candidate at the University of Michigan who studies how the structure of society affects language use, recently told TODAY by phone. I _ _ cause my mama told me to pick YOU.“I think that one of the smallest actions we can do towards creating equity in our time is making our language more equitable,” Kelly Wright, a Ph.D. Miss Lucy and her boyfriend are kissing in the The boys are in the bathroom zipping down theirįlies are in the city bees are in the park Miss Lucy (we said Lucy) sat upon it and broke her big fatĪsk me no more questions tell me no more lies I remember that last one! I remember the rest of it too.Īnd if you disconnect me I'll chop off yourīehind the 'fridgerator there was a piece of glass Please give me Number Nine" I don't remember the rest of it, but that's the gist. We also had one that we thought was VERY risque, where we would almost say a bad word (this was third grade, so I'm talking about words like butt), but never quite. We played "Miss Mary Mack," and "Miss Suzie went to sea sea sea to see what she could see see see but all that she could see see see was the bottom of the deep blue sea sea sea." There were a lot of Miss Suzie rhymes. Then a girl moved here from the South and had a new variation of the rhyme, with a different rythm but same hand motions: Made absolutely no sense, but we loved it. Where the bullfrog jumps from bay to banky We always used to play a clapping game to Thanks, dangermom, I'm gonna add those to my collection. Tinker, tailor, soldier, sailor, rich man, poor man, beggar man, thief. It made the pattern a bit more complicated. We loved doing "One potato, two potato." where you start with a "big" potato, split to two smaller ones, then when those are hit, they go behind your back.
I have never heard the last few lines though. Jon Boy, that one sounds very much like the popular one that so many people I meet seem to know.
Probably someone has already done that and written a book on it. I would love to do a study on this and collect samples from different areas. But I know a SLIGHTLY different variation.Ĭool, Teshi! Another one that has a similar rhythm and sound to the one I know. I've heard this one a lot growing up: quote:ĭangermom, I know the one you mentioned. Of course there may be different versions in different parts of the country and stuff, but that's the version I know. Turn 'round and 'round and 'round and 'round until we holler stop (all those years of girl scout camp may actually have been good for something! ) Not much of a variation, but I also never thought of the negative meanings when it was used. The only variation I heard other kids use replaced the offending word with "Tiger." Yes, I would be interested in that link if you can find it.Įxciting! I wonder what else will turn up. Whoo-hoo! Dangermom, that is too close to be a coincidence! I have never encountered anyone who knew anything close to the version I learned in NC, and this one you learned looks like a close cousin. I stated a thread on it at the Straight Dope and got several variations. I've never met anyone before or since who knew it, until my friend this year who is also from the center part of CA had one that was similar. I remember Miss Mary Mack!! Any of you played "Chinese Jumprope"? I seem to remember a lot of these old things like the 10 little monkeys one and We'd dance in a circle with someone in the middle and they'd spin and point Raia, are those Hebrew words, or non-sense syllables that have the Hebrew form? If words, what do they mean? Ok, might have gotten that wrong, but it's one of my favourites.Ĭool, Synth, I have not heard that one before. I liked the rhymes kids used for jumping ropes or my favouriteĪnd turn around and turn around until you make a stop. I think it is a fascinating phenomenon, the things arising from the culture of children, spread far and wide and passed down to younger generations. I would be very interested in hearing some of the versions y'all might have known from childhood, or other local children's rhymes for that matter. I found some other variations here, but none like the one I knew: linkolla Apparently, though it has been used thus, it's origins are much older than that.
Apparently recently there was a lawsuit because some feel this rhyme was originally a racial slur. I was doing a bit of googling and found some interesting historical info about this rhyme. We loved this version because it was all nonsense and so much fun to say. I know that children's rhymes are often regional in their variations, and I learned this one in North Carolina.
I learned a variation of Eenie Meenie Miney Moe as a child and I have never met anyone else who has ever heard of it. Hatrack River Forum » Active Forums » Books, Films, Food and Culture » Eenie Meenie Miney Moe variations My profile login | search | faq | forum home