It is interesting to see threads over a year old resuscitated.
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I hate searching the dictionary trying to find out how to spell a word I don’t know how to spell. It took me forever to find resurrect, which still looked wrong to me so I used the word right underneath it… resuscitate.
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Anyway, since I registered less than a year ago, I’ll put in my two cents worth by saying…
a) Pulykamell, great research.
b) when I was a kid, upper midwest USA, I heard “sticks and snails”.
In fact, this is the second time it’s been resurrected…and I was worrying I was the only one who cared about stupid crap like this.
With over 3,800 page views, I can rest easy now…
Wow, the twice resurrected thread! I sort of feel obligated to contribute!
I’ve never heard anything but “snips and snails” until reading this thread.
I’ve never heard anything but “itsy bitsy spider” either.
Didn’t know it was called anything other than “chutes and ladders” though I always wondered why they didn’t call it “slides and ladders” …
Welcome to thee, thread of antiquity. This was one of the first SDMB threads that I ever contributed to. Ah, nostalgia ain’t what it used to be.
The huge variation in these rhymes shows they are passed on by word of mouth, not books. They are true oral tradition, and there is really no “correct” version. You can try to find the earliest written version, but that may be only one version of many that existed when it was written.
However, if you have to be nitpicky about it, the rhyme seems to have its roots in England. If they invented it, I think they should be allowed priority. Today, there is strong consensus in the UK (and in Ireland) about “slugs and snails and puppy dogs’ tails”. No other version was is published in children’s books in my childhood (or my second childhood). It seems to be authoritative.
Americans clearly had a difficulty with our phallic symbols. How Freudian to have gone for the snip. 
Slugs? Phallic overtones? That’s the first time I’ve ever heard that.
Just to contribute a little more data:
I’m from the southern U.S., and our version was always “snips and snails and puppy dog tails.” No, we didn’t know what “snips” referred to, either, although I love GirlNextDoor’s explanation. I had at least heard of “snakes and snails . . .” “Frogs and snails” is right out.
“Itsy Bitsy Spider” down here, with the occasional “Eensy Weensy” thrown in.
Phallic snails?
RR
While it’s entirely likely that it is a purely regional thing, like the dreaded “of-ten” “offen” or soda or pop (It’s OFTEN & SODA!, or soda pop, but pop just sounds stupid, especially since it’s used as common language for so many other things, says the W-German-Norwegian-ASP Upper-middle class Pennsylvanian! 
), Having only heard Snips snails and puppy-dog tails, I am inclined to think, especially w/the majority of web references pulykamell found that the appropriate US-canonical version should be considered “Snip, Snails and Puppy-dog Tails”. Proving Powerpuff Girls (the best Cartoon Network original cartoon!) correct. As an aside though, I think Jess’ belief of snips meaning small miscellaneous objects like boys tend to carry in their pockets is the correct definition. Though I am probably biased by the fact that I distinctly recall my grandmother (1908-1998 AD) saying exactly that to me when I was a little boy myself.
Also, if you want to look at it as Socpro69 did; puppy-dog tails gives you competitiveness, loyalty, dislike of Females (look how girl dogs are treated, plus, we all know dogs hate cats and vice-versa, and even though I am a big cat person, the feline species is distinctly feminine), clumsiness, etc., snails gives fondness of gross things, resistance to showing emotions, and Snips gives that basic sense of wanderlust and curiosity about things, the tendency to have short attention spans and eccentric taste, etc.
I know this is an OLD thread, but I wanted to throw my two cents in…
bye
Wow - I feel special now. 
I thought people would be mad at me for ressurecting such an old thread (that’s what happens at another bulletin board that I go to. I never saw much of a problem with it myself, though).
I forgot about the Itsy Bitsy Spider reference. I always heard it as itsy bitsy as well. However, I remember being surprised to hear it sung as eensy-weensy a few months ago in a commercial for a CD of children singing children’s songs (geeze, that commercial was obnoxious!) Also, I’m a chutes and ladders girl, not snakes and ladders. Those would have to be some pretty humungous snakes for children to slide down - chutes makes more sense to me (though snakes are certainly more interesting and imaginative).
What on Earth makes a slug a phallic symbol? The shape? I can sorta see that, but otherwise I haven’t got a clue. However, if you really want to get Freudian, snakes could be seen as a phallic symbol too, I suppose. But not frogs (unless you have a really good imagination).
Over here, the child’s game was always Snakes and Ladders. This seems to be the original version, judging by this cite - Snakes and Ladders - Online Guide . It seems to have been an Indian game originally.
Americans seem have cleared up another European phallusy, so to speak. I hear the clash of symbols, so I will discuss this no further for fear of causing insult.