Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Big Toe Tight...

As I said in my last post, our family has a "toe rhyme" that I've never heard anyone else play with their children.

When I searched online to see if I could find any references to it, the only one I found was a link to my cousin's blog. Since she did such a stellar job explaining, I'm just going to quote her:


My grandfather and his family had all kinds of little games they played that no one else did.

They bohunked - jumped around on their knees, with their legs crossed and feet tucked on their thighs.

And instead of saying, "This little piggy went to market" while tickling toes, they played this game:

Big toe tight,
Little penny white.
Big toe thistle,
Little penny whistle,
And.... licketypoopus

Don't ask me where it came from, but I much prefer it to talking about the piggy who didn't get any roast beef.

I completely agree with Leah, this rhyme is much better than the one that features a poor piggy going hungry while his friends are off representing three of the deadly sins.

Plus, my family's rhyme includes the word "poop" which, as we all know, causes children around the world to giggle.

Oh, and just so you know, bohunking is hard. I haven't done it in years, but I remember bruising my knees doing it.

6 comments:

  1. Wait a second. It doesn't just contain the word "poop". It contains the word "poop" immediately after and ATTACHED TO the word "lickety"!

    I'm starting to get a sense of how you grew up to be the kind of person who will raise the fearful spectre of a burning bumhole on the way out to supper within your first 5 minutes of meeting somebody (thus endearing yourself to us forever, might I add).

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  2. That is classic! That needs to be passed down to generations and generations.

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  3. And it sounds like you won't be trying bohunking any time soon!

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  4. Anonymous4:18 p.m.

    Bohunking?

    What you're describing reminds me of yogic flying (google video it :)

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  5. My Mother said one very similar to yours. We have passed it down to our children and grandchildren . we never knew were it came from. My mother was French and German, do you know were it came from?

    Susiekkinney@gmail.com

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  6. I just came across your blog because I was searching for a poem my mother used to say to me when I was little. It is so similar:
    Toe tight, (Big toe)
    Penny white,
    Toe thistle,
    Penny whistle
    and Nickombob!(pinkie toe)

    My mom passed away when I was little and I haven't been able to track down where she heard this. I suspect from her mother. Anyway, thank you for your post!

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