# "Catch a ??? by the toe." A survey. **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 11, 2004, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catch-a-by-the-toe-a-survey/228549 "2004-02-11T00:28:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2004, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catch-a-by-the-toe-a-survey/228549/81 "2004-02-11T15:33:39Z")
I’ve heard, n!gger, tiger, piggy, injun, nickle, and probably others. I don’t really recall which one was most common, maybe injun and tiger. I grew up in: California, Washington (the state), Maryland, Georgia and Florida, although by the time we got to Florida I probably wasn’t using rhymes like that to choose things. We also counted potatoes. My kids now use tiger exclusively, although they also sometimes use this rhyme: _Inkey, pinkey, ponkey, Daddy had a donkey. The donkey died, Daddy cried, Inkey, pinkey, ponkey._ And I don’t really recall the “My mother hit your mother” one mentioned earlier. Just “my mother said to pick the very best one…” ---
**Author:** ![NE\_Texan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/e99b99/32.png) [@NE\_Texan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NE_Texan)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2004, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catch-a-by-the-toe-a-survey/228549/82 "2004-02-11T15:34:44Z")
“Tiger”, and only tiger, growing up in El Paso, Tx. I’m 37 now, and I had never heard the n-word version until the news story about the Southwest airlines incident. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2004, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catch-a-by-the-toe-a-survey/228549/83 "2004-02-11T15:35:09Z")
51, grew up on eastern Long Island, NY. It always was “tiger”: I never was even aware of the other version until it was mentioned in a National Lampoon article in the early 70s when I was around 20. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2004, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catch-a-by-the-toe-a-survey/228549/84 "2004-02-11T15:49:26Z")
I’m 52, and I grew up in an Irish-Italian neighborhood in the North Bronx in NYC. It was always and invariably “nigger” when I was a kid. (There were no black people living in my neighborhood until the 1970s, and few would even venture into the area in the 50s or early 60s.) I never heard the “cleaned-up” version (with tiger) until I went to college. I don’t think we even understood that the word was supposed to be “bad” until we were older - that was just the word you used. Likewise we referred to the local laundry as “the Chink’s,” without any realization that it was derogatory. ---
**Author:** ![Matchka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/77aa72/32.png) [@Matchka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Matchka)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2004, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catch-a-by-the-toe-a-survey/228549/85 "2004-02-11T16:27:57Z")
> [@voguevixen](#): > > Curious (and tipsy)…Why would you catch a tiger (or other) by the toe? Why, to see if he’ll holler, silly! nigger or tiger at random, seattle area, late 60’s early 70’s. We had blacks in the neighborhood, never treated them any different than we did anyone else. Even used the rhyme with them present (they did it too) when we were getting ready to play hide & seek. We knew what a nigger was, and we knew we didn’t know any. I was perplexed once when an Arab friend of mine started a similar chant. MATCHKA: “What’s that?” DAVID:“It’s a selection chant like your ‘eenie meenie minie moe…’ You know. ‘Eenie meenie miney moe, catch a **negroe** by the toe (His emphasis, complete with eye contact) if he hollers let him go , eenie meenie miney moe.’” and then from the back of the room: “What’s this ‘Let Him Go’ crap?” ---
**Author:** ![Stover9](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c68b51/32.png) [@Stover9](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stover9)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2004, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catch-a-by-the-toe-a-survey/228549/86 "2004-02-11T16:44:35Z")
Was always “tigger” when I grew up. 26/M middle of Nebraska (Kearney) ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2004, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catch-a-by-the-toe-a-survey/228549/87 "2004-02-11T16:55:52Z")
I was born in the '60s. San Diego, California. I always used “tiger”. I haven’t been keeping a tally, but I get the impression from the replies in this thread that “nigger” is more common in the Commonwealth (except Canada). [sub]FWIW, race was not an issue when I was growing up. That is, I was not brought up to notice any difference between people. Although I did give a friend a beating when I was nine after he said “nigger” and I told him that if he said it again I’d beat him up. He said it again. I just knew it was a “bad word”.[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![YoudNeverGuess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/a587f6/32.png) [@YoudNeverGuess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YoudNeverGuess)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2004, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catch-a-by-the-toe-a-survey/228549/88 "2004-02-11T17:24:31Z")
> [@StGermain](#): > > “Rabbit” > > Age - 42 > > Various spots in Michigan > > StG I also learnt it from a friend as ‘nigger’ but my parents immediately told me to say ‘rabbit’ - that the other word wasn’t a ‘nice word’. Age 28, Ireland ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2004, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catch-a-by-the-toe-a-survey/228549/89 "2004-02-11T17:59:15Z")
‘Tiger’. I never heard of _any_ other variations until I read the other thread here a few weeks ago, describing the airline incident. Age: 40. Southern Ontario. ---
**Author:** ![Stainz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecd19e/32.png) [@Stainz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stainz)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2004, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catch-a-by-the-toe-a-survey/228549/90 "2004-02-11T18:06:30Z")
“Tiger” I’m 33 Raised in small town British Columbia, Canada - it seemed like every single person in my school, neighbourhood, and probably town was white, including me and my family. Heard the “n” word in this context when I was 10 or so, at school. Honestly can’t remember what my thoughts were. I think I would have just thought someone had learned the rhyme incorrectly. ---
**Author:** ![av8rmike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/edb3f5/32.png) [@av8rmike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/av8rmike)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2004, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catch-a-by-the-toe-a-survey/228549/91 "2004-02-11T18:34:39Z")
“Certified Public Accountant” They’re much easier to catch by the toe, and allows for better randomization of the participants. 26, grew up in W. PA. Seriously, like many other youngsters here, I always knew “tiger” and never heard anything else until recently. ---
**Author:** ![mlerose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/43a26b/32.png) [@mlerose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mlerose)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2004, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catch-a-by-the-toe-a-survey/228549/92 "2004-02-11T18:49:11Z")
Eeny Meenie miney mo, Catch a TIGER by the toe If he hollers make him pay Thirty dollars every day My mother said to Pick the very best One and you are not Going to be it For the rest of your life! was how we said it. I grew up in Northern California and I’m 24 years old. One time, when I was about 6 years old, some other kids that I played with used the “n” version and I didn’t know what “n” was. When we got home (we were walking home from the bus stop) my mom put me on a time-out for saying the “n” word. I didn’t even know what it was! I though “n” was some other version of tiger. That was my first exposure to the word. Boy, was I pissed off that my mom punished me for saying something that I didn’t even know what it meant. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2004, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catch-a-by-the-toe-a-survey/228549/93 "2004-02-11T18:55:13Z")
48, outside Milwaukee, Wisconsin. “Tiger”. Didn’t know that it was n **r until my grandmother told me. Which led to a discussion about race, in which I learned that my father used to refer to the balcony in a movie theater as "n** r heaven". And so I learned the difference between institutionalized racism and personal prejudice. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Arcite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/67e7ee/32.png) [@Arcite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arcite)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2004, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catch-a-by-the-toe-a-survey/228549/94 "2004-02-11T18:59:45Z")
1. Suburban Philadelphia, PA. “Tiger”. I first learned of the “nigger” variation here on the SDMB. ---
**Author:** ![FilmGeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@FilmGeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FilmGeek)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2004, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catch-a-by-the-toe-a-survey/228549/95 "2004-02-11T19:17:25Z")
Tiger. 25, Kansas City Missouri I knew the nigger version from a very young age, though, as my late grandmother was extremely racist and delighted in using racial slurs at every opportunity. ---
**Author:** ![luluBahrain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e5b9ba/32.png) [@luluBahrain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/luluBahrain)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2004, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catch-a-by-the-toe-a-survey/228549/96 "2004-02-11T19:18:14Z")
Tiger, 25 yrs old I was a Navy brat and have only heard tiger all the 20 something places I have lived ---
**Author:** ![Weirddave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/919ad9/32.png) [@Weirddave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weirddave)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2004, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catch-a-by-the-toe-a-survey/228549/97 "2004-02-11T19:20:33Z")
36, Baltimore, “Tiger”, I never heard the nigger version until I read about it on these boards. ---
**Author:** ![FilmGeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@FilmGeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FilmGeek)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2004, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catch-a-by-the-toe-a-survey/228549/98 "2004-02-11T19:21:37Z")
I find the different endings interesting: Ours went: Eenie Meenie Miney Moe Catch a tiger by the toe. If he hollers let him go Eenie Meenie Miney Moe. My mom said to pick the very best one and you are not it. (or “you are it” if you’re trying to cheat) ---
**Author:** ![Elysian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c77e96/32.png) [@Elysian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elysian)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2004, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catch-a-by-the-toe-a-survey/228549/99 "2004-02-11T19:46:27Z")
Catch a tiger by the toe. I’ve never even hear of the other versions! I always liked the idea of catching a tiger by its toe, especially if it were cute and fluffy. It might tickle the tiger! Of course, in practice it would not turn out quite like that. 26, originally from southern Indiana ---
**Author:** ![Walkabout](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/46a35a/32.png) [@Walkabout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walkabout)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2004, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catch-a-by-the-toe-a-survey/228549/100 "2004-02-11T19:49:12Z")
42, West Virginia, “nigger”. I never knew about the other versions, and, at the time, I didn’t know what was wrong with the version we used. We also used the other term for Brazil nuts. I may have learned this from my parents, who were Australian. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catch-a-by-the-toe-a-survey/228549.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/catch-a-by-the-toe-a-survey/228549.md?page=6)