Monday, February 17, 2003 :::
You Dirty Old Dishrag You: Old Time Counting Out Rhymes
I don't know how many of you folks used counting out rhymes to pick out who would be "it" when you played hide-and-go seek. We usually used "Eeny Meeny Miny Mo, Catch a Tiger by the Toe..."
Here's some from a 1912 edition of the Raleigh News and Observer. I think they're funny because of some of the made up words, and of course being a pre-1990 1920 american newspaper, there's gotta be some racist stuff. They're funnier if you say them out loud, do it very loudly at work.
Onery, twoery, tickery tee,
Hannibal, Crackible, turnablee
Whing, whang, muskadan
Striddledum, straddledum, twenty-one
Wonery, towery, tickery seven;
Alibi, crackaby, ten and eleven;
Pin, pan, muskydan;
Tweedle-um, twoddle-um;
Twenty-wan, eerie, ourie, owrie,
You, are, out!
Little fishes in a brook,
Father caught them with his big hook,
Mother fried them in a pan,
Father ate them like a man.
Alina, maina, mona, mike;
Bassoloa, bona, strike;
Hare, ware, frown, back;
Halico, balico, wee, wo, wy, whack!
Wiar, briar, limber lock,
Sit and sing till twelve o'clock.
Clock fell down.
Mouse ran round.
O U T spells out, and be gone
You dirty old dishrag you.
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
All good children go to heaven;
All the bad ones go below
To keep company with old black Joe.
Onezall, twozall
Ziggerzall, zan.
Bobtail Winnipecker,
Tee, taw, tan.
Harum, scarum,
Sinctum, sanctum,
Washington Buck
Maybe that was all a little lame, desperate for material here.
Quote of the Day:
We had about 12 negroes did wilfully drown themselves, and others starv'd themselves to death; for 'tis their belief that when they die they return home to their own country and friends again. I have been inform'd that some commanders have cut off the legs and arms of the most wilful, to terrify the rest, for they believe if they lose a member, the cannot return home again.
--- Voyage of the Hannibal, 1693 - 1694
::: posted by tom at 12:18 AM
