# Childhood question II: origin and extent of the "shame, shame!" gesture?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/childhood-question-ii-origin-and-extent-of-the-shame-shame-gesture/542875>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [June 12, 2010, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/childhood-question-ii-origin-and-extent-of-the-shame-shame-gesture/542875 "2010-06-12T01:58:11Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 2

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\
**Post date:** [September 22, 2016, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/childhood-question-ii-origin-and-extent-of-the-shame-shame-gesture/542875/21 "2016-09-22T23:32:42Z")

</div>

> [@Atamasama](#):
>
> As a kid growing up in the Pacific Northwest part of the US in the 80s we would do one index finger sliding over the other with the rhyme, “Shame, shame, shame, I know your name…” done in a sing-song voice. Sometimes just abbreviated to “shame, shame, shame” alone. It was used when teasing someone about something embarrassing, always one kid to another.

If a boy showed some kind of preference towards a girl, the rhyme we’d use was:

Shame, shame, double shame,  
Now I know your girlfriend’s name!

And the finger action we’d call “slicing the carrot”.

(Saskatchewan, 1980s)

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\
**Post date:** [September 22, 2016, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/childhood-question-ii-origin-and-extent-of-the-shame-shame-gesture/542875/22 "2016-09-22T23:53:03Z")

</div>

Some more information in these pages. No definite answer. Apparently the origin is unknown. The most authoritative answer seems to be from Desmond Morris, quoted in the first link (which despite the title “Mystery of Origin Solved” does not answer the origin question). He says it’s restricted to North America and the rubbing is “thought to symbolize friction”, which doesn’t make a lot of sense to me. What’s friction got to do with shame?

> **[Mystery of Origin Solved: Shame-Shame Finger Gesture](https://eppylover.livejournal.com/576785.html)**
>
> Stephy was confused about the "shame on you" finger gesture (a.k.a. "the forefinger rub") that I occasionally do to her when she's a naughty baby. She thought it looked like grating cheese ~ and I've always thought of it as whittling a stick....

Hey, I’ve heard of this site before:

> **[Why does rubbing your index fingers together mean "shame on you"?](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=249269)**
>
> And who does it mean “shame on you”? to? Just Americans? Canadians? The British? Just wondering.

> **[Apple #657: Shame on You Gesture](http://dailyapple.blogspot.com/2014/01/apple-657-shame-on-you-gesture.html)**
>
> Regular Daily Apple reader John of Gaunt wants to know where the "shame on you" gesture came from.  You know the one, where you point one f...

–Mark

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\
**Post date:** [September 23, 2016, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/childhood-question-ii-origin-and-extent-of-the-shame-shame-gesture/542875/23 "2016-09-23T03:16:07Z")

</div>

> [@CNiper](#):
>
> Hey guys, sorry to pull this topic out from 6 years ago, but it is one of the only results on Google that comes up when trying to find the origins of peeling the shame carrot.

You’re forgiven because Shame Carrot would make an excellent band name.

[Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/childhood-question-ii-origin-and-extent-of-the-shame-shame-gesture/542875.md?page=1)