The James T. Callow Folklore Archive

Rope Jumping Rime

DOCTOR, DOCTOR, DO YOUR DUTY
HERE COMES _______, AN AMERICAN BEAUTY.
SHE WIGGLES WHEN SHE WALKS AND
SHE CAN DO THE SPLITS
AND SHE LIFTS UP HER SKIRT WHEN SHE DOES THE KICKS. HOW MANY KICKS CAN SHE DO?

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; UNIVERSITY OF DETROIT ; DETROIT ; FOLEY HALL

Keyword(s): CHARACTER ; ENDURANCE JUMP

Date learned: 03-30-1967

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I went downtown to see Mrs. Brown

I went downtown to seed Mrs. Brown

She gave me a nickel to buy a pickle

Theckle was sour; she gave me a flower

Ther flower was red; she gave me some thread;

The thread was thin; she gave me a pin;

The pin was sharp; She gave me a harp;

And the harp played salt, mustard, and pepper.

Where learned: PENNSYLVANIA ; JOHNSTOWN ; While working on a playground

Keyword(s): Jump ; SPEED

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Jump rope rhyme

Ice cream soda, ginger ale pop tell me the initials

of my sweetheart - A, B, C, etc.

Data entry tech comment:

Informant and collector are the same.
 

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; Dearborn Hgts

Keyword(s): ENDURANCE ; Jump

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Jump Rope Rhyme

I one the snake, I two the snake, I three the snake,

I four the snake, I five the snake, I six the snake, I

seven the snake, I ate the snake.

(child jumps at the chanting of each number until

the last when he bows out of the game in favour of another)

Data entry tech comment:

Informant learned from his childhood.

Where learned: ONTARIO ; TORONTO

Keyword(s): Jump ; Plain

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Jump-Rope Rhyme:

Ice cream soda, ginger ale pop, This is the

initial of my sweetheart.

Then you jump out the alphabet, shouting out loud

Those initials which are your sweetheart's.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT

Keyword(s): ENDURANCE JUMP

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Downtown

I'm going downtown to smoke my pipe.

I won't be back till Saturday night.

I'll whip you blue, I'll whip you black.

Especialy you my daughter Sue.

(school jump rope rhyme)

Where learned: INFORMANT'S HOME

Keyword(s): PLAIN JUMP

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Jump Rope Rhyme

I ate my peas with honey,

I've done it all my life.

It makes the peas taste funny

But it keeps them on the knife.

Submitter comment:

My niece says this is one of her

favorite rhymes at school.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; PLYMOUTH

Keyword(s): Jump ; Plain

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Jump rope rhyme

I told Ma, Ma told Pa Jonny broke the sugar bowl

and blamed it on me.

Hom many spankings did he get: 1,2, etc. until who

ever is jumping misses.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; STERLING

Keyword(s): ENDURANCE JUMP

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Kissed in the Valley

DOWN IN THE VALLEY WHERE THE GREEN GRASS GROWS,
THERE SAT (      )* AS SWEET AS A ROSE,
ALONG CAME (     )** AND KISSED HER ON THE NOSE,
HOW MANY KISSES DID SHE RECEIVE?

(JUMPS IN "RED HOT PEPPER" FASHION UNTIL A MISS.)

* ONE'S OWN NAME
** NAME OF A BOY

Data entry tech comment:

Informant and collector share the same surname and place of residence.
 

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; HUNTINGTON WOODS ; informant's home

Keyword(s): ENDURANCE JUMP ; SPEED-JUMP

Date learned: 11-10-1968

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Jump rope jingle:Down in the valley

Down in the valley where the green grass grows,

There sat (name) as sweet as a rose;

She sang - she sang,

Shen sang so sweet

Alon came (name) and kissed her on the cheek;

How many kisses did he five her in a week?

One, two, three, four etc. (until jumper misses).

Data entry tech comment:

Informent and collector are the same.

Where learned: DETROIT

Keyword(s): Endurance Jump E. J.

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Jump-rope rhyme

I asked my mother for 50 cents

to see the elephant jump the fence.

He jumped so high

he touched the sky

And didn't come down

til the fourth of July.

Keyword(s): CHARACTER ; PLAIN JUMP

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Rope Jumping Rime

Jean, Jean, Jelly bean

Stuck her head in the washing machine

Her mother cried because she died

And that's the end of Jean, Jean, Jelly Bean

Data entry tech comment:

Informant learned this on the playground in Pittsburg, Penn.

Where learned: Foley Hall Univesity of Detroit

Keyword(s): PLAIN JUMP

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Ice cream, soda

Ice cream, soda, ginger ale pop,

How many boy friends have you got?

1-2-3- (until you missed)

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT

Keyword(s): ENDURANCE JUMP

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Jump-Rope Rhyme

Ice cream Sundae

Ginger ale pop

Tell me the name of your sweetheart: A B etc. down the

alphabet.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; STERLING

Keyword(s): ENDURANCE JUMP

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Jump-Rope Rhyme: Johnny

Johnny over the ocean

Johnny ov the sea

Johnny broke a window

And blamed it all on me.

I told ma.

Ma told pa.

Johnny got a lickin', ha-ha-ha!

(jump the number of lickin's Johnny got.)

Data entry tech comment:

Informent and collector share the same surname and resident

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT

Keyword(s): CHARACTER PLAIN JUMP

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Jump Rope Rhyme

Ice cream soda ginger ale pop
What is the initial of my sweetheart?

A, B, C, D, and the one you miss on is it and then go on to second letter and so on.

Where learned: LOCATION NOT RECORDED

Keyword(s): ENDURANCE JUMP

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Rope-Jump Rhyme

Ice cream, soda, ginger ale pop,
Tell me the initial of my sweetheart A, B, C, . . .
A is for A_____ (Albert) he (she) lives in A_____ (Alabama)
B is for B_____ (Barney) he (she) lives in B_____ (Burma)
C is for C_____ (Carl) he (she) lives in C_____ (California)
D is for D_____ (David) he (she) lives in D_____ (Detroit)

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT

Keyword(s): ENDURANCE JUMP

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Rope Jumping Rime

I was born in a frying pan
Just to see how old I am
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, . . .
(you miss at your particular age)

Submitter comment:

Informant learned this from the neighborhood children in Alaska.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; UNIVERSITY OF DETROIT ; DETROIT ; FOLEY HALL

Keyword(s): ENDURANCE JUMP

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Speed Jump

I went downtown to meet Miss Brown
She gave me a nickel, I bought a pickle
The pickle was sour, I bought a flower
The flower was dead, I bought a bed
The bed was broke, I bought a rope
The rope was thin, I bought a pin
The pin was sharp, I bought a harp
and the harp began to sing.
High, low, medium,
Walky, talky, turn around pepper

Submitter comment:

Speed Jump

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT

Keyword(s): Speed Jump

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Jump Rope

I like coffee
I like tea
I like the boys
And the boys like me
Yes no maybe so

Data entry tech comment:

Informant and collector share the same surname.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT

Keyword(s): ENDURANCE JUMP

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