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

[hogarth]

@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)

[markn_1]

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

Hey, I’ve heard of this site before:

Why does rubbing your index fingers together mean "shame on you"?

Apple #657: Shame on You Gesture

–Mark

[elfkin477]

@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.