The James T. Callow Folklore Archive

COUNTING-OUT RHYME

ACKA BACKA,
SOWED THE CROCKA,
ACKA BACKA BOO.
IN COMES UNCLE SAM,
AND OUT GOES Y*O*U}}

Submitter comment: INFORMANT IS FROM PENNSYLVANIA

Data entry tech comment: IN THE LATE 1960'S
I LEARNED A VARIANT OF THIS COUNTING-OUT RHYME AS A CHILD IN DETROIT
ACKA BACKA SODA CRACKA
ACKA BACKA BOO
IF YOUR FATHER CHEWS TOBACKA
OUT GOES YOU.

Where learned: UNIVERSITY OF DETROIT

Keyword(s): NONSENSE WORDS ; REPETITION ; RHYME: ABCB

James Callow Keyword(s): SODA CRACKER

Date learned: 11-00-1968

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ANIMAL RHYME

THE ELEPHANT IS A PRETTY BIRD,
IT FLITS FROM BOUGH TO BOUGH.
IT BUILDS ITS NEST IN A RHUBARB TREE
AND WHISTLES LIKE A COW.

Where learned: ONTARIO ; OAKVILLE

Keyword(s): HUMOR ; RHYME: ABCB

Date learned: DATE NOT RECORDED BY COLLECTOR

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AUTOGRAPH ENTRY

GOD MADE APPLES.
GOD MADE TREES.
GOD MADE _____
FOR _____ TO SQUEEZE.

Submitter comment: TAKEN FROM BARBARA LEGOWSKI'S AUTOGRAPH BOOK. ENTRY DATED:
JUNE 6, 1965 KEPT IN DETROIT

Data entry tech comment: THE BLANK SPACES ARE FILLED IN WITH TWO DIFFERENT PEOPLE'S

Where learned: DETROIT ; MICHIGAN, ASSUMED

Keyword(s): FOOD ; RHYME: ABCB

Date learned: 06-00-1965

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AUTOGRAPH VERSE

SOME LOVE ONE
SOME LOVE TWENTY
I LOVE YOU
AND THAT'S A PLENTY.

Submitter comment: 1939, BIRCH TREE, MONTANA

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; GROSSE POINTE ; TOLD IN

Keyword(s): DECLARATION OF LOVE ; RHYME: ABCB

Date learned: 03-01-1972

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AUTOGRAPH BOOK ENTRY

I LOVE YOU LITTLE
I LOVE YOU BIG
I LOVE YOU LIKE
MY LITTLE PIG.

Submitter comment: UPDATED ENTRY IN RICHARD BANAS'S AUTOGRAPH BOOK, KEPT IN GLENVIEW,
ILLINOIS, MAY AND JUNE, 1965

Where learned: ILLINOIS ; GLENVIEW

Keyword(s): ANIMAL ; RHYME: ABCB

James Callow Keyword(s): INITIAL ITERATION

Date learned: DATE NOT RECORDED BY COLLECTOR

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LOVE YOU

LOVE YOU LITTLE,
LOVE YOU BIG,
LOVE YOU LIKE A
GREAT BIG PIG

Submitter comment: LEARNED IN DETROIT (GRADESCHOOL)

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT

Keyword(s): ANIMAL

James Callow Keyword(s): INITIAL ITERATION ; RHYME: ABCB

Date learned: 00-00-1958

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AUTOGRAPH BOOK VERSE

I LOVE YOU LITTLE
I LOVE YOU BIG,
I LOVE YOU LIKE
A LITTLE PIG.

Submitter comment: MISSOURI, 1940

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT

Keyword(s): RHYME: ABCB

James Callow Keyword(s): ANIMAL ; INITIAL ITERATION

Date learned: 12-05-1967

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AUTOGRAPH BOOK

I LOVE YOU LITTLE
I LOVE YOU BIG.
I LOVE YOU LIKE
A LITTLE PIG.

Where learned: LIBRARY ; UNIVERSITY OF DETROIT, ASSUMED

Keyword(s): ANIMAL ; RHYME: ABCB

James Callow Keyword(s): INITIAL ITERATION

Date learned: 09-00-1967

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TULIPS IN THE GARDEN
TULIPS IN THE PARK,
BUT THE TULIPS THAT _____ LIKES
ARE THE TULIPS IN THE DARK.

Data entry tech comment: ANY NAME COULD BE SUBSTITUTED WHERE THE BLANK IS.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT

Keyword(s): FLOWERS ; PLAY ON WORDS ; RHYME: ABCB

Date learned: 02-00-1970

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AUTOGRAPH BOOK MATERIAL

THE HIGHER THE MOUNTAIN
THE COOLER THE BREEZE
THE YOUNGER THE COUPLE
THE TIGHTER THEY SQUEEZE

Submitter comment: AUTOGRAPH BOOK, 1943

Where learned: DETROIT ; MICHIGAN, ASSUMED

Keyword(s): COURTSHIP ; RHYME: ABCB

James Callow Keyword(s): HUG

Date learned: 00-00-1943

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FLYLEAF-FRIENDSHIP:

IF YOU WERE A LADY,
AND I WAS A LORD
I'S RIDE YOU AROUND
IN MY LITTLE TIN FORD.

Submitter comment: FROM MY AUTOGRAPH BOOK. DATE 1939. MY GIRLFRIEND WROTE IN IT.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT

Keyword(s): RHYME: ABCB ; WISH

Date learned: 08-00-1964

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A BRILLIANT DEDUCTION

BUTTER IS BUTTER
CHEESE IS CHEESE,
WHAT IS A KISS
WITHOUT A SQUEEZE.

Data entry tech comment: TAKEN FROM INFORMANT'S AUTOGRAPH BOOK

Where learned: OVER THE TELEPHONE ; MICHIGAN, ASSUMED

Keyword(s): COURTSHIP ; FOOD ; RHYME: ABCB

James Callow Keyword(s): HUG

Date learned: 08-06-1964

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AUTOGRAPH BOOK VERSE

PIGS LIKE PUMPKIN
HOGS LIKE SQUASH
I LOVE YOU
I DO) BY GOSH)

Submitter comment: ENTRY DATED 05191931 IN ALBERTA LARABELL'S AUTOGRAPH BOOK IN DETROIT
1930-33

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT

Keyword(s): ANIMAL ; COMPARISON ; DECLARATION OF LOVE ; FOOD ; RHYME: ABCB

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AUTOGRAPH BOOK VERSE

LOVE IS LIKE AN ONION
WE TASTE IT WITH DELIGHT
BUT AFTER WHILE WE WONDER
WHAT EVER MADE US BITE.

Submitter comment: ENTRY DATED 11141930 IN ALBERTA LARABELL'S AUTOGRAPH BOOK IN DETROIT,
1930-33

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT

Keyword(s): FOOD ; OBSERVATION ; RHYME: ABCB ; RIDICULE OF LOVE ; SIMILE

James Callow Keyword(s): PESSIMISM

Date learned: 11-14-1930

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GOLDEN GATES TO HEAVEN
GOLDEN GATES TO HELL
DARN THE BOY WHO KISSES YOU
RUNS OFF AND TELLS.

Data entry tech comment: THE LAST LINE WOULD MAKE MORE SENSE IT IT WOULD READ :"THAT ;

Where learned: AUTOGRAPH BOOK ; DETROIT, ASSUMED ; MICHIGAN, ASSUMED

Keyword(s): COURTSHIP ; RHYME: ABCB

Date learned: 00-00-1935

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AUTOGRAPH BOOK JUNGLE

FLORIDA GROWS ORANGES.
CALIFORNIA DOES TOO
BUT IT TOOK OHIO
TO GROW A PEACH LIKE YOU.

Data entry tech comment: ANY STATE COULD BE SUBSTITUTED FOR OHIO.

Where learned: OHIO ; TOLEDO

Keyword(s): FOOD ; LOCATION ; PRAISE ; RHYME: ABCB

James Callow Keyword(s): NAMES OF STATES

Date learned: 10-27-1968

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AUTOGRAPH BOOK VERSE

APPLES IN THE CELLAR
PEACHES ON THE SHELF
I AM GETTING TIRED,
OF LIVING BY MYSELF.

Submitter comment: MISSOURI 1940

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT

Keyword(s): FOOD ; RHYME: ABCB ; UNHAPPINESS

Date learned: 00-00-1940

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AUTOGRAPH BOOK VERSE

THE SMALLER THE TREE
THE TIGHTER THE BARK
THE YOUNGER THE COUPLE
THE MORE THEY SPARK.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT

Keyword(s): COURTSHIP ; RHYME: ABCB

James Callow Keyword(s): SLANG: SPARKING FOR KISSING AND HUGGING

Date learned: 11-05-1967

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AUTOGRAPH BOOK VERSE

YOUR BLUE EYES MAY WATER
YOUR WHITE TEETH MAY GRIT
BUT YOU'RE ONE LOVELY
I WON'T FORGIT.

Data entry tech comment: THIS VERSE WAS FULL OF SPELLING ERRORS.

Keyword(s): RHYME: ABCB

James Callow Keyword(s): CRYING ; FORGET ; GRITTING OF TEETH

Date learned: 11-05-1967

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NAME VERSE

TABLES ARE ROUND
CHAIRS ARE SQUARE
YOU AND _____
MAKE A GOOD PAIR.

Submitter comment: THIS ITEM WAS WRITTEN IN THE AUTOGRAPH BOOK OF COLETTE BY A
SCHOOLMATE.

Data entry tech comment: ANY NAME CAL BE FILLED IN THE BLANK SPACE

Where learned: HARPER WOODS ; MICHIGAN, ASSUMED

Keyword(s): LOVE ; OBSERVATION ; RHYME: ABCB

Date learned: 10-08-1967

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