The Racist History of Eenie, Meenie, Miney, Moe. To make matters worse, that song became the basis for an offensive folk song in 1916 titled, "Nigger Love A Watermelon Ha! The words: "Ol' massa's gone and I'll let him rest/They say all things are for the best/ But I'll never forget 'til the day I die". Eeena, meena, mina, mo. Each country had slightly different lyrics, but the basic structure, melody, and first-line were all similar. This, though the early 2000s, even, says Dr. Nel. Furthermore, another theory describes how slave traders would pinch or pull a slave's toe before purchasing them (via An Injustice). It first began to be written down in the 19th century - the scholarly journal Notes and Queries published this in the February 1855 edition: "The following are used in the United States for the selection of a taggerEeny, meeny, moany, mite,Butter, lather, boney, strike,Hair, bit, frost, neck,Harrico, barrico, we, wo, wack". It was meant to propagate the sense of superiority white children felt even after they lost the Civil War. Some of these are obvious, others not so much! or "Daniel Boone was a man, he was a big man, but the bear was bigger so he ran like a nigger up a tree". Then and now give them credit for changing the tune those are the dark ages. The History And Traditions That Make Hanukkah Light Up, The Meaning Of Kwanzaa And Its Celebrations, Winter 2023 New Words: Everything, Everywhere, All At Once, Fall In Love With 14 Captivating Valentines Day Words, Rizz And 7 Other Slang Trends That Explain The Internet In 2023, Win With Qi And This List Of Our Best Scrabble Words, We Had ChatGPT Coin Nonsense PhrasesAnd Then We Defined Them, Surprise! Each syllable counts a child from a circle, and the game round finishes with the last kid pointed out. And she says you can trace the rhyme's origin way back to when shepherds used it to count hundreds of years ago. These songs, many of which are still sung today, aren't just uncomfortable because of their lyrics; most were used in minstrel/blackface performances in the past. On the Wikipedia page Talk: Eeny, meeny, miny, moe, the editors of the rhymes Wiki page were discussing the issue: At school in North London 197278 we used the n***** version, without any ill intention; it was just part of the rhyme, mentioned one of the editors. Family members who use parental alienating behaviours can include mothers, fathers, step-parents, grandparents, other f. As adults, we might be curious as to whether the words mean anything and what their origin might have been. Its well known that theres some challenging language in the Gospel of John,". By choosing I Accept, you consent to our use of cookies and other tracking technologies. For example, you may have heard, "Eenie, meenie, miney, mo, catch a tiger by his toe," but the original version was undeniably racist: "Eenie, meenie, minie mo. Prior to the popular variation used today that involves catching tigers, a common American variant of the rhyme used a racist slur against Black people instead of the word tiger. Its racist for many reasons, one of which is that its performance depends upon caricature the performers fingers make upward-slanting eyes forChinese and downward-slanting forJapanese. It was written by Stephen Foster (Camptown Races, Swanee River,) in the 19th century, and was originally sung in a slave dialect. The first record of a similar rhyme, called the "Hana, man," is from about 1815, when children in New York City are said to have repeated the rhyme: Henry Carrington Bolton discovered this version to be in the US, Ireland and Scotland in the 1880s but was unknown in England until later in the century. Get the fascinating stories of your favorite words in your inbox. [13] Thanks so much for talking with us, Adrienne. Then shop him to the FBI. 'Eeny, meeny, miny, mo' is certainly a strange line, so does it mean anything and does curiosity about its origin lead us anywhere? I can see right through you. I understand that one of the earlier versions of the rhyme included a racial slur. According to Vox, the 19th century American version of the nursery rhyme was rooted in the slave trade. Catch a mouse by the toe; Millions turn to Vox to educate themselves, their family, and their friends about whats happening in the world around them, and to learn about things that spark their curiosity. incremental changes in cultural representations. . We change the songs and scrub them clean. "Eeny, meeny, miny, moe"which can be spelled a number of waysis a children's counting rhyme, used to select a person in games such as tag. In 2017, fashion giant Primark removed a shirt that captured a famous scene from the hit TV show The Walking dead. Vis, vos, vay. Well, as is so often the case in etymology, yes and no. We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. While vaguely remembering a controversy surrounding the song, its sinister past left me at a loss of words when facing my children who were waiting for answers. "BasketBall, Watermelon, Cadillac cars, we aint as dumb as you think we..is". ", When it comes to these songs, Shaftel explains that children should be taught the modified versions because they can't grasp the nuances of race just yet and don't have multiple levels of understanding. Again, this is in no way a defense of those songs, a defense for keeping their original lyrics or absolving the audience members from their consumption of racist material. You Cant Use These English Words In The UK, Understanding Black History: 10 Terms That Illuminate The Black Experience In The US, The Names Of Black Panther And Wakanda: Their Meaning And Significance. This American childrens song was and is a catchy staple. Wie? Or. Related entries. A group of kids gets together to play a game of tag and nobody wants to be it. The children dont suddenly slip into chaos trying to decide who it is going to bethey possess a rhythmic selection procedure, parts of which have probably been around in some form for centuries. Kling klang, We publish narratives intentionally and specifically to enlighten and transform the world. We don't always do this with American folk songs. Catch a tiger by the toe T he American version became so prominent that it spread all over the world, and was still sung years later. The rhyme is used by groups of children as a way of selecting someone to take a role that is different from the others. Folklorists, too, went on the playgrounds to study what these kids were singing. This one, which includes the 'toe' and 'olla' from Kipling's version, is one of many variants of "counting out rhymes" collected by Bolton in 1888:[7]. Please enter a valid email and try again. 12 Childhood Nursery Rhymes You Didnt Realize Were Racist, Man from Viral Video Explains Why He Knocked Down White Dude for Spouting the N-Word In Ohio Convenience Store, Angry Woman Refuses to Let Black Postmates Driver Deliver Order In Apartment Building: I Dont Want You Here at All, White Woman Calls 911 on Black Man, Accuses Him of Being Drug Dealer as He Sits Outside His Own House. Dirty knees could indicate a need to wash, but they also suggest that the person kneels a lot.. But where does it come from? Versions of the Score include: Northern England, southern Scotland: yan, tan, tethera, methera, pimp. An example comes from the Danish region near Kattegat, where the Jack and Jill rhyme, which arrived during the British occupation in the Napoleonic wars, was repeated as: Jeck og JillVent op de hillOg Jell kom tombling efter. When the reach of racism robs me of fond memories from my childhood, it feels intensely personal again. before turning into the melody that beckons ice cream seekers today. Prior to the popular variation used today that involves catching tigers, a common American variant of the rhyme used a racist slur against Black people instead of the word. The black plaintiffs in that case sued the airline for discrimination because a flight attendant had used the rhyme while urging them to take their seats. Bennett, P.R. Israeli/British. For centuries, this has been a popular method to make a hard choice for both children and adults all over the world. The poem has many versions used in different regions, but the roots consistently make clear references to slavery and discrimination of Black people. Change them? "Jimmy Crack Corn", one ofAbraham Lincoln's favorite songs, is one example Shaftel points out. You can also contribute via. (1974). Google Pay. The song was written by both Kingston and Bieb read more justin bieber pop eenie meenie Add tags View all tags Play album Replace video Featured On My World 2.0 Justin Bieber 710,941 listeners You start saying eeny meeny, and then you go miny mo. If he hollers, let him go. British? I mean do people kind of sing it? A more acceptable version has now established itself: Eeny, meeny, miny, mo,Catch the tiger/monkey/baby by the toe.If it hollers[USA]/screams[UK] let him go,Eeny, meeny, miny, mo. Doo-dah day!". As difference is unwelcome to children, the formula had to be sufficiently unpredictable to be accepted as fair. Each country had their own lyrics, but the structure and melody remained the same. The words: " Eenie, meenie, minie mo. So I'm going to completely butcher the pronunciation, but there's versions of it that folklorists heard in Denmark, for example, like, (reciting poem with Danish dialect). It is very hard to establish the exact origin of the song as it has so many accepted forms, in different languages and countries. Sometimes the child pointed to at the end of one count is the one selected - to be 'It' in a game of hide and seek, for example. Eenie, meenie, miney, moe. Did we miss any tunes that need to be nixed? ), Definition from Wiktionary, the free dictionary, similar children's counting-out games in other languages, As for this thing, he held up the shuttlecock, contaminated, in his outstretched right [hand], this idiot tickler, the only thing it's good for is, Well, said Lord Galen in some dismay, I suppose we shall have to cast lots or play at, la bla nca trska panca, oj gdi Vno na kapitno, n piy, w piy, y zh xiomo zu fij, literally "cap cip cup flower bud, a horse ran and was pinched by the door", ni bni rs, kvnter fnter s, ni bni rjba, kvnter fnter ba, , , cap cip cup kembang kuncup, kuda lari kejepit pintu, entliczek pentliczek czerwony stoliczek na kogo wypadnie na tego bec, , , , , https://en.wiktionary.org/w/index.php?title=eeny,_meeny,_miny,_moe&oldid=71429390, Requests for etymologies in English entries, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, A method of choosing between two or more people or things, used by. I contacted Matthew Shaftel, a professor of Music Theory and Associate Dean of Undergraduate Studies at Florida State for an expert opinion. Seemingly innocent, the rhyme is not what it seems. Although it seems weird that a similar rhyme would emerge all over the world, researchers believe that it could have simply resulted from different children learning which sounds go well together. It's safe to say that as classic as "Eeny, meeny, miny, mo" is, the centuries-old nursery rhyme no doubt has a haunted past and not so kid-friendly origins. Years later, in 1982, linguist Derek Bickerton proposed a theory that Eeny, Meeny, Miny, Moe was actually a distorted version of an African phrase. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. What lies behind this variability is that throughout the 19th century the rhyme spread from different parts of the UK to every playground in the English-speaking world, but by word of mouth rather than on paper. Eeny, meeny, miny, moe is part of a large collection of Counting-out rhymes, used in playground games, since the early 19th century. Eeny, meeny, miny, moe also known as Eena, meena, mina, mo is a popular counting rhyme and singing game. For Theodore Johnson III, who wrote the article, knowledge of that history ruined ice cream trucks for him. Stick, stack, stone dead! Another is that it associates Asians with either poor hygiene or subservience. or 'O, U, T spells out! When he's done, Wipe his bum. Catch an nigger by the toe. However, the original words used in the song have far less benign implications. Raphel wrote about eeny meeny miny mo for The Paris Review. If he hollers, let him go, All rights reserved. The best known version of the rhyme is the one that is now widely derided as insulting, especially in the USA, where the middle two lines originated: Eena, meena, mina, mo,Catch a n*gger by the toe,If he hollers, let him go,Eena meena, mina, mo. Endendino, en-den-di-no. It wasnt until a discussion about the rhyme with my American wife that I discovered any tiger version existed, adds another. But, it gets a little complicated because parts of the rhyme probably come from different places and times. ADRIENNE RAPHEL: Yan, tan, tehtera, methera, pimp, sethera, lethera, hovera, dovera - so you can kind of hear the eeny meeny miny mo in it, right? I love writing about what I love. Stop singing them? And it's really fun to repeat them in a pattern. Ene, tene, mone, mei, And tell his mother what he's done. In England, for example, Bolton found this version: In the US, while Bolton found dozens of different versions, a similar theme, with very specific wording, was found in many of them. Eeny meeny miny mo. Nicki Minaj) Justin Bieber 4,179,003 Nonetheless, it's clear that "Eeny, meeny, miny, mo" was adapted through the years and revised to fit the era and place it was sung in. eenie meanie, miny, moe phrase. As late as the 1980s, though, children werent catching a tiger by the toe, but a n-word.. Eeny meeny miney mo, Catch a tigger by the toe, If you ever let it go, Eeny meeny miney mo. The meaning: The protagonist of the song is an African-American slave who is portrayed as dumb and naive. On the Wikipedia page "Talk: Eeny, meeny, miny, moe", the editors of the rhyme's Wiki page were discussing the issue: "At school in North London 1972-78 we used the n***** version, without any ill intention; it was just part of the rhyme", mentioned one of the editors. Eenie, meenie, miney, mo Catch a bad chick by her toe If she holla If, if, if she holla, let her go She's indecisive, she can't decide She keeps on looking from left to right This popular rhyme proves that, especially once you know children typically accompanied their singing by pressing the corners of their eyes up or down, then grabbing their knees. Zimbabwe: Children often utilize this rhyme to determine whos it, especially during a game of Hiden Seek. "[4] "Tigger" is also used instead of "tiger" in some versions of the rhyme.[5][6]. The Dark Origins Of The Eeny, Meeny, Miny, Mo Nursery Rhyme. And that then caused a lot of entomologists to do kind of back formations, and say, well, because it had this racial slur, we think it may have had all of these other, you know, African American origins and all of this stuff with it. Here are some versions from English-speaking countries Eenie, Meenie, Miney, Moe Eeeny, Meeny, Miney, Mo England, English Language Eenie, Meenie, Miney, Moe USA, English Language Eenie Meenie Sicileeny USA, English Language In other musical instances, this is not the case. De lectrick fluid magnified, and killd five hundred n**gers. Eeny meeny miny mo. If he hollers, let him go. [citation needed]. Barcelona, stony, sty, Versions of the rhyme have existed since before 1820. Eeeny, meeny, miney, mo! Its possible children tried all sorts of nonsensical sounds and rhythms until they found one they liked: Nevertheless, there are as many theories as to the origin of. To learn more or opt-out, read our Cookie Policy. Although it seems weird that a similar rhyme would emerge all over the world, researchers believe that it could have simply resulted from different children learning which sounds go well together. Eenie, Meenie, Miney, Mo. The first line of a popular children's counting rhyme. The words:"Jump down, turn around, pick a bale of cotton. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. The stories we learn from them are painful, but also valuable. Ha!" We've all taken advantage of the quirky nursery rhyme, "Eeny, Meeny, Miny, Moe." But what does the ditty mean? What does eenie meanie, miny, moe expression mean? An alternate version: "Catch a negro by his toe/ If he hollers make him pay/Twenty dollars every day.". Our skimmable newsletter is delivered to your inbox each week, giving you 5 things you need to read and get smarter. Pastor, lone, bone, strei, Doo-dah!/ I come down dah wid my hat caved in Doo-dah! But when you get money, your little bride Will surely find out where you hide, So there's the door and when I count four, Then out goes you. The original lyrics: "It raind all night de day I left, De wedder it was dry, The sun so hot I froze to def.". 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