# Eeny meeni tippetini--sound familiar? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 21, 2004, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eeny-meeni-tippetini-sound-familiar/225489 "2004-01-21T18:04:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![dangermom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e274bd/32.png) [@dangermom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dangermom)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2004, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eeny-meeni-tippetini-sound-familiar/225489/1 "2004-01-21T18:04:05Z")
When I was in 5th grade, I had a group of 3 friends, and we had a particular counting game, which I never heard before, and haven’t heard since. It went (and I have no idea how to spell it, of course): Eeny meeny tippetini Ah bah boobelini Achi cachi Liberace Out goes you. Has anyone ever heard this one? Any histories, geological locations, etc. for this linguistical bit of nonsense? ---
**Author:** ![Casey1505](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dc4da7/32.png) [@Casey1505](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Casey1505)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2004, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eeny-meeni-tippetini-sound-familiar/225489/2 "2004-01-21T18:09:28Z")
Eenie meenie miney moe Catch a tiger by the toe If he hollers, let him go Eenie meenie miney moe\* \*that person is it, or out, depends on when you used it. ---
**Author:** ![MissTake](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misstake/32/3189_2.png) [@MissTake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MissTake)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2004, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eeny-meeni-tippetini-sound-familiar/225489/3 "2004-01-21T18:34:45Z")
LilMiss does one much like yours, **dangermom**. If I can remember it correctly, it’s “Eenie meenie tippolini, ahne mahne tortelini, atchi batchi Liberace, Out goes you” She had to ask who Liberace was. We always did “eenie meenie miney mo, catch a tiger by the toe. If he hollers, make him pay fifty dollars every day. o-u-t spells out and you are out”. These are Minnesotan. LilMiss from now, mine from mid 70’s. ---
**Author:** ![Kizarvexius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/da6949/32.png) [@Kizarvexius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kizarvexius)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2004, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eeny-meeni-tippetini-sound-familiar/225489/4 "2004-01-21T19:53:33Z")
The one I learned from some fellow Army brats in Germany back in the late 70s was almost identical to yours, **dangermom**. We would say: Eeny meeny tippetini Ooh gahg gahgalini Achi pachi Liberace Out goes Y-O-U. Haven’t heard it in years, but I recently started teaching it to my 5 year-old daughter. I was amazed that I could remember it instantly. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2004, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eeny-meeni-tippetini-sound-familiar/225489/5 "2004-01-22T01:41:59Z")
(Bullwinkle in Gypsy/Fortuneteller Garb): Eeny Meeny Jellybeany The Spirits are about to speak! Rocky: Are They Friendly Spirits? Bullwinkle: Friendly? Just listen! (Cut to commercial) Not what you asked for, but I’ll bet it inspired your rhyme. ---
**Author:** ![Oregon\_sunshine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/50afbb/32.png) [@Oregon\_sunshine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oregon_sunshine)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2004, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eeny-meeni-tippetini-sound-familiar/225489/6 "2004-01-22T02:03:28Z")
eenie meenie, ditzy deenie, ah-chy pah-chy, domino-chy, i tie test time ugga bugga boo, and out goes you! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![dangermom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e274bd/32.png) [@dangermom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dangermom)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2004, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eeny-meeni-tippetini-sound-familiar/225489/7 "2004-01-22T21:53:32Z")
Hey cool. There are variations of all sorts. Thanks, everybody. In a funny twist, I mentioned to a friend today that I was teaching this rhyme to my daughter as a way of getting her to get dressed faster (I lay out a couple of shirts and she picks). She knew a different version again, had learned it at Bluebirds camp. ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2004, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/eeny-meeni-tippetini-sound-familiar/225489/8 "2004-01-23T03:31:50Z")
CalMeacham writes: \> Eeny Meeny \> Jellybeany \> The Spirits are about to speak! No, it was Eeny Meeny Chilibeany The Spirits are about to speak!