# Mekka-lekka-hi, mekka-hiney-ho! **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 6, 2001, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mekka-lekka-hi-mekka-hiney-ho/53302 "2001-02-06T02:52:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2001, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mekka-lekka-hi-mekka-hiney-ho/53302/1 "2001-02-06T02:52:23Z")
Where are the strange words in the subject title from? Mrs. RickJay was asking. ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2001, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mekka-lekka-hi-mekka-hiney-ho/53302/2 "2001-02-06T03:09:42Z")
For this generation, Jambi (sp?) the geni used to used it as a magical invocation on _Pee Wee’s Play House_. (I have this irritating thought that it originally came from a (mock) Hawaiian song from the 40s when Hawaiian was more widely popular, but I haven’t been able to run that down, yet.) ---
**Author:** ![Olentzero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/90ced4/32.png) [@Olentzero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Olentzero)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2001, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mekka-lekka-hi-mekka-hiney-ho/53302/3 "2001-02-06T03:10:11Z")
That, sir, is the magic wish-granting chant from _Pee Wee’s Playhouse_, as said by the magic genie head in a box whose name I forget. **SqrlCub** can probably help me out on this one! He’s got almost all the episodes on tape. ---
**Author:** ![Shatzi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df788c/32.png) [@Shatzi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shatzi)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2001, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mekka-lekka-hi-mekka-hiney-ho/53302/4 "2001-02-06T03:13:45Z")
Thankyouthankyouthankyou!!! Those lyrics have been gnawing at my brain for some time as well…NOW I remember! ;\> ---
**Author:** ![Deimos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Deimos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Deimos)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2001, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mekka-lekka-hi-mekka-hiney-ho/53302/5 "2001-02-06T04:16:25Z")
i think the genie’s name was jombie, pronounced “JAHM-bee.” ---
**Author:** ![PRNYouth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9dc877/32.png) [@PRNYouth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PRNYouth)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2001, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mekka-lekka-hi-mekka-hiney-ho/53302/6 "2001-02-06T04:43:51Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Deimos \* > \*\*i think the genie’s name was jombie, pronounced “JAHM-bee.” \*\* Nope, it was definitely _Jambi_, but you have the pronunciation correct. And just for kicks and giggles, I’ll throw in that Jambi was portrayed by John Paragon, who also was the voice of Pterri the Pterodactyl. ---
**Author:** ![Rodd\_Hill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/3ab097/32.png) [@Rodd\_Hill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rodd_Hill)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2001, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mekka-lekka-hi-mekka-hiney-ho/53302/7 "2001-02-06T05:45:24Z")
**…and a young Phil Hartman taught us how to laugh…** One of the best moments in the pre-TV not-for-kids _PeeWee’s Playhouse_ was near the end, when Jambi got his hands (through the mail) and said “Cool! There’s something I’ve wanted to do for a long time!” ---
**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 6, 2001, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mekka-lekka-hi-mekka-hiney-ho/53302/8 "2001-02-06T13:52:24Z")
Yeah, I remember the “hands” episode. Hilarious! **Schatzi** , if those words get stuck in your head you may like this word from a Hawaiian song: “Humuhumunukunukuapua’a”. It’s a very small fish with a very big name. (That’s “hoomoo-hoomoo-nookoo-nookoo-ahpoo-ah-ah”. It’s fun when you say it fast.) ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2001, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mekka-lekka-hi-mekka-hiney-ho/53302/9 "2001-02-06T14:25:56Z")
“Your wish is granted. Long live Jambi.” Man, what a treat it was, when my 13 year old was only a couple of years old, and every week we looked forward to 9 a.m. Sat morning. We’d drive folk nuts, screaming all day whenever anyone said the secret word. Probably my favorite TV-related memory. ---
**Author:** ![jb\_farley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9d8465/32.png) [@jb\_farley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jb_farley)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2001, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mekka-lekka-hi-mekka-hiney-ho/53302/10 "2001-02-06T18:57:02Z")
I believe the full verse was “Mekka-lekka-hi, mekka-hiney-ho. Mekka-lekka-hi, mekka-hiney-chiney-ho”. There may have been a bit more. jb, “Did someone say ‘wish’?” ---
**Author:** ![Kyberneticist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/dc4da7/32.png) [@Kyberneticist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyberneticist)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2001, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mekka-lekka-hi-mekka-hiney-ho/53302/11 "2001-02-06T21:00:44Z")
If the words are stuck in his head, it could be due to Weird Al Yankovich’s And All the Goyim Say He’s Pretty Fly for a Rabbi… ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2001, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mekka-lekka-hi-mekka-hiney-ho/53302/12 "2001-02-07T01:22:45Z")
Or that Xmas song from Christmas Vacation? Mala kalikwi Mokwa or something like that? The Hawaiian Xmas song sung by Bing? ---
**Author:** ![Redboss](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8baadc/32.png) [@Redboss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Redboss)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2001, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mekka-lekka-hi-mekka-hiney-ho/53302/13 "2001-02-07T02:06:13Z")
The Hawaiian Christmas song recorded in the late forties by Bing Crosby and the Andrews Sisters is actually (spelled phonetically) **Melley Kalikimaka{**. It’s a particularly irritating, banal little tune and because I just **had** to stick my nose into this thread I am going to be humming it all the rest of the day. Drat! ---
**Author:** ![pezwookiee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9d8465/32.png) [@pezwookiee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pezwookiee)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2001, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mekka-lekka-hi-mekka-hiney-ho/53302/14 "2001-02-07T03:30:15Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by jb\_farley \* > \*\*I believe the full verse was “Mekka-lekka-hi, mekka-hiney-ho. Mekka-lekka-hi, mekka-hiney-chiney-ho”. > > There may have been a bit more. > \*\* No more to it than that, but if we’re going to be picky (as the case has been known to be in SDMB), the correct wording was “Mekka-lekka-hi, mekka-hiney-ho. Mekka-lekka-hi, mekka-CHANNIE-ho.” Extra emphasis on the Channie. Don’t ask me what it means. And if you ever need to know, to get the Jambi action figure, you had to get it in a multi-pack with the Puppetland Band. Is it scary that I know that? ---
**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 7, 2001, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mekka-lekka-hi-mekka-hiney-ho/53302/15 "2001-02-07T13:21:33Z")
I wonder if Mekka-lekka-hi-mekka-hiney-ho is related to **Ugly-ol-hiney-ho** in _Greaser’s Palace_? 😛