I learned the “nigger” version of eeny meenie, but always thought it was “neeger”. In primary school I didn’t know what either meant, but it sounded like neeger, so that’s what I always said. The revelation came when I was 16 and a teacher told me that the “tiger” version was better. I didn’t know what was more embarrassing - having my teacher think I was racist, or that I was an idiot who recited rhymes with words I didn’t understand. 
Yes. You must now be wallopped.
Well, originally the phrase was “Jerry-rig.” It was coined by the English…and you should know that “Jerry” was a British epithet used against the Germans during The Wars. Get yer apologizin’ boots on!
Where are our resident lawyers here?
How can they sue? How have they suffered damages? Is being offended considered ‘damage’ now? Are they claiming to traumatized by the incident?
Really, I’m asking. What do they have a legal claim to recover?
Minty? Bricker?
Another for the database: born in '64, raised in da Bronx, where frankly there were plenty of things to offend every sense and sensibility, learned only the tiger version.
Heard about the n version when I was in my twenties, but it would not have occured to me if I overheard that flight attendent. How old are the people suing and where are they from?
Never mind, it was in the link.
But the stewardess was 22–odds are she simply never HEARD the racist version, and besides it seems to have been a SW thing to do.
I learned (small town Georgia, late 50’s or early 60’s) “catch a *monkey[/] by his toe.” I’ve never heard the “tiger” version before today. Interesting.
Although I guess “monkey” could be construed by some as insulting also.
I’ve always said "jury-rigged, " thus (I guess) insulting juries all over the country.
Sigh…
When I was a kid I learned the “tiger” version, but in one of the Mary Poppins books they used “Indian” (or perhaps it was “Injun”).
Ok, I only PRETEND to be able to code.
…must remember… preview… is… my… friend…
sorry.
I always liked the version from Natural Born Killers, “Catch a redneck by his toe.”
Having grown up in the South, that version made me smile.
The n-word version is the one used in 1949’s Kind Hearts and Coronets. Agatha Christie used the n-word a lot…once she had a character that the cook would have a really rich nigger-in-his-shirt at lunch.
I mean the character hoped that the cook ect.
Maybe I’m reading this wrong, but it seems to me like the stewardess wasn’t even addressing the two black passengers specifically, rather making an announcement to the whole plane. If these were the only people still standing perhaps it makes a difference but it’s still ridiculous that someone could be chastized for racism for something that’s had its racism removed.
But… but… but, that’s why I like bumpin’-and-grindin’ my ass to the turbulence tango on Southwest’s planes. They’re funny!
I hope a friggin’ tiger eats your toes. And then travels back home to Asia on a Southwest flight so that the torture (at least for the toes) continues. 
You better be careful. You never know. 
Unless they were Snopes readers. Then they’d be okay.
::d&r::
Doh! I need to commit a weekend to reading Snopes’ entire content. :smack:
Irish here, born mid 70’s. I grew up with the “catch a nigger by the toe” version. Didn’t have a clue what a “nigger” might be, and never wondered about it. Didn’t know what “posies” were either, but I sang that as well. It was only when (a few years ago) I read the “tiger” version in a book that I registered what I had actually been singing all those years ago. Tacky, but I have worse things on my conscience.
The real question here is how do you go about catching a person (of any heritage) or a tiger (or any other animal, really), by the toe?
A very small snare, I suppose. But then, what are the chances of a toe actually happening to slip into such a device?
And then, once thusly ensnared, how difficult would it be to escape?
No, no, no. Toe-catching clearly will not work.
My cat does it by waiting until I’m asleep and pouncing on anything moving under the blankets. She has caught toes on occasion, although hands are more common. I don’t think this would work on a tiger.
I catch my cat’s toes by luring them onto my lap, using one hand on the ears and the other to nab the little kitty toes. This might work on a tiger, but I’m not going to test the theory.