# Can someone lay out the Name Game pattern for me? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 31, 2017, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-lay-out-the-name-game-pattern-for-me/800293 "2017-10-31T16:25:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2017, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-lay-out-the-name-game-pattern-for-me/800293/1 "2017-10-31T16:25:29Z")
You know The Name Game: Annie Fannie Bo Bannie bannana fanna fo fannie, fee fi moe mannie-- Annie! Only that’s not it. I just made that up. What is the actual sequence of letters and syllables? I’m tired of my kids laughing at me because I don’t know when EVERYBODY on Earth does but me. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2017, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-lay-out-the-name-game-pattern-for-me/800293/2 "2017-10-31T16:28:59Z")
> [@](#): > > The first letter of the name > I treat it like it wasn’t there > But a “B” or an “F” or an “M” will appear > And then I say “Bo” add a “B” then I say the name > Then “Bo-na-na fanna” and “fo” > And then I say the name again with an "“f” very plain > Then “fee fi” and a “mo” > And then I say the name again with an “M” this time > And there isn’t any name that I can’t rhyme An example: > [@](#): > > Arnold! **Arnold, Arnold bo-bar-nold > Bo-na-na, fanna fo-far-nold > Fee fi mo-mar-nold**. Arnold! ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2017, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-lay-out-the-name-game-pattern-for-me/800293/3 "2017-10-31T16:41:05Z")
The example doesn’t follow the instructions. Arnold! rnold, rnold bo brnold Bonana fanna fo frnold. . … Although it seems I was correct originally. So my kids can suck it! ---
**Author:** ![Slash1972](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slash1972/32/6461_2.png) [@Slash1972](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slash1972)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2017, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-lay-out-the-name-game-pattern-for-me/800293/4 "2017-10-31T16:43:03Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > An example: Oh yeah? What if the name starts with a B or an F or an M? What THEN smart guy?? ---
**Author:** ![Slash1972](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slash1972/32/6461_2.png) [@Slash1972](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slash1972)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2017, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-lay-out-the-name-game-pattern-for-me/800293/5 "2017-10-31T16:45:02Z")
> [@Biggirl](#): > > The example doesn’t follow the instructions. > > Arnold! rnold, rnold bo brnold > Bonana fanna fo frnold. . … > > Although it seems I was correct originally. So my kids can suck it! Yours was almost correct, just instead of the first time you say “Fannie” you should say the name “Annie” again. ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2017, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-lay-out-the-name-game-pattern-for-me/800293/6 "2017-10-31T16:46:44Z")
Of course, Wikipedia has detailed instructions: > [@](#): > > A verse can be created for any name, with X as the name and Y as the name without the first consonant sound (if it begins with a consonant), as follows: > > ``` > (X), (X), bo-b (Y) > Banana-fana fo-f (Y) > Fee-fy-mo-m (Y) > (X)! > > ``` > > And if the name starts with a b, f, or m, that sound simply is not repeated. For example: Billy becomes “Billy Billy bo-illy”; Fred becomes “banana fana fo-red”; Marsha becomes "Fee-fy “mo-arsha’'”[2] ---
**Author:** ![The\_wind\_of\_my\_soul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecc23a/32.png) [@The\_wind\_of\_my\_soul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_wind_of_my_soul)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2017, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-lay-out-the-name-game-pattern-for-me/800293/7 "2017-10-31T17:11:51Z")
I learned the last line as “Mee mi moe manny, Annie” instead of “fee fi moe” ---
**Author:** ![MrAtoz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@MrAtoz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrAtoz)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2017, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-lay-out-the-name-game-pattern-for-me/800293/8 "2017-10-31T17:37:21Z")
> [@Slash1972](#): > > Oh yeah? What if the name starts with a B or an F or an M? What THEN smart guy?? Explained in the second verse: > [@](#): > > But if the first two letters are ever the same > Crop them both, then say the name > Like Bob, Bob, drop the “B’s”, Bo-ob > Or Fred, Fred, drop the “F’s”, Fo-red > Or Mary, Mary, drop the “M’s”, Mo-ary > That’s the only rule that is contrary. ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2017, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-lay-out-the-name-game-pattern-for-me/800293/9 "2017-10-31T17:40:20Z")
> [@The\_wind\_of\_my\_soul](#): > > I learned the last line as “Mee mi moe manny, Annie” instead of “fee fi moe” I used to too. That was one of my many mistakes. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2017, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-lay-out-the-name-game-pattern-for-me/800293/10 "2017-10-31T17:52:38Z")
What do you do if there’s a Chuck in the room? ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2017, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-lay-out-the-name-game-pattern-for-me/800293/11 "2017-10-31T17:56:07Z")
> [@Munch](#): > > What do you do if there’s a Chuck in the room? Call him Sneed. ---
**Author:** ![Icarus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icarus/32/72_2.png) [@Icarus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icarus)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2017, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-lay-out-the-name-game-pattern-for-me/800293/12 "2017-10-31T17:56:33Z")
> [@Munch](#): > > What do you do if there’s a Chuck in the room? There’s always a Chuck in the room. ---
**Author:** ![jasg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f0a364/32.png) [@jasg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasg)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2017, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-lay-out-the-name-game-pattern-for-me/800293/13 "2017-10-31T19:12:27Z")
> [@Munch](#): > > What do you do if there’s a Chuck in the room? He gets lucky? ---
**Author:** ![ekedolphin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ekedolphin/32/10003_2.png) [@ekedolphin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ekedolphin)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2017, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-lay-out-the-name-game-pattern-for-me/800293/14 "2017-11-01T01:19:32Z")
[Obligatory xkcd link](https://xkcd.com/368/). ---
**Author:** ![snfaulkner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snfaulkner/32/433_2.png) [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2017, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-lay-out-the-name-game-pattern-for-me/800293/15 "2017-11-01T01:55:25Z")
Get new kids.