# Where does "neener neener neener" come from?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-neener-neener-neener-come-from/43092
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [November 28, 2000, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-neener-neener-neener-come-from/43092 "2000-11-28T21:34:42Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Turpentine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turpentine)
#### Post date: [November 28, 2000, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-neener-neener-neener-come-from/43092/1 "2000-11-28T21:34:42Z")
You all know the song.
“neener neener neener”
This melody usually has improvised lyrics, aimed at the subject of some ridicule.
But where does this tune come from? It goes up and down from high to low notes, and I think it is almost universally known.
That’s weird. Does the tune come from some ancient Celtic taunt to drive playful little sprites away, or is it an old Mayan chant to make it rain…
Really, how would you find out who made up this song?
Seriously.
Another variation is “Nya nya nya nya nya…”
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### Author:  [@JoeyBlades](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JoeyBlades)
#### Post date: [November 28, 2000, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-neener-neener-neener-come-from/43092/2 "2000-11-28T22:03:09Z")
The tune is (or should be) “Ring around the rosie”. “Neener” is a more modern variant of “Nah nah”. “Nah nah” was used in place of the lyrics either because kids couldn’t remember the lyrics or perhaps as a more articulated hum. Search for “Ring around the rosie” and you’ll find that it’s history is rooted in nursery rhyme and possibly dancing bans, but don’t believe the stuff about the plague - it’s been well debunked.
It may be used as a song of ridicule today, but originally it was a playful taunt… essentially “you can’t catch me”.
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### Author:  [@Ptahlis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ptahlis)
#### Post date: [November 28, 2000, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-neener-neener-neener-come-from/43092/3 "2000-11-28T22:14:56Z")
Well, in any “neener, neener” discussion, I have to mention my favorite variant, sung to the same tune:
**Nanny-nanny-boo-boo,
Stick your head in doo-doo!**
Attributed, I believe, to Shakespeare, age 4. 😉
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### Author:  [@Joe\_Cool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joe_Cool)
#### Post date: [November 28, 2000, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-neener-neener-neener-come-from/43092/4 "2000-11-28T22:21:16Z")
I can tell you where it came from:
Comanche Elementary School - Albuquerque, NM, 1976-1981
That was the first place _I_ ever heard it anyway. 🙂
Damn, I feel old!
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### Author:  [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)
#### Post date: [November 28, 2000, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-neener-neener-neener-come-from/43092/5 "2000-11-28T23:36:37Z")
It’s not in OED. Are you sure you spelled it right?
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### Author:  [@Uniball](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uniball)
#### Post date: [November 29, 2000, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-neener-neener-neener-come-from/43092/6 "2000-11-29T00:03:36Z")
Actually, it was made popular by the Three Stooges. But I suppose it came from old Vaudeville acts.
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### Author:  [@1967GTO](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/1967GTO)
#### Post date: [November 29, 2000, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-neener-neener-neener-come-from/43092/7 "2000-11-29T04:47:47Z")
The first I ever heard it was about 8 or 10 years ago on some comedy movie. Before that, I’d never heard the phrase.
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### Author:  [@Alan\_Smithee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alan_Smithee)
#### Post date: [November 29, 2000, 7:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-neener-neener-neener-come-from/43092/8 "2000-11-29T07:52:59Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by JoeyBlades \*
> \*\*Don’t believe the stuff about the plague - it’s been well debunked.
> \*\*
It _ **has** _?
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### Author:  [@Alan\_Smithee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alan_Smithee)
#### Post date: [November 29, 2000, 8:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-neener-neener-neener-come-from/43092/9 "2000-11-29T08:00:18Z")
[answers own question]
Yep.
By [the best](http://www.snopes2.com/spoons/fracture/rosie.htm).
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### Author:  [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)
#### Post date: [November 29, 2000, 9:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-neener-neener-neener-come-from/43092/10 "2000-11-29T09:21:47Z")
“Neener neener neener” is one of Dave Barry’s most hallowed phrases. He uses it almost as much as he suggests great names for rock bands.
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### Author:  [@Stimpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stimpy)
#### Post date: [November 29, 2000, 10:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-neener-neener-neener-come-from/43092/11 "2000-11-29T10:01:13Z")
playing cops and robbers at school, this is the sound of the police siren right?!?
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### Author:  [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)
#### Post date: [November 29, 2000, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-neener-neener-neener-come-from/43092/12 "2000-11-29T16:30:08Z")
Went thru 700 dictionaries & its not there. Hmmmm. Best you could do is try: [http://www.neenerneener.net](http://www.neenerneener.net)
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### Author:  [@SaSaLeLe2011](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SaSaLeLe2011)
#### Post date: [March 17, 2024, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-neener-neener-neener-come-from/43092/13 "2024-03-17T22:47:49Z")
LMAO, first reply in about 24 years! I think neener neener is a portmanteau of nutsack and wiener, because little kids are in to that humor.
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### Author:  [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)
#### Post date: [March 17, 2024, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-neener-neener-neener-come-from/43092/14 "2024-03-17T23:02:51Z")
Reducing the whole word “nutsack” to the single letter “n-” seems very implausible to me.
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### Author:  [@Nyvaak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nyvaak)
#### Post date: [March 17, 2024, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-neener-neener-neener-come-from/43092/15 "2024-03-17T23:45:52Z")
I believe “neener, neener” is a corruption of “nyah, nyah” by those whose tongues are not limber enough for the n-y consonant blend.
“Nyah, nyah,” is the obviously correct phrasing, because it is the way _I_ heard it on the playgrounds of Plainedge School District some 60-odd years ago.
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### Author:  [@SaSaLeLe2011](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SaSaLeLe2011)
#### Post date: [March 18, 2024, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-neener-neener-neener-come-from/43092/16 "2024-03-18T00:15:12Z")
I honestly don’t know, I thought this was funny, especially since nobody has replied to in in over 23 years.
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### Author:  [@SaSaLeLe2011](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SaSaLeLe2011)
#### Post date: [March 18, 2024, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-neener-neener-neener-come-from/43092/17 "2024-03-18T00:16:10Z")
I mean, we say gay uncle as “guncle” so i think that would totally be reasonable, since little kids say the word wiener a lot
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### Author:  [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)
#### Post date: [March 18, 2024, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-neener-neener-neener-come-from/43092/18 "2024-03-18T00:32:11Z")
Who’s to say _I_ didn’t invent the thing?
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### Author:  [@sunacres](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sunacres)
#### Post date: [March 19, 2024, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-neener-neener-neener-come-from/43092/19 "2024-03-19T01:37:20Z")
Kids’ language evolves so beautifully. A variant of neener neener neener was/is neener neyener noener.
And a college chum and I used to parody Maynard Ferguson’s version of “Eli’s Comin’” with:
Neener neener neener blaht! blaht!
Never imagined I’d write that down.
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### Author:  [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)
#### Post date: [March 20, 2024, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-neener-neener-neener-come-from/43092/20 "2024-03-20T20:32:00Z")
As to the 2-note sequence that generally accompanies such taunts, I believe Leonard Bernstein once explained all about why that sequence is appealing to and repeated by small children, in one of his educational videos about music. I don’t remember what he said exactly, something about the musical interval involved I think.
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