# So what DID Little Bunny Foo Foo do to the field mice? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 22, 2009, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-did-little-bunny-foo-foo-do-to-the-field-mice/500651 "2009-06-22T21:33:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Tastes\_of\_Chocolate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tastes_of_chocolate/32/3232_2.png) [@Tastes\_of\_Chocolate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tastes_of_Chocolate)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2009, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-did-little-bunny-foo-foo-do-to-the-field-mice/500651/1 "2009-06-22T21:33:01Z")
Little Bunny Foo Foo hopping through the forest scooping up the field mice and … Every once in a while, I start an informal survey of my friends, or whomever I happen to have cornered at the time. How did they learn this song? Among the people I know, it close to being split along gender lines. Girls learned “Bopping them on the head” Boys learned “Popping off their heads” So how did you learn this? And if you feel like it, what gender are you? I learned Bopping them on the head, in the Mid West, female. ---
**Author:** ![Asimovian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asimovian/32/172_2.png) [@Asimovian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asimovian)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2009, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-did-little-bunny-foo-foo-do-to-the-field-mice/500651/2 "2009-06-22T21:39:47Z")
I always heard the boppin’ version. I’m a male, having lived in Los Angeles all of my life. Am I the only one who thinks that it seems a little…counter-indicative to have such a cute-sounding bunny ripping off the heads of innocent rodents? ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2009, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-did-little-bunny-foo-foo-do-to-the-field-mice/500651/3 "2009-06-22T21:44:14Z")
I’m a male and I only heard the boppin’ version. Mid 60’s if that makes a difference. Maybe the ripping heads off came later? ---
**Author:** ![Dag\_Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@Dag\_Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dag_Otto)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2009, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-did-little-bunny-foo-foo-do-to-the-field-mice/500651/4 "2009-06-22T21:58:45Z")
I’ve always know it as ‘Bopping them on the head’. I’m from New Mexico. My wife (from Chicago) sings ‘Bashing in their brains’ :eek: ---
**Author:** ![The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/74df32/32.png) [@The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Devil_s_Grandmother)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2009, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-did-little-bunny-foo-foo-do-to-the-field-mice/500651/5 "2009-06-22T21:59:59Z")
Bopping them on the head. I’ve never heard “popping off their heads”. Grew up 1970’s southern California. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2009, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-did-little-bunny-foo-foo-do-to-the-field-mice/500651/6 "2009-06-22T22:00:00Z")
Always heard bopping. Male, Alabama. ---
**Author:** ![Pyper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Pyper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pyper)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2009, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-did-little-bunny-foo-foo-do-to-the-field-mice/500651/7 "2009-06-22T22:00:37Z")
Bopping. Female, California. ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2009, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-did-little-bunny-foo-foo-do-to-the-field-mice/500651/8 "2009-06-22T22:03:37Z")
“Jizzing on their heads.” (My parents owned a porn shop) ---
**Author:** ![Rysto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ecccb3/32.png) [@Rysto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rysto)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2009, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-did-little-bunny-foo-foo-do-to-the-field-mice/500651/9 "2009-06-22T22:13:13Z")
Bopping. Male, Canada. ---
**Author:** ![dragonlady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/5f8ce5/32.png) [@dragonlady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dragonlady)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2009, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-did-little-bunny-foo-foo-do-to-the-field-mice/500651/10 "2009-06-22T22:16:01Z")
Boppin. Female. California ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2009, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-did-little-bunny-foo-foo-do-to-the-field-mice/500651/11 "2009-06-22T22:19:40Z")
So far, “8 boppings on the head” and “1 jizzing” (same as Ike & Tina’s wedding night), so while not a scientific sample it looks like popping off their heads is a wee minority. ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2009, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-did-little-bunny-foo-foo-do-to-the-field-mice/500651/12 "2009-06-22T22:19:58Z")
Boppin’ 'em. Sixties, So Cal. Female. I bet the boys made up the other version. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2009, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-did-little-bunny-foo-foo-do-to-the-field-mice/500651/13 "2009-06-22T22:20:03Z")
Bopping male ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2009, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-did-little-bunny-foo-foo-do-to-the-field-mice/500651/14 "2009-06-22T22:22:59Z")
Bopping, male, 47 ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2009, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-did-little-bunny-foo-foo-do-to-the-field-mice/500651/15 "2009-06-22T22:25:03Z")
Boppin. Female. New York. Popping doesn’t have the right cadence for the line. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2009, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-did-little-bunny-foo-foo-do-to-the-field-mice/500651/16 "2009-06-22T22:26:55Z")
Bopping. Female. New York. Though I have heard it’s been changed to “kissing.” Blech. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2009, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-did-little-bunny-foo-foo-do-to-the-field-mice/500651/17 "2009-06-22T22:34:59Z")
I only ever heard “bopping.” I did not hear this as a child, rather when I was in my 30’s or 40’s, in the Midwest (I’m male). Google gives about twice as many hits for “bopping” (or “boppin”) as for “popping” (or “poppin”), and it’s clear from looking at the results that many of the “popping/poppin” hits have those words somewhere besides the lyrics (e.g., it’s “bopping them on the head” but there’s also a reference to, say, popping popcorn). Furthermore, many of the ones with “popping/poppin” still say “popping them **on the** head” rather than “popping **off their** heads.” I suspect the latter is a result of the human tendency to shorten things in speech, especially in a case like this when there’s one too many syllables to fit the meter smoothly. So it’s clear to me that “bopping” is correct, and only Godless Communist Pervert Terrorists say “popping off their heads.” 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Asimovian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asimovian/32/172_2.png) [@Asimovian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asimovian)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2009, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-did-little-bunny-foo-foo-do-to-the-field-mice/500651/18 "2009-06-22T22:39:48Z")
> [@Gary\_T](#): > > So it’s clear to me that “bopping” is correct, and only Godless Communist Pervert Terrorists say “popping off their heads.” 😃 What about the jizz folks, though? What say you to them? ---
**Author:** ![Tastes\_of\_Chocolate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tastes_of_chocolate/32/3232_2.png) [@Tastes\_of\_Chocolate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tastes_of_Chocolate)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2009, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-did-little-bunny-foo-foo-do-to-the-field-mice/500651/19 "2009-06-22T22:40:30Z")
> [@Gary\_T](#): > > So it’s clear to me that “bopping” is correct, and only Godless Communist Pervert Terrorists say “popping off their heads.” 😃 Wow. So far, this is running totally counter to what I was expecting. Ok, only 50% counter. I wonder what it was about boys raised in the midwest in the '70s. Maybe I’ll blame it all on Boy Scout camp. > [@Asimovian](#): > > What about the jizz folks, though? What say you to them? I think you just drop the communist part, and stick with the godless pervert terrorist. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2009, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-did-little-bunny-foo-foo-do-to-the-field-mice/500651/20 "2009-06-22T22:50:13Z")
> [@Rysto](#): > > Bopping. Male, Canada. What he said. > [@Asimovian](#): > > Am I the only one who thinks that it seems a little…counter-indicative to have such a cute-sounding bunny ripping off the heads of innocent rodents? Well, that’s really the point, isn’t it? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-did-little-bunny-foo-foo-do-to-the-field-mice/500651.md?page=2)