Research Catalog

Title

Games, rhymes, and wordplay of London children / N. G. N. Kelsey ; edited by Janet E. Alton, J. D. A. Widdowson.

Author

Kelsey, N. G. N.

Publication

Cham, Switzerland : Palgrave Macmillan, 2019.

Items in the Library & Off-site

Details

Description

lvi, 835 pages : illustrations (black and white); 21 cm

Summary

This book presents a unique annotated collection of some 2000 playground games, rhymes, and wordplay of London children. It charts continuity and development in childlore at a time of major social and cultural change and offers a detailed snapshot of changes in the traditions and language of young people. Topics include: starting a game; counting-out rhymes; games (without songs); singing and chanting games; clapping, skipping, and ball bouncing games; school rhymes and parodies; teasing and taunting; traditional belief and practice; traditional wordplay; and a concluding miscellany. Recorded mainly in the 1980s by primary school teacher Nigel Kelsey, transcribed verbatim from the children's own words, and accompanied by extensive commentaries and annotation, the book sets a wealth of new information in the wider historical and contemporary context of existing studies in Britain, Ireland, and other parts of the English-speaking world.

Subject

• Rhyming games > England > London
• Plays on words > England > London
• Games > England > London
• Children > England > London > Social life and customs
• Children > Social life and customs
• Games
• Plays on words
• Rhyming games
• England > London

Bibliography (note)

• Includes bibliographical references and index.

Contents

Preface -- The collection: key to presentation of entries -- Introduction : Inner London education authority -- Schools where data was collected. Part 1 Games and game rhymes, chants, and songs. Section 1 Starting a game. Section 2 Counting-out rhymes : Introduction -- Counting-out rhymes -- Ibble, obble, black bobble -- One, two, three, four, five, six, seven -- Tuppence on the water -- Racing care number nine -- Ipper dipper dation -- Eggs, butter, sugar tea -- Round and round the butter dish -- Round and round the apple pie -- Tarzan in the jungle -- Big Ben strikes ten -- My mum and your mum -- One potato, two potato -- Eeny meeny macker acker -- Eeny meeny miny mo -- Easie peasie -- Eeny deeny dip -- Ala ala ming mong -- Jink, jink, pom, pink -- Inky, pinky, perky, plum -- Inky, pinky, ponky -- Im stim, stammer bommer -- Im pim, septipim -- Icklety, picklety, my black hen -- There's a party on the hill -- Mrs. Mop owned a shop -- As I was walking down Inky-Pinky Lane -- There's a soldier on the grass -- The grass is green -- All the monkeys -- Ip, kip, threepenny bit -- Ip, dip, sky blue, who's it? Not you -- Ip, dip, sky blue, Tom and Jerry down the loo -- Ip, dip, dogs' shit -- Ip dip doo, the cat's got the flu -- Ip dip doo, the boys love you -- Ip, dip, Ana Ma Da -- Whose shoes are the cleanest? -- Did you clean your shoes last night? -- Your shoes need cleaning -- Dirty shoes, dirty socks -- Turn the dirty dish cloth -- Wash the dishes -- Boy scout -- Each, peach, pear, plum -- Mickey Mouse in his house -- Morsy, horsy in the stable -- Noddy has a little car -- Cowboy Joe from Mexico -- Rosy, Rosy, how do you do? -- Chocolate biscuit in the tin -- London County council -- I saw a fly -- Jenny got the measles -- Ham, bacon, pork chop -- You can't put your muck in my dustbin -- Ching chong Chinaman -- Doctor Foster went to Gloucester -- Yum, yum, bubblegum -- Cinderella, dressed in yella. Settling a dispute -- Red, gold and green. Section 3 Games (without songs) : Introduction -- Chasing games -- Racing and similar games -- Jumping, leaping and handstanding -- Seeking games -- Muddles -- Contests and tussles -- "Rough" or bullying games -- Ball games: kicking -- Ball games: handling -- Ball games: hitting ball with bat or stick -- Games played with other objects -- Miscellaneous outdoor games -- Pranks -- Mainly indoor games -- Pencil and paper games -- Various games reported with no details 1982-84. Section 4 Singing and chanting : Introduction -- A Gipsy came a-riding -- When Susie was a baby -- Here we go loobee-loo -- The hokey pokey -- Bingo -- Who has stole my watch and chain? -- London Bridge is falling down -- Row, row, row your boat -- Queenie, Queenie, or Queenie-I -- The farmer's in his den -- The grand old Duke of York -- A-hunting we shall go -- Ring a ring a roses -- Down in the valley -- I sent a letter to my love -- Poor Jenny is a-weeping -- Fair Rosie was a sweet princess -- In and out the dusty bluebells -- The good ship sails on the allee-allee-o -- Oranges and lemons -- Are you ready for a fight? -- Please mother, may I go out and play (Grandmother Gray) -- Skip to my lou -- Brown girl in the ring -- I went to California -- Here comes Mrs. Macaroni -- There were ten in a bed -- Into the centre and nod your head -- What can you do, Punchinello? -- I'm a little Dutch girl -- Heel and toe -- I'm a locked-up chicken -- Orange balls -- She wears red feathers -- We are the Deptford Girls -- When Grandmama met Grandpapa -- In a cottage in a wood -- Here comes Mrs. Molly -- I've got a daughter -- I'm a London girl (I'm a Texas girl) -- Everybody gather round -- Head, shoulders, knees and toes -- There's a tiny house -- A ship sails from China -- There was a girl from Italy -- I can do the can-can -- Fame -- Matilda -- Keep your sunny side up -- I'm the king of the swingers -- Underneath the spreading chestnut tree -- Cat's got the measles -- This way Valerie -- My name is Sexy Sue -- Crackerjack/firecracker -- I'm Shirley Temple -- Sabrina, Sabrina -- Out in Arizona -- Seven little girls -- Jimmy got drunk -- Biscuit -- I'm a sailor young and gay -- Cinderella -- Aunt Mildred -- Pop goes the weasel -- Milk, milk, lemonade -- Booby one, booby two -- Coconut, caramel -- Chinese, Japanese. Section 5 Clapping games : Introduction -- A sailor went to sea -- Have you ever, ever, ever -- Mario se fera -- I am a pretty little Dutch girl -- My boyfriend gave me an apple -- Im pom pay (om pom vee) -- I had the German measles -- One, two, three together -- I had a little brother -- I went to a Chinese restaurant -- Johnny broke a bottle -- Under the brown bush -- Three, six, nine -- My mama told me -- Mack, mack, mack -- My mother is a baker -- See, see, my playmate -- Who stole the cookies? -- Milly Molly Mandy -- I've been to Harlem -- Roses are red -- I saw my boyfriend. Section 6 Skipping games : Introduction -- Rope skipping -- Elastic skipping. Section 7 Ball bouncing games : Introduction -- Black cat -- Alice in Wonderland -- Daddy, Mummy, Uncle Dick -- Don't go to Granny's any more -- Dasha marmalade -- Up in Aberdeen -- D'you want a cigarette, sir? -- Donald Duck washing up -- Each, peach, pear, plum -- Gipsy, Gipsy lived in a tent -- Fudge, fudge, call the judge -- Oranges, lemons, two for a penny -- I'm Popeye the sailor man -- Matthew, Mark, Luke and John -- Mrs. Minny wore her pinny -- Mrs. Polly had a dolly -- Mrs. Rumble -- Dash, dash, dash -- I lost my arm in the army -- In prison you get coffee -- P.K. penny a packet -- Mrs. White had a fright -- My mum's a secretary -- Nigger, nigger -- Oliver Twist -- One, two, three-a-lairy -- Over the garden wall -- When I went up in a yellow balloon -- One, two, buckle my shoe -- Rin-tin-tin swallowed a pin -- Plainsie Jim swallowed a pin -- Plainsie to America -- Plainsie, clapsie -- Plainsie, upside, downsie, over etc. -- One, two, three and upsie/plainsie etc. -- Sevensies/tensies/alphabet -- Please miss -- Queenie, Queenie Caroline -- Mrs. Mop owned a shop -- Under the apple tree -- Mary Morgan played the organ -- Shirley Temple is a star -- Winnie the witch -- When the war was over -- When I was one -- Archibald, bald, bald -- Johnny went riding -- Rule Britannia. Part 2 Rhymes, songs, beliefs, and wordplay. Section 8 School rhymes and parodies : Introduction -- School and teachers -- School meals -- School boasts, yells, and chants -- Parodies of hymns, songs, and rhymes. Section 9 Teasing and taunting : Introduction -- Verbal tricks and catching out -- Teases, threats, ruses, and boasts -- Taunts and epithets -- Responses, retorts, and repartee -- Play on (other) children's names. Section 10 Traditional belief and practice : Introduction -- Divinations -- Incantations and rituals -- Other superstitions (luck etc.) -- Sayings and rhymes -- Seasonal lore. Section 11 Just for fun : Introduction -- Nonsense rhymes and wordplay -- Tongue twisters etc. -- Riddles -- Knock-knock riddles -- Verbal exchange jokes -- Funny book titles and epitaphs -- Puzzles -- Limericks -- Rhymes for fun -- Songs -- Jokes. Section 12 Miscellany : Introduction -- Football rhymes and chants -- Rhymes and songs for babies and toddlers -- Writings for albums, etc. -- Being first in line, etc. -- For marching -- Starting stories -- Everlasting stories -- So-called "backslang" -- Rhyming slang. Bibliography. Key to acronyms and abbreviations designating publications cited. Discography. Selected further reading. Index.

Call Number

JFD 19-517

ISBN

• 3030029093
• 9783030029098

OCLC

1054374506

Author

Kelsey, N. G. N., author.

Title

Games, rhymes, and wordplay of London children / N. G. N. Kelsey ; edited by Janet E. Alton, J. D. A. Widdowson.

Publisher

Cham, Switzerland : Palgrave Macmillan, 2019.

Type of Content

text

Type of Medium

unmediated

Type of Carrier

volume

Bibliography

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Other Form:

ebook version : 9783030029104

Research Call Number

JFD 19-517