# Puddentane **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 7, 1999, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/puddentane/10721 "1999-11-07T23:16:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jois](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ea666f/32.png) [@Jois](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jois)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 1999, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/puddentane/10721/1 "1999-11-07T23:16:00Z")
I hate to do this but I’ve run out of people (and library books) to ask: I overheard this: What’s your name? Puddentane Where do you live? Down the lane I know I once knew more of this nonsense but can’t remember or locate the rest. Tried the internet, too. Found: What’s your name? Butter and tame. If you ask me again I’ll tell you the same in “I Saw Esau” a collection of Brit rhymes for school age children. They had another version as well: What’s your name? Mary Jane Where do you live? Womber Lane What do you do? Keep a school How many Scholars? Twenty-two How many more? Twenty-four What’s your number? Cucumber This one was supposed to be the version used by schoolboys at Eton College C. 1830. Another version (same book)- this was an Eton version as well: Who’s your tutor? Who’s your dame? What’s your form? and what’s your name? “I saw Esau” had two more with Patchy Dolly and Baldy Bane but they were both “too far out” to be ay help. Not being a Brit or a student at Eton I’d like to see the rest of the US version with Puddentane… Remember it? ---
**Author:** ![pricciar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f4b2a3/32.png) [@pricciar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pricciar)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 1999, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/puddentane/10721/2 "1999-11-08T02:16:00Z")
Well, I definitley don’t know the whole thing. Since, this is MPSIMS I don’t feel the need to be entirely accurate. My Dad used to say a similar rhyme to me when I was a kid. Whats your Name? Pudentane, ask me again it will stay the same. Whats your name? James Monroe, ask me again you still won’t know. pat ---
**Author:** ![Jois](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ea666f/32.png) [@Jois](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jois)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 1999, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/puddentane/10721/3 "1999-11-08T15:52:00Z")
Thanks, Pat, that’s so funny! I’ve never heard either of those before. It must vary according to location… I’m going to have to go to bus stops - pester children - get arrested and go to jail. Yikes! ---
**Author:** ![pricciar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f4b2a3/32.png) [@pricciar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pricciar)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 1999, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/puddentane/10721/4 "1999-11-08T19:25:00Z")
Well, unless you have some sort of neat time machine, I don’t think kids at bus stops will have any idea of what you are talking about. pat ---
**Author:** ![Jois](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ea666f/32.png) [@Jois](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jois)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 1999, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/puddentane/10721/5 "1999-11-08T20:00:00Z")
I overheard it last week, cancel the time machine, maybe. I might like to hear the accents that went with the Eton versions in the olden days, okay, order the time machine. ---
**Author:** ![NicePete](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ee7513/32.png) [@NicePete](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NicePete)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 1999, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/puddentane/10721/6 "1999-11-08T21:00:00Z")
I’m definately familiar with the “Puddentain…ask me again I’ll tell you the same” variation. Anybody else remember Barney Fife responding “Puddentain” when asked his name by a Mayberry jail denizen? * * * Plunging like stones from a slingshot on Mars. ---
**Author:** ![BurnMeUp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@BurnMeUp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BurnMeUp)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 1999, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/puddentane/10721/7 "1999-11-08T22:27:00Z")
Sgt baker is my name And if ya calls me Puddentain I’ll slap you down boy Uh-huh * * * Magnificent to behold - Greatly to be praised.