Eeny, meeny, miny, moe

[Anonymous]

This reminds me of when I used the expression "Heebie-jeebies" and a friend of mine expressed shock that, as a Jew, I would use an "anti-semitic expression." I told her that to the best of my knowledge, heebie-jeebies had absolutely nothing to do with Jews or Judaism. And it doesn't.

[Anonymous]

I had no idea. My parents grew up in Atlanta and were active in the civil rights movement...even they never said anything about this rhyme which makes me think they did not know there was such a terrible connection. I have not had time to click on the links yet, however, will definitely do so.

[Anonymous]

This is getting ridiculous...

[Anonymous]

This is ridiculous. I grew up in England and we used "Eeny meeny miny mo" all the time as children- I had never heard the N-word version until just now. I am sure the rhyme pre-dates that version.

[Anonymous]

So true. Why should anyone bother to try to be sensitive to anyone else anymore? I mean we are in a post racial America! I refuse to walk on eggshelves!


You last few posters just got so pawn'd. It is too easy to drag you out of your lair.

[Anonymous]

I only knew the version with "tiger" but we did sing a song when I was little that I only realized recently could be perceived as racist:

I live e-uppy tenement-y house-y
I live e-uppy 31st floor
I do the washing, many, many washings
Ruffles on the petticoat 10 cents more

I think that's how it went and I don't really remember the rest but the song came to me maybe 6 months ago and I remember thinking "huh, that doesn't sound so innocent..."

[Anonymous]

My boys use Rock-Paper-Scissors to make a decision on little things like what candy to pick, etc.

I will say that growing up we used to play the ring the door bell and run game, and we called it "N** Knocking". I don't even know why it was called that, but I did grow up in a very white, small town in the mid-west. Later, in when I went to college, I found out that other people called the game, "Ding Dong Ditch". I felt SO stupid when my big mouth said, "Oh, we used to call it something else."

[Anonymous]

my 9th grade biology teacher 9a white women, if it matters) told us in 1990 that the original version was the "n" word (she was counting out something and slipped the rhyme in) and that none of us should use the rhyme at all... it really stuck with me and when my in-laws recited the poem to my dd (with the word "tigger"), i asked them to please stop b/c it was a re-make of a racially derogatory phrase,

also, what about baa,baa, black sheep, have you any wool? yes sir, yes sir, three bags full, one for my master, one for ?, and one for the little boy who lives down the lane - ever since my bio teacher told me about the tigger poem, i've wondered if this one, too, means something different - is black sheep a slave? gives the "yes sir, yes sir" and the "master"

honestly, this would make such a great thesis - exploring the history behind nursery rhymes and what they really meant and how they are perceived today...

[Anonymous]

That reminded me of this thing we used to say when we played that hand slapping game:

Chinaman had a wife
Gave him such a miserable life
Rolled him up to the top of the hill
Rolled him down like a rolling pill

Chicka lucka chee chi cho
Chicka lora, bunga lor
Piggy wiggy whackee
Hocus, pocus, hit him in the tocus
Chitterbug, chitterbug, chee chi cho

Man. I would be horrified if my kids were saying that now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:my 9th grade biology teacher 9a white women, if it matters) told us in 1990 that the original version was the "n" word (she was counting out something and slipped the rhyme in) and that none of us should use the rhyme at all... it really stuck with me and when my in-laws recited the poem to my dd (with the word "tigger"), i asked them to please stop b/c it was a re-make of a racially derogatory phrase,

also, what about baa,baa, black sheep, have you any wool? yes sir, yes sir, three bags full, one for my master, one for ?, and one for the little boy who lives down the lane - ever since my bio teacher told me about the tigger poem, i've wondered if this one, too, means something different - is black sheep a slave? gives the "yes sir, yes sir" and the "master"

honestly, this would make such a great thesis - exploring the history behind nursery rhymes and what they really meant and how they are perceived today...

This is an English rhyme. It's 'one for my master, one for the dame, one for the little boy.....'

[Anonymous]

What about "Indian giver?" Remember that phrase? Now that I think about it, I don't even know what it means.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: You last few posters just got so pawn'd. It is too easy to drag you out of your lair.

As a pawn shop owner, I'm offended.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So true. Why should anyone bother to try to be sensitive to anyone else anymore? I mean we are in a post racial America! I refuse to walk on eggshelves!


You last few posters just got so pawn'd. It is too easy to drag you out of your lair.

There is sensitive and then there is ridiculous your post and this controversy is both.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: You last few posters just got so pawn'd. It is too easy to drag you out of your lair.

As a pawn shop owner, I'm offended.

I think the correct spelling is "pwn'd".

[Anonymous]

This happened in a restaurant in MD a few years ago to two AA women and they said that the rhyme was racist. I grew up in the deep south and was taught, "catch a tiger."

How about "rich man, poor man, beggar man, thief, doctor, lawyer, merchant chief or, alternatively, close his eyes and say "my mother told me to pick this one." and whichever one his finger is pointing to is the piece of candy he can have.