Eensy-weensy. But when this came up in conversation a couple of weeks ago and I told my husband that this is how I learned it, he looked at me like I had 2 heads, so we’ll be in the same boat as you.
You I like.
I have heard it both ways. Itsy-bitsy first, i think.
The lyrics of the song clearly indicate that the spider in question is itsy bitsy. Eensy weensy spiders are highly adapted for a terrestrial existence. Itsy bitsy spiders, on the other hand, are extremely adaptable and relatively adept climbers. They may often be found sheltering in elevated areas, and their young instinctively seek high ground from which to disperse via ‘ballooning’ using light strands of silk. If you’ve ever found a spider of less than 3-5 ml on your arm or pants leg, chances are that it was an itsy bitsy spider.
Dude? :dubious:
:smack: Sorry about that. I keep forgetting that not everyone grew up using dude in a unisex fashion.
Eensy-weensy is how I learned it, I think. I spent my younger years in Michigan, FWIW.
Only ever heard itsy-bitsy until I read this thread.
The results from the Scottish jury are:
Incy Wincy
I’ve never seen it any other way (until today).
That’s the Latin name. The common name is “Eensy weensy.”
I vote for the Scots. In New Zealand it was only ever Incy-Wincy, which I always thought was his name, but now I see it’s meant to be descriptive. Somehow.
Google says:
“Itsy bitsy spider” – 499,000 hits
“Eensy weensy spider” – 52,600 hits; variant:
“Eensie weensie spider” – 365 hits
A distant third was:
“Incy winc(e)y spider” – 14 hits
Clearly America has spoken: the spider was clearly an Arachnis itsibitsius. 
Interestingly, the so-called ‘incy wincy spider’ is in fact not truly a spider at all, but a parasitic mite of the cotton thistle.
Itsy bitsy.
Joey Deluxe sings my favorite version of it.
Itsy-bitsy, of course.
Itsy bitsy spider here
The Kiwi wife says incy wincy.
The preschool teacher checks in:
Itsy-bitsy.
Ooh, you can listen to it on-line, too. At his website.
Hooo! That’s great!
I know, it’s wonderfully morbid. My roommate’s nieces and nephews all love it and sing along with it whenever he plays it in the car.
A radioactive one, perhaps?