I have all these wonderful rhymes that my highly-literate family used to recite to me when I was little. Have you ever heard of any of these? I can still rattle them off just as if I was 5 again:
Adam and Eve and Pinchmetite
Went down to the river to bathe.
Adam and Ever were drownded (NOTE: you have to say 'drownded' instead of 'drowned')
Now who do you think was saved?
(then the unsuspecting victim says "Pinchmetite" and you pinch them)
I never saw a purple cow,
I hope I never see one.
But I can tell you anyhow,
I'd rather see than be one.
Then there is this old chestnut that my grandmother taught me in some sort of pig latin:
Once there was a bittle lum,
Sitting on an urbstone,
Chewing gubber rum.
Along came a molicepan and said "Simme gum."
"Tixie on your nintype," said the bittle lum.
If anyone has heard of THAT one before, I'll eat my gubber rum.
My grandmother was one of the world's first female journalists and she wrote the gossip column for a major newspaper in New York for many years. She loved words, rhymes, and wordplay of any sort.
So, what rhymes do YOU remember?
Here is my jumprope song.
ReplyDeleteCinderella dressed in yellow
Went upstairs to kis here fellow
Made a mistake
Kissed a snake
How many kisses did she make?
My dad taught me this when I was taking Chemistry:
ReplyDeleteJohnny had a little drink
But Johnny drinks no more
Because what Jonny thought was H2O
Was H2SO4 (sulfuric acid)
So far, your gubber rum is safe. Can you put that in a Coke?
ReplyDeleteRide an old goat,
ReplyDeletelead an old hound,
hound gave a yelp,
goat gave a jump,
Left old "Lucy" sittin'
on a stump.
My Mama would sing-song this to me. She would have me on her knees. At the "Jump" she would part her knees, and I would fall down, except of course she never let me completely fall.
Ms. Kraut:
ReplyDeletegubber rum is a "spoonerism," named for an actual absent-minded professor named Spooner. Once in addressing the Queen of England he said, "Ah, my queer dean."
I think this is a common one, but my favorite.
ReplyDeleteRide a cockhorse
to Banbury Cross
to see a fine lady
upon a white horse
with rings on her fingers
and bells on her toes
she shall have music
wherever she goes.
Those are pretty cute! No, I never heard those. I remember this:
ReplyDeleteOne fine day in the middle of the night
Two dead brothers got up to fight
Back to back they faced one another
Pulled out their swords and shot each other
A deaf policeman heard the noise
Pulled out his gun and stabbed the boys
If you think this crazy lie ain't true
Just ask the blind man -- he saw it too!
I love the purple cow one! My grandfather taught me that when I was very little. It's one of several things I remember very clearly - he died when I was young. The purple cow poem always made us giggle.
ReplyDeleteAlways Questioning, us too! My grandfather also taught that one to us. He was hysterical, and would raucously sing the 'itsy bitsy teeny weeny yellow polka dot bikini' song, too.
ReplyDeleteAP3 I never heard that one before!
Kathleen, my mother used to read that one to me when I was very young. Thanks for reminding me of it.
Oldhorsetailsnake, thanks for teaching me something new! I'm going to google that, and read up on it.
Tan Lucy, you just reminded me of another one that is like yours (you bounce a child on your knee to it and get increasingly faster):
This is the way the ladies ride:
clippity clippity clop
And this is the way the gentlemen ride:
clippity clippity clop
And this is the way the cowboys ride:
clippity clippity clop
And this is the way the injuns ride:
Yippee! Yippee! Yipee!
(and you throw the child up into the air)
Fred, it sounds dissoluble to me... ;o)
Acton Bell, my bet is that it came from the 1920s era.
Polanco, I know that rhyme too, but I learned it as 'Kathleen'.
Michelle & TC, I remember those chants~!
Also Dad:
ReplyDeleteOh it was morning when the rising sun was setting in the west.
The little fishies in their trees were cuddled in their nest.
While the organ peeled potatoes, someone set the church on fire.
"Holy Smokes", the preacher shouted, and in the rain, he lost his hair.
Now his head reseambles heaven, 'cause there is not parting there.
Ain't we crazy? Ain't we crazy? This is the way we pass the time away?
anyone ever heard of this song used to calm crying children? my mother learned it from her mother, who learned it from her mother ... they're all from missouri.
ReplyDeleteOl' Napper went a'huntin
way late at night
Ol' man coon jumped on his back
and Ol' Napper had to fight
Cry Ol' Napper, hoodelee hoodelee hoo
Cry Ol' Napper, hoodelee hoodelee hoo
I like the version of this that I learned:
ReplyDeleteOne bright day in the middle of the night, two dead boys got up to fight;
Back to back they faced each other, drew their swords and shot each other;
A deaf policeman heard the noise and came and shot the two dead boys.
My dad used to recite the molicepan ryhme and is used to annoy my mother no end, which made it all the better for us!
ReplyDeleteAnd once my very proper mother let slip this one:
ReplyDeleteNebuchanezzar, King of the Jews,
got so excited he peed in his shoes.
i used to know a similar rhyme to the miss marry mack one only it went like this:
ReplyDeleteMiss mary mack, mack, mack
all dressed in black black black
with silver buttons buttons buttons all down her back back back
she asked her mother mother mother
for fifteen cents cents cents
to see the elephant elephant elephant
jump over the fence fence fence
it jumped so high high high
and touched the sky sky sky
and didn't come back back back
until the 4th of july july july
i just suddenly remembered the "molicepan" rhyme from my own childhood and wondered where it came from. So I went on Google and searched for "molicepan" and that is how i found this site.
ReplyDeleteYou can start eating that gubber rum now...
Eat your gubber rum, here are some other variations: http://fauquierlibrarylounging.blogspot.com/2007/05/ah-spoonerisms.html
ReplyDeleteI went looking for it because I had heard it as a child and couldn't remember it all.
thanks for the memories. does anyone remember this, or where it came from?
ReplyDelete"and so we met outside the gates of paris, and i- being the stronger of the two- quickly overtook my adversary. weary and tired, i stumbled into an old french cafe and heard two men talking.
'i killed a man'.
'you killed a man?'
'yes, i killed a man.'
'what was name?'
'zanzibar.'
'zanzibar?'
'zanzibar.'
'that was my brother!'
and so we met outside the gates of paris...
My grandfather's version was not Spoonerized. Here it is:
ReplyDeleteA passing policeman
met a little bum
sitting on the corner
chewing pepsin gum.
Up came a lady.
Said "won't you give me some?"
"Not on your tin-type!"
said the little bum.
My aunt used to say the rhyme this way:
ReplyDeleteOnce a big molice pan met a bittle lum
Sitting on a sorner cone, chewing gubble bum
Said the big molice pan "Wontcha simme gum?"
"Tixie on yer nintype!" said the bittle lum.
Oh my! I have been trying to remember the words to the H2SO4 rhyme since like 1992! :) So glad I found this! :)
ReplyDeletenics on the tin pipes said the little bum! lololol eat your hat my grandmother used to say this all the time
ReplyDeleteonce a big molice pan saw a bittle lum
ReplyDeletesitting on the street curb chewing gubber rum
Hi said the molice pan wont you sive me gome?
Ticsy on the nin pipes said the bittle lum...
once a big molice pan met a bittle lum sitting on a sturb cone chewing gubber rum, "hi," said the big molice pan, "won't you simme gum?" "tixie on your nin pipe!" said the bittle lum
ReplyDeleteI have heard that last rhyme. My parents used to recite it to me.
ReplyDeleteExcept it went like this:
Once, a molicepan met a bittle lum
Sitting on a sturbcone, chewing gubble bum.
Said the molicepan to the bittle lum:
Simme gum?
Ninny on your tin-type said the bittle lum.
A molice pan saw a bittle lum,
ReplyDeletesitting on a curb stone chewing gubble bum,
Won't you gimme some?
Not by a sam dite said the bittle lum!
My grandmother knew all about the big molicepan and the bittle lum!!!! She was a hoot! Now here was her favorite:
ReplyDeleteA petunia is a type of begonia
A begonia is a type of crime
Sausage and battery is a crime
Monkeys crime trees
Trees a crowd
A crowd makes a lot of noise
A noise is a thing that grows on your face like eyes
Eyes is the opposite of nays
A little horse nays
A little horse is called a colt
If you go to bed with a colt, you wake up with double petunias.
See?
Didn't make sense then, still doesn't make sense but makes me laugh every time!
My Mom had the last part of the Molicepan this way-
ReplyDeleteOh Ho! Said the Molicepan
Won't you simme gome?
Tinny on your Nintype said the Bittle Lum!
My mom taught me:
ReplyDelete1 "L" lama, he's a priest,
2 "L" llama, he's a beast,
And I will bet a pink pajama,
There isn't any 3 "l" lllama.
A passing policeman spied a little bum,
ReplyDeletesitting on a corner chewing pepsin gum.
Hey said the policeman,
won't you give me some?
Not on your tintype said the little bum!
My Grandmother's version was
ReplyDeleteSaid the pigga boliceman
To the bittle lum
Sitting on the sturbcone
Chewing gummer bun
Said the pigga boliceman
Won't you give me some?
Not upon your tintype
Said the bittle lum.
i know it from my grandmother as...
ReplyDeleteonce a big molicepan met a bittle lum,
sitting on a curbstone eating gubble bum,
"hi!" said the molicepand, "won't you simme gum?"
"tinny on your nin pipe" said the bittle lum.
i just google it to see where on earth it came from and if anyone else had ever heard of it! so funny to read this version on your site.
My grandmother used to tell me about the "bittle lum" when I was growing up in the 50's and 60's. Another of her sayings was "Me and my Elizabeth, we killed a 'bar', while I hid under the bed." That was for all those who took credit for something they really didn't do.
ReplyDeleteNot last nite but the nite before
ReplyDelete24 robbers came knocking at my door
they ran in
I ran out
I hit the last one in
with a water spout
OR...how about this one:
I know an old lady who swallowed a fly
I dont know why she swallowed a fly
I guess she'll die
I know an old lady who swallowed a spider it wiggled & jiggled & tickled insider her
She swallowed the spider to catch the fly
I guess she'll die
I know an old lady who swallowed a bird how absurd to swallow a bird
She swallowed the bird to catch the spider
She swallowed the spider to catch the fly
I dont know why she swallowed a fly
I guess she'll die
I know an old lady who swallowed a bird how absurd tho swallow a bird
She swallowed the bird to catch the spider
She swallowed the spider to catch the fly
I dont know why she swallowed a fly
I guess she'll die
I know an old lady who swallowed a cat imagine that she swallowed cat
She swallowed the cat to catch the bird
She swallowed the bird to catch the spider
She swallowed the spider to catch the fly
I dont know why she swallowed the fly
I guess she'll die
I know an old lady who swallowed a dog such a hog the swallow a dog
She swallowed the dog to catch the cat
She swallowed the cat to catch the bird
She swallowed the bird to catch the spider
She swallowed the spider to catch the fly
I dont know why she swallowed the fly
I guess she'll die
I know an old lady who swallowed a goat she opened her mouth & it went down her throat
She swallowed the goat to catch the dog
She swallowed the dog to catch the cat
She swallowed the cat to catch the bird
She swallowed the bird to catch the spider
She swallowed the spider to catch the fly
I dont know why she swallowed the fly
I guess she'll die
I know an old lady who swallowed a horse...
She died of course
My granddad taught me one that goes:
ReplyDeleteOne summer mid autumn in winter
the snow was raining fast
when a bare footed man with cloggs on
went slowly whizzing past
he went round a straight bent corner
to see a dead donkey die
he pulled out a gun to stab him
and the blood shot him in the eye.
We grew up with the bitty lum to the tune of Goober Peas.
ReplyDeleteOnce there was a bittle lum sitting on a sturb cone
ReplyDeleteChewing gubber rum.
Along came a molicepan said " simme gum"
"Nix on your tintype" said the bittle lum,
And jup he umped and fan as rast as he could fun!
That's how my dad used to say it. He was born in 1924.
I just woke up and the thing went thru my head. And wondered if anybody else knew it. Amazing ! ( this of course took forever to type because of autocorrect) lol.
Once there was a bittle lum sitting on a sturb cone
ReplyDeleteChewing gubber rum.
Along came a molicepan said " simme gum"
"Nix on your tintype" said the bittle lum,
And jup he umped and fan as rast as he could fun!
That's how my dad used to say it. He was born in 1924.
I just woke up and the thing went thru my head. And wondered if anybody else knew it. Amazing ! ( this of course took forever to type because of autocorrect) lol.
My grandmother said it to me thus,
ReplyDelete"Unce a big molice-pan saw a bittle um
Ichin'' on a sturb cone gewin' chob o' wum.
'Mmm' said molice-pan, 'Won't you simme gum?'
'Tinny on your nin pipe,' said the bittle um."
Wow, I've said it a thousand times, but never tried to write it before - not so easy with spell check!
Better start on that gubber rum. My grandmother taught me that one, but the words were just a bit different.
ReplyDeletePassing a policeman
ReplyDeleteSaw a little bum
Sitting on the curb stone
chewing rubber gum
Kindly asked the policeman
Won't you give me some?
Never on your tin type
Answered the bum!
This song has been passed down from generation to generation in our family...I can remember my Great Grandmother, Grandmother and Mother all singing it to me...and I sang it to my Children and now my Grandchildren!!!
~Jerilyn
Michigan, USA
Mom recited this to me in the'40s and I passed it on to my kids:
ReplyDelete"There was a big molicepan
and a bittle lum
Stitting on a surbcone
Chewing gubber rum.
Hi, said the molicepan
won't you simme gum?
Tinny on your nin-type
said the bittle lum."
So did I win the gubber rum???
Memories being flawed as they are, this is how I remember that one:
ReplyDeleteThere once was a molicepan,
who saw a bittle lum,
sitting on a sturbcone,
eating gubblebum.
"Hi!" said the molicepan, '...will you simmegum?"
"Not on your kintight!" said the bittlelum.
I am from Vermont originally.
ReplyDeleteMy grandpa taught my twin sister and me this rhyme when we were about 4...a while back. Similar to yours but it went this way:
Once a big Molicepan
Saw a little bumb
Sitting on a crubstone
Chewing gubberum.
"Oh" said the Molicepan,
"Zimmieum"!
"Tinney on your Nintype"
Said the little bumb.
The "bittle lum" ran through my head today, 5/26/13, and I googled it.
ReplyDeleteWhat fun it was to find the original online. Jin in Pa.
once a big molicepan met a bittle lum,
ReplyDeletesitting on a sturbcone eating gubble bum,
"hi!" said the molicepan, "won't you simme gum?"
"Chat fance molicepan!" said the bittle lum.
my version from the late 50's early 60's :)
Once a molice pan
ReplyDeletesaw a bittle lum,
sitting on a sturb cone,
chewing gubber rum.
Said the molice pan
to the bittle lum:
"Will gou yive se mome?"
"Not by a sarn dight!" said the bittle lum.
The way my grandfather (from Gilmanton, N.H., born in 1904) said it.
My great aunt taught all my dads brothers and sisters the Biddleum rhyme and they have passed it on to their children. However she had one that I have yet to find. Don't know if she made it up of if someone else besides my family knows it. It goes like this:
ReplyDeleteAs I was walking up my Himble Jimble Jamble , I looked out my hazel gazel and saw a red majinxs carrying off my ocapini. If i would have had my hip ma tip ma tanny I would have flonxed that old red majiinx for carrying off my ocapini.
I'm pretty sur this is how my grandfather did it
ReplyDeleteCurb stone doesn't really follow the pattern.
Once there're was a molice pan,
Saw a bittle lum
Sitting on a surb cone
Chewing gubber rum
Hey said the molice pan
Won't you simmie gome?
Tinny on your ninpipe
Said the bittle lum.
Re "Purple Cow"
ReplyDeleteIt was not written by "Anon," but by an American humourist named Gelett Burgess. (He also wrote "The Goops," and coined the words "blurb" and "bromide.") He also wrote a sequel to "Purple Cow:"
Ah, yes: I wrote "The Purple Cow."
I'm sorry that I wrote it.
But I will tell you anyhow,
I'll kill you if you quote it.
My grandmother used to tell me like this:
ReplyDeleteThere was a pig boliceman
Who saw a bittle lum
Sitting on a sturbcone
Chewing gubber rum
Said the pig boliceman to the bittle lum "Simme gome"
"Gall I sot" said the bittle lum.
I thought my grandma made this up! She would start after grandpa would sing:
Mares eat it's and does eat oats, but little lambs eat ivyyyyyyy. Lol
My dad - back in the 1940's - recited the Big Molice Pan.
ReplyDeleteI heard the Maresy doats and doesy doats and little lambsy divy... a kiddley divy too, wouldn't you?
I found this googling molicepan. My dad would sing Mairzy Doats and the Ragg Mopp song.
ReplyDelete