Name of this activity in children's game...

[Mehrgan]

Hi all,
I'm looking for something like a rhyme, which is used by children in some games to choose one from among others. For example, in hide-and-seek, in order to determine who has got to look for others, there must be (probably) something like a short poem, rhyme, etc. to be sung by one of the children. (Sometimes, simply, a child counts 10, 20,...100! And the one who gets the 100, will be the hunter!)

I hope there is such a rule in English games as well.

Thanks.

 

[MrPedantic]

Hello Mehrgan,

Here is a description of one such rhyme (perhaps the most usual).

Best wishes,

MrP

 

[5jj]

I tried googling 'children's rhymes - elimination'. This is one of the sites that came up:
Eshtine: game: children's rhymes

There are others you can browse through if you google yourself.

 

[Mehrgan]

Thanks to you both! Nice links, and nice info!
And, based on your own experience, is there any of them that is heard more than others? (I'm asking so because in Persian there are one or two such rhymes that are used most often, even as a way to have fun in the case adults want to decide on who should do something awkward!)



Thank you again.

 

[Mehrgan]

And, thanks to you, I've got this:
Eeny, meeny, miny, moe,Catch the tinker by the toe.If it squeals let him go,Eeny, meeny, miny, moe, you are it!


Does it sound alright to the natives here?

Ta!

 

[mykwyner]

Where I grew up, (Chicago, USA) we caught a tiger by the toe, and if he hollered we'd let him go.

 

[Mehrgan]

I just wish I could listen to somebody singing it! :--)

 

[birdeen's call]

I just wish I could listen to somebody singing it! :--)

I never heard it sung. It's recited rhytmically (to my knowledge).

PS: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQ_mrDFQsfo

PPS: Note the ancient origins of the rhyme.

 

[Mehrgan]

I never heard it sung. It's recited rhytmically (to my knowledge).

PS: YouTube - Nursery Rhymes - Eenie, Meenie, Minie, Mo - Kids Animation Rhymes

PPS: Note the ancient origins of the rhyme.

I mean if I could have a link to this rhyme sung by a child or so, to see how items are pronounced.

Ta!

 

[MrPedantic]

And, thanks to you, I've got this:
Eeny, meeny, miny, moe,Catch the tinker by the toe.If it squeals let him go,Eeny, meeny, miny, moe, you are it!


Does it sound alright to the natives here?

Ta!

Yes, I'd call that standard, except that I'd say "Catch a tinker by the toe /If he squeals, etc.".

I don't recall any tigers, though.

There's an interesting discussion of this rhyme and its variants in the Oxford Dictionary of Nursery Rhymes (I. & P. Opie), if you ever come upon a copy.

"Eeny" and "meeny" rhyme with "me-knee"; "miny" rhymes with "my-knee", while "mo" rhymes with "go". The stress in the first three is on the first syllable.

If I remember correctly, an additional line could be added to the standard four:

"One, two, three, four, you're it!"

with a heavy stress on each word.

Best wishes,

MrP

 

[Mehrgan]

Yes, I'd call that standard, except that I'd say "Catch a tinker by the toe /If he squeals, etc.".

I don't recall any tigers, though.

There's an interesting discussion of this rhyme and its variants in the Oxford Dictionary of Nursery Rhymes (I. & P. Opie), if you ever come upon a copy.

"Eeny" and "meeny" rhyme with "me-knee"; "miny" rhymes with "my-knee", while "mo" rhymes with "go". The stress in the first three is on the first syllable.

If I remember correctly, an additional line could be added to the standard four:

"One, two, three, four, you're it!"

with a heavy stress on each word.

Best wishes,

MrP

Thanks a lot, dear MrPedantic! I suppose the version I put up is a British one. So, many thanks again!