# What hand-clapping and jumprope rhymes do you remember? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 25, 2005, 9:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-hand-clapping-and-jumprope-rhymes-do-you-remember/337151 "2005-12-25T09:12:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2006, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-hand-clapping-and-jumprope-rhymes-do-you-remember/337151/41 "2006-01-01T18:20:28Z")
> [@Marlitharn](#): > > Yeah, if you need us we’ll all be in the corner slitting our wrists. 😃 > > I just remembered, I saw a couple of kids doing something kind of neat with plastic cups a couple of years back. I don’t remember if there was a rhyme that went with it or not, but they sat on the floor facing each other, each one with two plastic cups in front of them. They then went through a complicated pattern involving handclapping and picking the cups up, flipping them over, and slapping them back down. Sound familiar to anyone? **OpalCat** not only wrote about it but posted a tiny video showing her doing the thing. Let’s see if I can find it… [Aah!](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=267564) This is the one-person version, what you’re describing is a two-person version where you clap each others’ hands and not just your own. ---
**Author:** ![devilgirl098](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/71e660/32.png) [@devilgirl098](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/devilgirl098)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2013, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-hand-clapping-and-jumprope-rhymes-do-you-remember/337151/42 "2013-04-13T12:29:00Z")
🆒here’s a jump rope rhyme: blue bells cockle shells easy ivy over here comes the teacher with a big fat stick now its time for arithmetic 1+1 is… ◆2! ◆-what the jumper says 2+2 is… ◆4! 4+4 is… 8! 8+8 is… ◆16! now its time for spelling spell cat. ◆c-a-t! spell dog. ◆d-o-g! spell hot. h-o-t! then the swingers swing the rope fast until she misses. handclap: miss suzie had a steamboat the steamboat had a bell miss suzie went to heaven the steamboat went to- HELLO operator please give me number nine and if you disconnect me i’ll kick you from- BEHIND the 'frigerator there was a piece of glass miss suzie fell upon it and broke her little- ASK me no questions i’ll tell you no more lies miss suzie’s in the kitchen making her mud pies i do those at school ---
**Author:** ![PlainJain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5daacb/32.png) [@PlainJain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlainJain)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2013, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-hand-clapping-and-jumprope-rhymes-do-you-remember/337151/43 "2013-04-13T15:21:22Z")
Lincoln, Lincoln I’ve been thinkin’ What the heck have you been drinkin’ Was it water Was it wine Blah blah blah blah turpentine. That’s all I remember… ---
**Author:** ![Sahirrnee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sahirrnee/32/13937_2.png) [@Sahirrnee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sahirrnee)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2013, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-hand-clapping-and-jumprope-rhymes-do-you-remember/337151/44 "2013-04-13T15:31:59Z")
> [@eleanorigby](#): > > Down in the valley > Where the green grass grows > There sat (kid in the jumprope’s name here) > Sweet as a rose. > Along came (name of boy jumper has crush on-or perfect teasing moment) > and- > And I can’t remember the rest of it! > sorry. > :slinks away: > > We did miss mary mack, and the hello operator one, as well. We did Down in the meadow where the green grass grows There sat (name) Sweet as a rose She sang, she sang, she sang so sweet Along came (boys name) and kissed her on the check How many kisses did (name) receive Then you started counting. ---
**Author:** ![11811](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/1/9d8465/32.png) [@11811](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/11811)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2013, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-hand-clapping-and-jumprope-rhymes-do-you-remember/337151/45 "2013-04-13T21:20:34Z")
> [@Hampshire](#): > > Inka-binka-bottle of ink, > I think you stink! > Not because your dirty, > not because your clean. > Just becasue you kissed a girl behind a magazine! > > Eenie-Menie-Miney-Moe, > Catch a tiger by the toe. > If he hollers let him go. > My mother said to pick the very best one and you are noooooooooot it! Doggie doggie Diamond step right out Not because you’re dirty, not because you’re clean just because you kissed a girl behind a magazine Ink a dink a bottle of ink the cork fell out and you stink ---
**Author:** ![PurpleClogs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f04885/32.png) [@PurpleClogs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PurpleClogs)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2013, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-hand-clapping-and-jumprope-rhymes-do-you-remember/337151/46 "2013-04-14T00:09:32Z")
Here’s the long version plus a few more… Miss Susie had a steamboat The steamboat had a bell (ding ding) Miss Susie went to heaven The steamboat went to… Hello operator Give me number nine And if you disconnect me I’ll kick you from… Behind the 'frigerator There was a piece of glass Miss Susie sat upon it And broke her little… Ask me no more questions Tell me no more lies The boys are in the bathroom Zipping up their… Flies are in the meadow The bees are in the park Miss Susie and her boyfriend Are kissing in the… D-A-R-K D-A-R-K dark dark dark darker than the ocean darker than the sea darker then the underwear my mother gave to me my mother is godzilla my father is king kong my sister is the is the stupid one, Who tired to make me go to… Hello operator give me number ten If you disconnect me I’ll sing in the… Dark is like a movie A movie is like a show A show is like a T.V. set And that is all I… know I know my ma, I know I know my pa, I know I know my sister, with the 80 meter bra! My mom was born in England, My dad was born in France, I was born in diapers, I couldn’t fit in pants. I know my dad’s a robber I know my mom’s a spy I know that I’m the little brat that Told the F.B.I. my Ma gave me a nickel my Pa gave me a dime my Sister gave me a boyfriend Who kiss me all the time My Ma took back the nickel My Pa took back the dime My Sister took back the boyfriend and then gave me Frankenstein He made me wash the dishes He made me wash the floor He made me wash underwear So I kicked him out the door I kicked him over London I kicked him over France I kicked him to Hawaii Where he did the Hoola Dance! Miss Lucy had a baby She named him Tiny Tim She put him in the bathtub To see if he could swim He drank up all the water He ate up all the soap He tried to eat the bathtub but it wouldn’t go down his throat Miss Lucy called the doctor The doctor called the nurse The nurse called the lady with the alligator purse In walked the doctor In walked the nurse In walked the lady with the alligator purse Measles said the doctor Mumps said the nurse Nothing said the lady with the alligator purse A dollar charged the docter Fifty cents charged the nurse Nothing charged the lady with the alligator purse Out walked the doctor Out walked the nurse Out walked the lady with the alligator purse Apple on a stick Makes me sick My heart beat 2-4-6 Not because you’re dirty Not because you’re clean Not because you kiss the boys Behind the magazine. The boys boys having fun Here comes a lady with some blueberry buns She can wriggle She can rock She can even do the splitz But I bet ya 10 bucks She can’t do this Close your eyes and count to 10 If you make a mistake You’re a big fat hen. 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10 You did/didn’t make a mistake So that’s the end And we are friends. There’s a place on Mars where the women smoke cigars and the men wear bikinis while the children drink martinis when the snakes are dead they put roses round’ their head when the roses die they put diamonds in their eyes when the diamonds break FREEZE! (first one who moves is out) Have you ever, ever, ever, in your long legged life met a long legged sailor with a long legged wife? No, I never, never, never, in my long legged life met a long legged sailor with a long legged wife Have you ever, ever, ever, in your short legged life… …pigeon toed life… …bow legged life… …spoon headed life… Ten little angelsdressed in white tryin to get to heaven on the tail of a kite. But the kite string broke and down they fell. Instead of goin to heaven they went to Hell. Nine little angels … (repeat). Eight little angels… 7…6…5…4…3…2… One little angel dressed in white tryin to get to heaven on the tail of a kite. But the kite string broke and down she fell instead of going to heaven she went to HELL! ---
**Author:** ![Aspidistra](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspidistra/32/3894_2.png) [@Aspidistra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspidistra)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2013, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-hand-clapping-and-jumprope-rhymes-do-you-remember/337151/47 "2013-04-14T13:04:00Z")
> [@PurpleClogs](#): > > Ten little angelsdressed in white > tryin to get to heaven on the tail of a kite. > But the kite string broke and down they fell. > Instead of goin to heaven they went to Hell. > Nine little angels … (repeat). > Eight little angels… 7..6…5…4…3…2… > One little angel dressed in white > tryin to get to heaven on the tail of a kite. > But the kite string broke and down she fell > instead of going to heaven she went to HELL! The version I know of this, instead of counting down numbers had three: angels in white / on a kite girl scouts in blue / on a shoe boy scouts in green / in a flying machine and ended up: Three little devils all dressed in red Tried to get to heaven on the end of a bed The bed knob was broken, so they all fell Couldn’t get to heaven so they all went to… Don’t be mistaken, don’t be misled They couldn’t get to heaven so they all went to bed! I have a vague memory also in my had of a finger-counting thing that went… Jenny jenny jenny jenny WHOOPS! jenny WHOOPS! jenny jenny jenny jenny. You counted each “jenny” on your fingers from pinky to thumb and back - the “WHOOPS!” was a slide between index finger and thumb. Does anyone else remember something like that? Or what on earth the reason for it was… ---
**Author:** ![Stacii](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/74df32/32.png) [@Stacii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stacii)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2014, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-hand-clapping-and-jumprope-rhymes-do-you-remember/337151/48 "2014-01-14T02:52:50Z")
Ms Suzy had a steamboat The steamboat had a bell (ding ding) Ms suzy went to heaven the steamboat went to HELLo opperator please give me number 9 and if you disconnect me ill chop off your BEHIND the fridgorator there lay a peice of glass Ms Suzy say upon it and broke her big fat ASK me no more questions ill tell you no more lies The boys are in the bathroom zipping up their FLIES are in the city the bees are in the park Ms Suzy and her boyfriend are kissing in the D A R K D A R K DARK DARK DARK Darker than the ocean darker than the sea darker than the black boy kissing on my knee (muah muah) I know you know my ma I know you know my pa But do you know my sister with a 14 acre Bra bra bra ---
**Author:** ![Jeff\_Lichtman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeff_lichtman/32/1531_2.png) [@Jeff\_Lichtman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff_Lichtman)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2014, 7:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-hand-clapping-and-jumprope-rhymes-do-you-remember/337151/49 "2014-01-14T07:46:08Z")
Anyone who’s interested in this stuff should know about the record [1, 2, 3 and a Zing Zing Zing](http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/displaycode?section=civ&group=03001-04000&file=3333-3343.7). It’s a field recording of children’s rhymes, jumprope songs, street games and clapping games made by a guy named Tony Schwartz in New York City in 1952. You can play samples from the record at the web site I linked to - a couple of my favorites are Clap Games and Camp Songs. ---
**Author:** ![psychobunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/54ee81/32.png) [@psychobunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychobunny)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2014, 9:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-hand-clapping-and-jumprope-rhymes-do-you-remember/337151/50 "2014-01-14T09:24:34Z")
I believe the child is a teenager now and probably no longer needs these rhymes. Just saying. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2014, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-hand-clapping-and-jumprope-rhymes-do-you-remember/337151/51 "2014-01-14T15:56:22Z")
There’s a new one nowadays about Tic Tac Toe, which oddly enough culminates in a game of Rock-Paper-Scissors. It starts off something like “Tic Tac Toe, give me an X, give me an O, three times in a row…”, but I don’t remember all of it. ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2014, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-hand-clapping-and-jumprope-rhymes-do-you-remember/337151/52 "2014-01-14T19:46:53Z")
> [@Aspidistra](#): > > … I have a vague memory also in my had of a finger-counting thing that went… > > Jenny jenny jenny jenny WHOOPS! jenny WHOOPS! jenny jenny jenny jenny. > > You counted each “jenny” on your fingers from pinky to thumb and back - the “WHOOPS!” was a slide between index finger and thumb. Does anyone else remember something like that? Or what on earth the reason for it was… I learned it as “Johnny” not “Jenny” and IIRC you folded down the finger you “landed” on each time and, if done correctly, you wound up flipping the bird. ---
**Author:** ![Ella\_Megalast](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9d8465/32.png) [@Ella\_Megalast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ella_Megalast)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2014, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-hand-clapping-and-jumprope-rhymes-do-you-remember/337151/53 "2014-01-14T22:12:06Z")
I only know this from the Beatle movie Magical Mystery Tour. John Lennon does it while on the bus. ---
**Author:** ![MmeRose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ee7513/32.png) [@MmeRose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MmeRose)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2015, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-hand-clapping-and-jumprope-rhymes-do-you-remember/337151/54 "2015-07-21T06:03:58Z")
Resurrecting an old thread…does anyone know where these rhymes come from? They seem to be consistent, all over the country (maybe even world). We said “Miss Lucy had a steamboat” and even as a child I thought it odd that someone would have a steamboat. " hello operator, give me number 9" - how long ago would that have been done? Not In my time. We did another one called The Spades which had a complicated hand clapping routine. Anyone else? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-hand-clapping-and-jumprope-rhymes-do-you-remember/337151.md?page=2)