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Might be old hat, but Elizabeth Tucker's Children's Folklore: a Handbook
(Greenwood, 2008) gives a text of 'Eenie-meenie sissallini' and notes that
it is 'almost the same words as J.J., Fad'd 1998 song 'Eenie Meenie Beats'.
Steve
----- Original Message -----
From: "Julia Bishop" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Friday, February 05, 2010 2:39 PM
Subject: Eeny meeny dessameeny
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Dear All,
For the interim conference of the Children's Games and Rhymes in the New
Media Age project, recently advertised on the list, I'm doing a case study
of a rhyme which begins:
Eeny meeny dessameeny (or any 4-syllable word ending in -eeny)
It is usually found as a clapping rhyme, at least since the 1970s. There's a
version in Kyra Gaunt's book, The Games Black Girls Play, which begins
Eeny meeny pepsadeeny / oo-pop-pop-sa-deeny
Atchi-catchi liberatchi / I love you, tu-tu, shampoo
And one in Ewan McVicar's book, Doh Ray Me When Ah Wis Wee:
Eenie meanie destaneenie
You are the one and only
Education, liberation
I like you
From this opening, it often links to the opening of Down Down Baby, and may
also link to other rhymes such as 'Apples on a stick', 'Flea Fly Flo' and
others.
It isn't in the Opies' Singing Game except with reference to a US version
from 1964 which makes me thinkf it didn't get to the UK till later. The
earliest version from the UK which I have come across so far is the early
1990s.
The US versions go back earlier, and include
Eeny meeny, tipsy teeny
Applejack and Johnny Sweeney
Hokey-pokey, dominoky.
Hom, pom, tusk.
Tusk in, tusk out,
All around the waterspout.
Have a peach, have a plum,
Have a stick of chewing gum.
collected in 1949, as published in a Pennsylvania newpaper, in and quoted
by Abrahams in his Jump-Rope Rhymes Dictionary where it also states 'usually
a counting out rhyme'.
Moving then to Abrahams' Counting Out rhymes dictionary, there are, of
course, numerous rhymes which begin 'eeny meeny'. The closest antecedent
would appear to be his no. 140 'Eeny meeny tipsy tee/teeny/toe/taily. These
are much shorter rhymes, of course, as they are for counting out. Examples
from this complex date back to the mid-19th century.
Judy McKinty and others have kindly supplied examples of the rhyme, used for
clapping, from Australia. These were documented in the mid-1980s and early
1990s period.
So - I'd be interested in further examples as I'm fascinated by the
chameleonic changes undergone by this rhyme. Also its changes in function
and how these relate to textual changes. Likewise, the clapping patterns, if
documented, that go with the rhyme. Again, I suspect there are connections
between these and the textual variation. And places and dates of collection.
If anyone can help, I'd love to know more. All comments and variant texts
welcome and will be fully acknowledged in the paper!
Meanwhile, you may be interested to know that there is a selection of films
of this clapping game on YouTube, for example, see
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fiwn2MXoYOY&feature=related
and the same girls' 'instructional video'
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yAD8HLd_1Mk&feature=related
With all good wishes, Julia
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