Dr. James T. Callow publications
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The James T. Callow Folklore Archive
Your search for C750.500 returned 282 results.
A hiding game
Last night, night before
Twenty-four robbers were at my door
I got up to let them in
Hit em on the head with a rolling pin
1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10
Ready or not here I come
All around my glue is it
Submitter comment:
The person who is "it" must go to
a large tree (glue) cover his/her eyes
while facing the "glue" and singing the
above rhyme. While the person who is
"it" is chanting, the other children run
to find a hiding place. When the person
who is "it" is done he/she must find the
others and tag them before they can get
on "glue". "Glue" is where all players
are safe ("on glue"). Whoever is tagged before
getting safe on "glue" is "it". If no one is
tagged, then the same person must be "it"
again.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT ; children in the community
| Subject headings: | Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Hiding Searching Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Game Verse Game Verse |
Date learned: 00-00-1960
A game played by African-American Children
Little Sally Walker sitting in a saucer
Cry Sally cry dry your weeping eyes and
put your hands on your hips and let your backbone slip.
Ah shake it to the east. Ah shake it to the west
Ah shake it to the very one you love the best.
Submitter comment:
This game is played by sitting in a circle. One person
is "it" and stands in the middle. As the song is sung
the person in the middle acts out the words in the song
When the children say, shake it to the east, the person
in the middle shakes to the east. etc.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT ; children in the community
| Subject headings: | Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Game Verse Game Verse |
Date learned: 00-00-1961
Hand clapping rhyme played by African-American children
Zing Zing Zing like a washing machine
We're gonna rock in the tree top all night long
Rocking and a bobbing and a singing this song
All the little birdies on Jaybird street
love to hear the robin say eat my feet.
Mama is in the kitchen stirring that rice
Daddy is so nice like sugar and spice
Brother is in college trying to be cool
Sister is in school because she's no fool
Rocking Robin tweet tweet tweet
Rocking Robin tweet tweet tweet
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT ; children in the community
| Subject headings: | Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Game Verse Game Verse |
Date learned: 00-00-1960
A rhyming game played by African-American Children
A sailor went to see see see (put hands over brow)
to see what he could see see see.
But all that he could see see see
was the bottom of the deep blue see see see.
A sailor went to chop chop chop (chopping motion of arm)
to see what he could chop chop chop.
But all that he could chop chop chop
was the bottom of the deep blue chop chop chop.
A sailor went to knee knee knee (touch knees)
to see what he could knee knee knee.
But all that he could knee knee knee
was the bottom of the deep blue knee knee knee.
A sailor went to Oooh-aah-chee-ka (swivel hips)
to see what he would Oooh-aah-chee-ka.
But all that he could oooh-ah-chee-ka
was the bottom of the deep blue ooh-ah-chee-ka.
A sailor went to see, chop, knee, oooh-ah chee-ka
to see what he could see, chop, knee, ooh-ah-chee-ka
but all that he could see, chop, knee, ooh-ah-chee-ka
was the bottom of the deep blue see, chop, knee, ooh-ah-che-ka.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
| Subject headings: | Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Game Verse Game Verse |
Date learned: 00-00-1961
A counting-out rhyme
Eenie, meanie, minie, moe
Catch a tiger by his toe
If he hollers let him go
Eenie, meanie, minie, moe
Out goes the cat
Out goes the rat
Out goes the lady with the see-saw hat.
Submitter comment:
Children put their feet together touching
at the toe. As the above rhyme is said each
toe is touched. At the end of the rhyme someone
is eliminated. The last person left is "it".
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT ; children in the community
| Subject headings: | Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Game Verse Game Verse |
Date learned: 00-00-1961
Counting Out
Bubble gum, bubble gum, in a dish.
How many pieces do you wish?
Submitter comment:
This is a game for choosing who will be the first person
to be it when playing a game. Each player puts one
foot forward and one person says the rhyme while
touching each person's foot in sequence.
Whoever's foot is touched at the end of the rhyme
must pick the number of pieces in the dish. The
person who says the rhyme then counts out the number,
again touching each person's foot in order, starting
at the person who chose the number. Whoever's foot is
touched on the last number is "it."
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; HEMLOCK
| Subject headings: | Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Game Verse Game Verse |
Date learned: 00001970S
Counting Out
I lit a match and it went out. (This is the rhyme)
Submitter comment:
This is a game for choosing who will be "it."
Each player puts one foot into a circle.
One player recites the rhyme while touching
each player's foot in order. Every time the
word "out" is said, whoever's foot is touched
removes his/her foot from the circle.
The last player with a foot in the circle is "it."
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; HEMLOCK
| Subject headings: | Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Game Verse Game Verse |
Date learned: 00001970S
Counting Out
My mother and your mother were hanging up clothes.
My mother punched your mother right in the nose.
What color was the blood?
Submitter comment:
This is a game for choosing who will be the first
player to be "it." Each player puts one foot forward.
One player recites the rhyme while touching each
players' foot in order. Whoever's foot is touched at
the end of the rhyme must choose a color for the blood.
The person who said the rhyme then spells the color
touching each person's foot for each letter spelled.
Whoever's foot is touched on the last letter of the
color is "it."
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; HEMLOCK
| Subject headings: | Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Game Verse Game Verse |
Date learned: 00001970S
Method of determining who is "it"
"My mother and your mother were hanging up clothes. My mother
socked your mother right in the nose. What color of blood came
out? Red. R-E-D."
Submitter comment:
In this song, each person holds out a fist, and the leader
sings the song while touching each fist in the circle. The fist
which is being pointed to at the end of the song is not "it." And
the song is sung and fists are pointed to until everyone's fist is
eliminated except for the last person. The last person is then
"it." At the time in the song above, the person who has their
fist being pointed to when the singer is singing,"What color of
blood came out?" gets to choose the color of blood he wants. Then
the singer must spell out the color, pointing to a different fist
when he sings a new letter. When he is done spelling the color,
then the fist he is pointing to is "it" because that is the end of
the song.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; GRAND RAPIDS
| Subject headings: | Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Game Verse Game Verse |
Date learned: 00-00-1979
Method of determining who is "it"
Ink-a-bink-a
Bottle-a-ink-a
The cork fell out-a
And you stink-a
Submitter comment:
This is a song we used to sing while trying to determine who
would be "it" while playing childhood games. In this song, each
person holds out a fist, and the leader sings the song while
touching each fist in the circle. The fist which is being pointed
to at the end of the song is not "it." And the song is sung and
fists are pointed to until there is only one person left. This
person is "it."
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; GRAND RAPIDS
| Subject headings: | Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Game Verse Game Verse |
Date learned: 00-00-1979
How to determine who is "it"
When there is a group of children gathered together, one
member of the group yells, "One, two, three, not it!" The last
person to finish this statement is deemed "it."
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; GRAND RAPIDS
| Subject headings: | Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Game Verse Game Verse |
Date learned: 00-00-1979
Bubble gum, bubble gum in a dish,
How many pieces do you wish?
(Pick a number from 1 to 10)
"Five" 1-2-3-4-5 is five and you are out
of this stinking old game.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
| Subject headings: | Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Game Verse Game Verse |
Date learned: 00001978s
Game
At the start of the game to determine who will be hiding and
who will be searching for those hiding, this process was done
prior to the actual game. Several children place one foot in a
circle; a person is chosen to say,
My mother and your mother were standing up close,
My mother hit your mother in the nose.
What color was the blood?
The child begins by asking this question: "My mother and your
mother were standing up close; my mother hit your mother in the
nose; what color was the blood?" While asking this question the
speaker is tapping each child's foot in the circle. The foot the
child that the final word of the questions lands on is the child
that will name the color of the blood. The caller spells the
color out given, corresponding the letter of the color with a
foot tapping while spelling.... "R-E-D" spells "red" and the
child whose foot the last letter of the color has landed on is
the appointed child to find the other children who are hiding.
Submitter comment:
I played this often as a child with many neighborhood
children.
Where learned: DETROIT
| Subject headings: | Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Game Verse Game Verse |
Date learned: 00-00-1960
MY MOMMIE AND YOUR MOMMIE
WERE HANGING UP CLOTHES.
MY MOMMIE PUNCHED YOUR MOMMIE
RIGHT IN THE NOSE.
WHAT COLOR WAS HER BLOOD?
THE PERSON WHO IS POINTED AT ON BLOOD NAMES A COLOR
AND IT IS SPELLED OUT; THE LAST ONE OUT IS IT.
Where learned: TENNESSEE ; NASHVILLE
| Subject headings: | Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Game Verse Game Verse |
Date learned: 11-11-1973
WHEN PLAYING A GAME ALL OF THE PLAYERS PUT THEIR HANDS
ON TOP OF EACH OTHER AND ONE PERSON SMACKS THE TOP
OF THE PILE AND SAYS GAME LOCKED. NO ONE ELSE CAN
JOIN THE GAME.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
| Subject headings: | Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Game Pastime Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Game Verse Game Verse SPEECH -- Instructions Directions |
Date learned: 10-00-1971
Entertainment: Game
Method of Choosing "it" for Games:
(Rhyme is chanted by one person who, at the same time, points to the children one by one. I will indicate when the person points by partially unerlining the corresponding words.)
Eenie meenie minie moe
Catch a rabbit by the toe
If he hollers, let him go
My mother told me to choose the very best one
O U T spells out goes you.
Submitter comment:
I learned this in my grade school days in Detroit.
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
James Callow comment:
Original BN [C570.560, C300.03] crossed out. Replaced with current classifications.
Where learned: Myself
Keyword(s): CHILDREN ; Entertainment ; GAME ; RHYME
| Subject headings: | Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Game Verse Game Verse |
Entertainment: Game
Variations of "one potato, two potato" method of choosing "it':
(Rhyme is chanted by one person as all the children stand in a circle with both fists in front, thums up. The person taps each fist in the circle of fists, not neglecting his own. I will indicate the words correcponding to the taps by partial underlining.)
One potato, two potao, three potato, four.
Five potato, six potato, seven potato, more.
The first hit on more is put behind the back and the rhyme continues until only one fist remains, this person being "it.")
Submitter comment:
My mother learned this rhyme in her grammar school days in Detroit.
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
James Callow comment:
Original BN [C570.560, C300.021] crossed out. Replaced with current classification
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT
Keyword(s): CHILDHOOD ; Elimination ; Entertainment ; GAME ; POTATO ; RHYME
| Subject headings: | Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Game Verse Game Verse |
Entertainment: Game
A Chant for Picking the "It":
This is a chant that the neighborhood kids used to choose the "it" in their games. It went: "1 potato, 2 potato, 3 potato, 4. 5 potato, 6 potato, 7 potato, or." The person who "or" fell on was out and the rhyme started again.
Submitter comment:
The informant learned it from his friends.
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
James Callow comment:
Original BN [C570] crossed out. Replaced with current classification.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; UNIVERSITY OF DETROIT ; DETROIT
Keyword(s): CHILDREN ; Entertainment ; GAMES ; Playground ; RHYME
| Subject headings: | Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Game Verse Game Verse |
Entertainment: Game
A Chant for Picking the "IT":
To pick the "it" the people playing would gather together and someone would say: "Engine, Engine, number nine. Going down Chicago Line. If the train falls off the track, do you want your money back?"
The person who "back" was said to is out and the rhyme is started over.
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
James Callow comment:
Original BN [C570] is crossed out. Replaced with current classification.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; UNIVERSITY OF DETROIT ; DETROIT
Keyword(s): BASEBALL GAME. ; CHILDREN ; Elimination ; Entertainment ; Playground ; RHYME
| Subject headings: | Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Game Verse Game Verse |
Entertainment: Game
Method of Choosing "IT":
To choose an "it," all of the players put both feet in a circle and let one person say; "engine, engine, number nine; going down Chicago Line; If the train falls off the track, do you want your money back?" The person could then respond Yes or No. The choice he picked is the number of feet more the count is advanced - (yes=3, no=no) and that person is excluded. This keeps up until only one is left.
Submitter comment:
The informant learned it from his buddies.
Data entry tech comment:
Motifs added by TRD
James Callow comment:
Original BN [C570] crossed out. Replaced with current classification.
Where learned: MICHIGAN ; UNIVERSITY OF DETROIT ; DETROIT
Keyword(s): CHILDHOOD ; Diversion ; Elimination ; Entertainment ; GAME ; Play
| Subject headings: | Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Game Verse Game Verse |