Jump-rope rhyme
Encyclopedia
A skipping rhyme is a rhyme chanted by children while skipping. Such rhymes have been recorded in all cultures where skipping is played. Examples of English-language rhymes have been found going back to at least the 17th century. Like most folklore
, skipping rhymes tend be found in many different variations.
rhymes from West Los Angeles
, California.
Two girls with a long rope stood about 12 feet apart and turned the rope as other children took turns jumping [I don't recall any boys playing this game!]. If one were not a good jumper, one would be an 'Ever-Laster,' that is, one would perpetually turn the rope. When it was a child's turn to jump, she would enter as the rope turned, and jump to the rhyme until she missed. Then she would become a rope-turner, and the next child in line would take her place.
1.:Charlie Chaplin went to France
In the Charlie Chaplin rhyme, the child jumping had to follow directions as the rope was turning: touching the heel of one foot on the ground; touching the toe of the same foot on the ground; doing a (short) split of the feet, turning around, saluting, bowing, and jumping out from the turning rope on the last line. This rhyme, ca. 1942, reflects children's awareness of WWII (The Queen to whom we bowed was the mother of the present Queen of England).
2.:Not last night but the night before
This was a group affair. It began with one person jumping; then a separate child would enter taking the respective parts of the doctor, the nurse, and the lady with the alligator purse. If no one missed, five people would be jumping when all the characters were in. Then each character would leave as directed in the rhyme.
3.:Spanish dancer, turn around,
The child jumping as the Spanish dancer had to follow the directions of the rhymes.
4.:All in together, birds of a feather:
5.:Ice cream soda, Delaware Punch
,
6.: Blue bells, cockle shells, eevie-ivy overs.
There were two forms of jumping: "low waters"--the turners would swing the rope in a low arc back and forth--and "high waters" when they would turn the rope in a full circle. The Blue Bells game began as "low waters" and then turned into "high waters" on the word "overs."
In Dublin, Ireland the visits of inspectors known as "Glimmer men
" to private houses to enforce regulations to prevent the use of coal gas in restricted hours during the Emergency gave rise to:
An Australian version of the Charlie Chaplan Skipping Song, as sung at Salisbury Primary School in Brisbane, Australia in the mid 1950s, is as follows:
in the 1950s
:
An Australia
n version of this rhyme was very popular in the 1960s
An American version goes like this:
Cinderella, dressed in yella
Went upstairs to kiss her fella
Made a mistake, and kissed a snake
How many doctors did it take?
1, 2, 3, 4, etc.
Put me on his knee,
Asked me a question
Will you marry me?
Yes, No, Maybe So (repeated)
or
or
Skipping rhymes don't always have to be rhymes, however. They can be games, such as a game called, "School." In "Kindergarten" (the first round), all skippers must run through rope without skipping. In "First Grade", all skippers must skip in, skip once, and skip out without getting caught in the rope, and so on. Also, there is "Mouse Trap", where there is a special pattern, and players must run through rope without getting caught. If caught, the jumper caught must hold the rope.
, often with a suggestion of naughtiness:
This rhyme was heard in Athol, MA in the 1950's:
Variant:
Another Variant:
Another Variant:
Another:
she's going crazy,
girl
, alien
twins [until they stop]
Another:
And another (as told by Colin Mochrie
):
And another:
And another:
Variation:
Yet another variation:
And another:
The best variation:
"Pretty Little Dutch Girl" is an example of an international rhyme. If one sings it, it is generally sung to the tune of "A Sailor Went to Sea".
Variations of this following rhyme, a wordplay on "influenza," were heard around the time of the 1918 flu pandemic:
Another one that also mentions Asian
s:
Folklore
Folklore consists of legends, music, oral history, proverbs, jokes, popular beliefs, fairy tales and customs that are the traditions of a culture, subculture, or group. It is also the set of practices through which those expressive genres are shared. The study of folklore is sometimes called...
, skipping rhymes tend be found in many different variations.
Rhymes from the 1940s
The following are six 1940s1940s
File:1940s decade montage.png|Above title bar: events which happened during World War II : From left to right: Troops in an LCVP landing craft approaching "Omaha" Beach on "D-Day"; Adolf Hitler visits Paris, soon after the Battle of France; The Holocaust occurred during the war as Nazi Germany...
rhymes from West Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California.
Two girls with a long rope stood about 12 feet apart and turned the rope as other children took turns jumping [I don't recall any boys playing this game!]. If one were not a good jumper, one would be an 'Ever-Laster,' that is, one would perpetually turn the rope. When it was a child's turn to jump, she would enter as the rope turned, and jump to the rhyme until she missed. Then she would become a rope-turner, and the next child in line would take her place.
1.:Charlie Chaplin went to France
- To teach the ladies how to dance.
- First the heel, then the toe,
- Then the splits, and around you go!
- Salute to the Captain,
- Bow to the Queen,
- And turn your back on the Nazi submarine!
In the Charlie Chaplin rhyme, the child jumping had to follow directions as the rope was turning: touching the heel of one foot on the ground; touching the toe of the same foot on the ground; doing a (short) split of the feet, turning around, saluting, bowing, and jumping out from the turning rope on the last line. This rhyme, ca. 1942, reflects children's awareness of WWII (The Queen to whom we bowed was the mother of the present Queen of England).
2.:Not last night but the night before
- Forty-four robbers came knocking at my door!
- Call for the doctor, call for the nurse,
- And call for the lady with the alligator purse!
- In came the doctor, in came the nurse,
- And in came the lady with the alligator purse.
- Out went the doctor, out went the nurse,
- And out went the lady with the alligator purse!
This was a group affair. It began with one person jumping; then a separate child would enter taking the respective parts of the doctor, the nurse, and the lady with the alligator purse. If no one missed, five people would be jumping when all the characters were in. Then each character would leave as directed in the rhyme.
3.:Spanish dancer, turn around,
- Spanish dancer, touch the ground.
- Spanish dancer, do a high kick,
- Spanish dancer, get out of town quick!
The child jumping as the Spanish dancer had to follow the directions of the rhymes.
4.:All in together, birds of a feather:
- January, February, March, April, May, etc. (each child had to jump in during the month they were born).
5.:Ice cream soda, Delaware Punch
Delaware Punch
Delaware Punch is a fruit-flavored soft drink. Its formula uses a blend of fruit flavors, with grape being the most prominent. It is non-carbonated and caffeine-free.Delaware Punch was created by Thomas E. Lyons in 1913...
,
- Tell me the name of my honey-bunch.
- A, B, C, etc.
- . . . And don't forget the RED HOT PEPPERS (and the turners would turn the rope as fast as they could).
6.: Blue bells, cockle shells, eevie-ivy overs.
There were two forms of jumping: "low waters"--the turners would swing the rope in a low arc back and forth--and "high waters" when they would turn the rope in a full circle. The Blue Bells game began as "low waters" and then turned into "high waters" on the word "overs."
In Dublin, Ireland the visits of inspectors known as "Glimmer men
Glimmer Man
For the 1996 movie see The Glimmer ManA glimmer man was a somewhat pejorative name unofficially, but almost universally, applied to inspectors who were employed by the Alliance and Dublin Consumers' Gas Company, the Cork Gas Consumers Company and other supply companies in the smaller towns and...
" to private houses to enforce regulations to prevent the use of coal gas in restricted hours during the Emergency gave rise to:
- Keep it boiling on the glimmer, if you don't you get no dinner.
-
An Australian version of the Charlie Chaplan Skipping Song, as sung at Salisbury Primary School in Brisbane, Australia in the mid 1950s, is as follows:
- Charlie Chaplan went to France,
- To teach the ladies how to dance,
- First he did the Rumba,
- Then he did the twist,
- Then he did the Highland Fling,
- And then he did the splits.
Rhymes from the 1950s
Some rhymes are intended to count the number of jumps the skipper takes without stumbling. These rhymes can take very simple forms, such as this chant collected in LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
in the 1950s
1950s
The 1950s or The Fifties was the decade that began on January 1, 1950 and ended on December 31, 1959. The decade was the sixth decade of the 20th century...
:
- Big BenClock Tower, Palace of WestminsterBig Ben is the nickname for the great bell of the clock at the north end of the Palace of Westminster in London, and is generally extended to refer to the clock or the clock tower as well. It is the largest four-faced chiming clock and the third-tallest free-standing clock tower in the world...
strikes one, - Big Ben strikes two,
- Big Ben strikes three,
Counting rhymes
Other counting chants are more sophisticated, beginning with a rhyme and then counting the number of jumps to answer a question posed in the last line.- Princess ___ (List jumper's name)
- Got bit by a snake,
- How many doctors did it take?
- 1! 2! 3! 4! (etc.)
An Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n version of this rhyme was very popular in the 1960s
1960s
The 1960s was the decade that started on January 1, 1960, and ended on December 31, 1969. It was the seventh decade of the 20th century.The 1960s term also refers to an era more often called The Sixties, denoting the complex of inter-related cultural and political trends across the globe...
- Cinderella
- Dressed in yella
- Went to meet her handsome fella.
- On the way her undies busted
- How many people were disgusted?
- 1! 2! 3! 4! (etc.)
An American version goes like this:
Cinderella, dressed in yella
Went upstairs to kiss her fella
Made a mistake, and kissed a snake
How many doctors did it take?
1, 2, 3, 4, etc.
Sadistic twists
Another rhyme with a definite sadistic twist. The fifth line is not said in the same rhythm as the preceding four, but is instead much faster.- Had a little sports car,
- Two-forty-eight,
- Ran around the cor-(skipper jumps out, and turners continue the syllable until they reenter)-ner
- and SLAMMED on the brakes!
- Policeman caught me and put me in jail
- All I had was gingerale
- How many bottles did I drink?
- Goes, 10! 20! 30! 40!
- Had a little car car,
- Two-forty-eight,
- Ran around the cor-(skipper jumps out, and turners continue the syllable until they reenter)-ner
- and slammed on the brakes!
- Policeman caught me
Put me on his knee,
Asked me a question
Will you marry me?
Yes, No, Maybe So (repeated)
- Another skipping rhyme, but is more modern. Once the alphabet finishes, kids continue with numbers until skipper catches rope. It is natural for kids to use the letter that the skipper lost on and to use it to find someone's name following the rule of either best friend or boyfriend, depending on what is chosen in the beginning.
- Ice cream, Soda pop, cherry on top,
- Who's your best friend, let's find out;
- Goes A! B! C!
or
- Ice cream soda, cherry on top
- Who's your boyfriend/girlfriend, I forgot;
- Is it an A! B! C!
or
- Ice cream sundae, banana split
- [Name of jumper]'s got a boyfriend/girlfriend,
- Who is it?
- A! B! C!
Skipping rhymes don't always have to be rhymes, however. They can be games, such as a game called, "School." In "Kindergarten" (the first round), all skippers must run through rope without skipping. In "First Grade", all skippers must skip in, skip once, and skip out without getting caught in the rope, and so on. Also, there is "Mouse Trap", where there is a special pattern, and players must run through rope without getting caught. If caught, the jumper caught must hold the rope.
Nonsense rhymes
Many rhymes consist of pure nonsenseNonsense verse
Nonsense verse is a form of light, often rhythmical verse, usually for children, depicting peculiar characters in amusing and fantastical situations. It is whimsical and humorous in tone and tends to employ fanciful phrases and meaningless made-up words. Nonsense verse is closely related to...
, often with a suggestion of naughtiness:
- Fudge, fudge, call the judge,
- Mama had a baby.
- Wrap it up in tissue paper,
- Stick it in the elevator.
- Mama called the doctor,
- The doctor called the nurse,
- The nurse called the lady with the alligator purse.
- 'MumpsMumpsMumps is a viral disease of the human species, caused by the mumps virus. Before the development of vaccination and the introduction of a vaccine, it was a common childhood disease worldwide...
' said the doctor, - 'Mumps,' said the nurse,
- 'Mumps' said the lady with the alligator purse.
This rhyme was heard in Athol, MA in the 1950's:
- Fudge, fudge, call the judge,
- Mama's got a new-born baby
- It's not a boy
- It's not a girl
- It's just an ordinary baby
- Wrap it up in tissue paper,
- Send it down the elevator,
- First floor - Miss! [skipper to catch to rope between legs]
- Second floor -Miss! [Continues until skipper fails]
Variant:
- Fudge, Fudge, call the judge, is having a baby.
- Wrap it up in tissue paper,
- Send it down the escalator.
- Boy, Girl, Twins, Triplets. (last line repeated until jumper fails)
Another Variant:
- Fudge, Fudge, call the judge, is having a baby.
- Her boyfriend's going crazy.
- Wrap it up in toilet paper,
- Send it down the elevator.
- Boy, girl, twins or triplets (repeated until failure)
Another Variant:
- Fudge, Fudge, call the judge, is having a baby.'s going crazy.
- Wrap it up in toilet paper,
- Send it down the elevator.
- What's it gonna be?
- Boy, girl, triplets, alien (until she stumbles)
Another:
- Doctor, Doctor, call the nurse
- She's having a baby,
she's going crazy,
- Boy,
girl
, alien
twins [until they stop]
Another:
- Three, six, nine
- The goose drank wine
- The monkey chewed tobacco on the telephone line
- The line, it broke
- The goose got choked
- And they all went to heavenHeavenHeaven, the Heavens or Seven Heavens, is a common religious cosmological or metaphysical term for the physical or transcendent place from which heavenly beings originate, are enthroned or inhabit...
in a little rowboat.
And another (as told by Colin Mochrie
Colin Mochrie
Colin Andrew Mochrie is a Scottish Canadian actor and improvisational comedian, most famous for his appearances on the British and US versions of television improvisation show Whose Line Is It Anyway?.-Early life:...
):
- Monkey, monkey, chew the butter
- See my buttocks, they is better
- Batter! Batoota, batoota, monkey monkey!
- Look, there's a gerbil! I'm going up and down
- 60 Minutes60 Minutes60 Minutes is an American television news magazine, which has run on CBS since 1968. The program was created by producer Don Hewitt who set it apart by using a unique style of reporter-centered investigation....
, where are you? - Here's an expose for you!
- Libilaulah! Libilaulah!
And another:
- Fatty and Skinny went to bed
- Fatty let a fart and Skinny went dead
- Fatty called the doctor and the doctor said:
- "If Fatty lets another fart we'll all be dead!"
And another:
- Liar, liar, pants on fire,
- Your belt's hanging on the telephone wire!
Variation:
- Liar, liar, pants on fire,
- Your nose is long as a telephone wire!
Yet another variation:
- Liar, liar, pants on fire,
- Hanging by a telephone wire!
And another:
- Liar, Liar, pants on fire,
- spreading fast through the telephone wire
The best variation:
- Liar, liar, pants on fire,
- Hanging by your tongue on a telephone wire!
Pretty Little Dutch Girl
"Pretty Little Dutch Girl" is an example of an international rhyme. If one sings it, it is generally sung to the tune of "A Sailor Went to Sea".
Historical rhymes
Other rhymes are highly topical, and sometimes survive long after the events that inspired them have disappeared from the headlines. Perhaps the most notorious rhyme of this type is one that began circulating during the 1892 trial of Lizzie Borden:- Lizzie Borden took an axe
- And gave her father forty whacks,
- When she saw what she had done,
- She gave her mother forty-one.
Variations of this following rhyme, a wordplay on "influenza," were heard around the time of the 1918 flu pandemic:
- I had a little bird,
- And its name was Enza.
- I opened the window
- And in-flew-enza.
Offensive rhymes
Sometimes, rhymes have been known to offend people of different race and nationalities:- My parents have pretty eyes
- My mother's ChineseChinaChinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
- My father's JapanJapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese - My brother's TaiwanTaiwanTaiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
ese - My sister's VietnamVietnamVietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
ese
Another one that also mentions Asian
Asian people
Asian people or Asiatic people is a term with multiple meanings that refers to people who descend from a portion of Asia's population.- Central Asia :...
s:
- ChineseChinese peopleThe term Chinese people may refer to any of the following:*People with Han Chinese ethnicity ....
- JapaneseJapanese peopleThe are an ethnic group originating in the Japanese archipelago and are the predominant ethnic group of Japan. Worldwide, approximately 130 million people are of Japanese descent; of these, approximately 127 million are residents of Japan. People of Japanese ancestry who live in other countries...
- dirty knees
- Criss cross, duck sauceDuck sauceDuck sauce is a condiment with a sweet and sour flavor and a translucent orange appearance similar to a thin jelly. Offered at Chinese-American restaurants, it is used as a dip for deep-fried dishes such as duck, chicken, fish, spring rolls, egg rolls, or with rice or noodles. It is often provided...
- Why don't you just get lost! (repeated until jumper slips up)
Sources
- Iona and Peter Opie. The Lore and Language of Schoolchildren. Oxford University PressOxford University PressOxford University Press is the largest university press in the world. It is a department of the University of Oxford and is governed by a group of 15 academics appointed by the Vice-Chancellor known as the Delegates of the Press. They are headed by the Secretary to the Delegates, who serves as...
, 1959.