman's womb. Today, the term "Hail Mary" is used to describe a desperate chance to get a winning outcome against all odds in any circumstance.

 I was unable to find a clear reason why the phrase "Hail Mary" changed over the years, but by using some context clues within the reading "Hail Mary" was used because the Virgin Mary was pregnant with Jesus and they wanted to praise her.  In 2024 it means taking a big risk or praying for a miracle, so I am kind of conveying that they took the term instead of praying for the miracle of Jesus being born into praying for a miracle in different scenarios and situations.

Sources cited 

“The Biblical Roots of the Hail Mary.” Ascension Press Media, media.ascensionpress.com/podcast/the-biblical-roots-of-the-hail-mary/#:~:text=Luke%201%3A26%2D28%20%E2%80%93.

 

  Sheridan, Phil. “How Roger Staubach and Drew Pearson Made the “Hail Mary” Pass Famous.” HISTORY, Phil Sheridan, 6 Aug. 2021, www.history.com/news/hail-mary-pass-roger-staubach-drew-pearson-1975. Accessed 21 Feb. 2024.

 

The phrase "come out swinging comes from boxing (Image source: Princeton University Press)

By: Devin White

I chose the phrase, "Come out swinging.". I chose this phrase because I have heard it from coaches before in the past. I also chose the phrase because I think it is a good saying to get someone pumped up for what they are going to do. I think what it means is to come out ready and aggressive in a way. Also, it means to not be scared of the moment and to be confident in yourself. The origin of the phrase comes from boxing. According to Huong (2021), "It refers to a boxer who starts a match by firing fists unrestrainedly." Back then it meant that the boxer was out of control and just throwing punches. Now I think it means to just be aggressive and to have determination that you can get whatever is done. I think time changed the meaning of the phrase because it was first perceived as someone just going out erratic, but I look at it as being more aggressive than passive, not out of control.  I do not know specifically what changed the meaning, but I like what it stands for. One thing the meaning says about our culture is we do not like to back down and we also show encouragement to others.

 

Youridioms.com, J. H. (n.d.). Come out swinging explanation, meaning, origin - the biggest idioms dictionary. Your Idioms. https://www.youridioms.com/en/idiom/come-out-swinging

Martin, G. (n.d.). Phrases, sayings and proverbs we use everyday - with their meanings and origins explained. Phrasefinder. https://www.phrases.org.uk/

 

 

Spotlight on Students: A Discussion on Cultural Appropriation

 This post highlights the work required of my SA 202: Introduction to Anthropology students. Students were given the opportunity to research and identify an example of cultural appropriation and explain how the cultural elements could be appreciated instead. Several students were given the opportunity to have their exemplary work featured on the blog, and the students who provided permission have their work featured here in this and the following blog posts. Please show your appreciation for their work through the comments.

 

Image Source: Lakota People's Law Project

 

By: Laniya Stevens

One example of cultural appropriation is those who use the term “spirit animal” and not use it correctly. The term comes from the Native American tradition that started centuries ago that described sacred tribal practices. When a child is born “the spirit animal comes to a person in a dream, vision or spiritual experience,” (Fauna 2024).  Those spirit animals are assigned at birth. Many people use spirit animals to describe how they are as a person, for example many use a lion or a tiger to show that they are brave or strong. Another form of appropriation that ties into this example is tattoos where as people get their “spirit animal” and don’t know the full meaning (same as tribal tattoos in a sense). These are examples of cultural appropriation because people are using and getting these symbols and animals without fully g understanding the concept and taking over the true meaning that was placed centuries ago. If someone is not a part of those tribes, they should research and find the proper way to display their knowledge of such. Getting a tattoo of a lion on a place where the sun doesn’t shine and showing someone of the Native American Culture, they’d find it extremely disrespectful. It’s a tricky situation when it comes to animals, but as long as someone isn’t traveling and being disrespectful then that’s the way to show they understand and appreciate the culture. 

 

Editor's Note: There are some that suggest one uses the term "familiar" or "patronus" rather than continuing to appropriate American Indian culture and terms inappropriately. 

Dechaine MOUNTPLANE, M. (2023, June 8). The importance of spirit animals in Amerindian cultures. Fauna. https://fauna-protect.com/en-us/blogs/blog/spirit-animal-importance-for-amerindians#:~:text=Some%20Native%20Americans%20believe%20that,dream%2C%20vision%20or%20spiritual%20experience.

 

Chinese women wearing qipoa (circa 1600s).  Image Source: May Boo Clothing

 

 

By: Alainnah Anthony

 

Cultural appropriation is adopting or taking an aspect of a culture different from your own in an offensive, disrespectful way, often using stereotypes and is very exploitative. One example of cultural appropriation starts in April of 2018, where a teen, Keziah Daum, made a Twitter post of her and her friends at their prom. There were two problems in all of the photos she posted that night: the dress and the stereotypical poses in the photos. The dress Daum wore to prom is specifically known as the Qipao, which is a Chinese dress originating from the 17th century during the Manchu rule in China (Mack, 2019).

 Women wore Qipaos daily during this time, however it is currently only worn during big formal events and special occasions, such as celebrations, weddings, etc. The majority of the people who viewed Daum's Twitter post were furious and expressed their frustration in the comments, one of them being “My culture is not your (censored) prom dress” (Jer, 2018).  

Contrary to Daum's angry defense on Twitter mentioning she was showing admiration, that it is just “a (censored) dress,” saying it was beautiful, and accusing the viewers who were upset of spreading negativity, the reason why this is cultural appropriation is because it seems her only goal or purpose for wearing the Qipao is to look good for prom, while not fully knowing that the Qipao itself is a huge traditional symbol of the Chinese culture.  This was made blatantly clear in her defense as she referred to it as just “a (censored) dress” (Daum, 2018).  Daum did not understand that the reason many people were upset and disgusted was because she treated a very meaningful symbol of the culture as only an accessory to a high school event, when she could have chosen an actual prom dress.  In other words, she exploited the Qipao for prom.

 

To express admiration and appreciate another culture and prevent appropriation, do research and educate yourself on said culture. Make sure you know the meaning and the beliefs. Acknowledging this will help you have a better understanding of what is respectful, and what is not. Do not use aspects of a different culture only for exploitation, or benefits. 

 

Wong, Brittany. “Here’s What You Get Wrong When You Culturally Appropriate Asian Fashion | HuffPost Life.” HuffPost, HuffPost, 14 May 2019

 

Mack, Lauren. “What Is a Qipao in Chinese Fashion?” ThoughtCo, ThoughtCo, 9 Jan. 2011

 

 

Anthropologist Profile: Dr. Maryann R. Cairns, Environmental Anthropologist, Associate Professor, and Director of Graduate Studies

Dr. Maryann Cairns (Image Source: Cairns' SMU Research Website)

This blog post is dedicated to profiling the academic research and applied work of Dr. Maryann R. Cairns.  Cairns did not initially start out studying anthropology.  She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Classical Civilization and Political Science from Loyola University in Chicago, Illinois, followed by earning a Master’s of Science in International Development from Tulane University out of New Orleans, Louisiana.  She entered into anthropological scholarship when she completed her doctorate in Applied Anthropology at the University of South Florida.

 

Cairns is currently employed as an Associate Professor at Southern Methodist University where she engages in research and mentors students in environmental anthropological research projects.  She utilizes sociocultural anthropological methods to identify public health solutions as they pertain to environmental issues.  Her academic and applied work has focused on water quality, environmental justice, Covid-19 responses, and more recently on waste within the fashion industry.  Her research is not simply academic but also very much applied to addressing real problems occurring across the globe.  She has worked on water and environmental issues throughout Greece, Costa Rica, the United States, and the Caribbean.  The nature of her work has required her to work with biologists, chemists, public health professionals, engineers, ecologists, and statisticians, specifically in understanding the problems from multiple perspectives (e.g., how are people using and impacted by technology, what specific technologies are necessary to solve the problems, etc.).

 

Cairns is quite passionate about public outreach and communicating her work with the public.  She and her students have been engaged in a variety of public outreach projects and programs.  A full list of them can be found on her website, but a sample include a recent public talk about the wastefulness of the fashion industry (video linked here), podcast interviews about tourism, health, and water quality and safety (recording is available here), public lectures on environmental racism (linked here), and her work with Water for People on water sanitation infrastructure in Bolivia, which required working closely with engineers and others. 

 

Dr. Maryann Cairns is in no way slowing down as she is near the beginning of her career.  It will be interesting to see where she goes next, both academically and professionally.  Given what she has accomplished thus far the impacts of her work may likely affect many of you reading this post today, even if you do not know it.

 

Works Cited

AAAS. (2021, May 26). PODCAST | Unhealthy Waters, featuring Dr. Maryann Cairns. Retrieved from AAAS Science & Technology Policy Fellowships: https://www.aaaspolicyfellowships.org/blog/podcast-unhealthy-waters-featuring-dr-maryann-cairns

Cairns, M. A. (2024). Our Research. Retrieved from DR. MARYANN CAIRNS: COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH ON PEOPLE AND ENVIRONMENT: https://people.smu.edu/mcairns/

Cairns, M. (n.d.). Maryann Cairns, Assistant Professor of Anthropology at Southern Methodist University. Retrieved from LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maryann-cairns-865647a/

 

 

Righting A Wrong Within Archaeology: Dr. Mary Ellingson

Dr. Mary Ellingson (Image Source: University of Evansville)

As previously discussed on this blog archaeology has been useful in shedding light on past injustices (e.g., the Tulsa Race Massacre, acknowledging the murder of George Tompkins, locating missing and murdered Residential School students, and cillini research).  The research skills, excavation methods, and interpretative lens required of archaeological work makes it well suited to correct the historical records, and more and more archaeologists are working toward those goals as necessary.  This has also led to introspection within the discipline itself, specifically in correcting and rectifying for previous past mistakes.  Today’s post addresses one such situation wherein past excavation work had been intentionally credited to the wrong person.  This post will share the story of Dr. Mary Ellingson.  

 

Dr. Mary Ross Ellingson was born in Canada.  She pursued her undergraduate studies in Classics through the University of Alberta, and she attended the prestigious John Hopkins University for her graduate work in 1931.  It was here that she came under the supervision of David Moore Robinson, who invited Ellingson to assist in excavations occurring at Olynthus in Greece.  These excavations were different from those previously completed.  Rather than focus on monumental religious architecture or cemeteries the team was going to excavate and analyze domestic structures, providing insights into how people lived and carried out their daily personal and family activities. 

 

It was a unique opportunity for Ellingson, a woman, to be able to do this work, and even more so when you realize that she was in charge of over 50 workers.  She supervised the excavations, photographed the site and artifacts, and wrote the site reports.  She also took meticulous notes that she drew upon for the completion of her Masters and Doctoral research.  For her Master’s research she focused on terracotta figurines, describing the types she discovered at the site, and in her Dissertation she expanded her work to include multiple other sites throughout Greece, as well as discussed the meanings and purposes of these figurines in domestic spaces.  This was monumental because prior to her work Classical scholars believed that terracotta figurines were purely functional in ritual contexts, expecting to find them only in temples and cemeteries.  Ellingson successfully demonstrated that within domestic contexts terracotta figurines were used not just for ritual purposes (in small home shrines) but also for decoration and even as toys.

 

While Ellingson published all of this information in her Master’s and Doctoral theses she was unable to publish to the wider academic community.  Her personal life and the disruptions of World War II kept her from doing so.  Then her graduate supervisor committed academic fraud.  He plagiarized her work by publishing both her Master’s and Doctoral theses under his name.  Robinson’s actions robbed Ellingson of recognition for her hard work, but it did additional damage to her, as well.  He received high accolades for “his publications” and was considered a pioneer in the field of Classical Archaeology, none of which he deserved since he did not do the work. 

 

Ellingson never disclosed the plagiarism, more than likely due to the strong sexist attitudes against women working in the field.  She ultimately took a position at the University of Evansville in the 1960s and worked there for over a decade before retiring.  She took the secret to her grave as she passed away in 1993, never receiving acknowledgement for her work during her lifetime. 

 

Several years later, however, Dr. Alan Kaiser, an archaeology professor at the University of Evansville, discovered some of Ellingson’s old records, which led him to realize Robinson’s transgressions against her.  He investigated further and published his research in a book titled, Archaeology, Sexism, and Scandal.  He did not just stop there, however.  He publicly denounced Robinson’s actions in various ways, bringing much needed attention to this scandalous act.  As support for Ellingson increased John Hopkins University petitioned the Library of Congress to change the authorship of the works credited to Robinson, which they did in the Fall of 2023.  Dr. Kaiser stated,

 

"Recognizing Dr. Mary Ellingson's long-suppressed contributions to the Excavations at Olynthus series is a significant step toward justice in the academic world. Her groundbreaking work has finally received the acknowledgment it deserves, and her story stands as an inspiration to all those who strive for truth and recognition in their respective fields."

 

Hopefully Ellingson’s contributions to the field and recognition of the injustice against her initiates greater scrutiny of women’s contributions to not only archaeology but other academic disciplines, as well as be a source of inspiration for others to not let this continue to happen to other women and other marginalized groups.

 

References

Archaeological Institute of America. (2023). Mary Ross Ellingson (1906-1993). Retrieved from Archaeological Institute of America: https://www.archaeological.org/archaeologists-you-should-know-ellingson/

Kaiser, A. (2015, March 27). Mary Ross Ellingson. Retrieved from Trowel Blazers: https://trowelblazers.com/2015/03/27/mary-ross-ellingson/

News & Public Relations. (2023, November 6). Library of Congress Recognizes Plagiarized University of Evansville Archaeologist After 90 Years. Retrieved from University of Evansville: https://www.evansville.edu/news/articleDetail.cfm?articleId=3126