", 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. Years later, in 1982, linguist Derek Bickerton proposed a theory that Eeny, Meeny, Miny, Moe was actually a distorted version of an African phrase. Support our mission, and make a gift today. [13] 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. But where does it come from? Catch a tiger by the toe If he hollers, let him go, Nicki Minaj) Justin Bieber 4,179,003 "Iniminimanimo" is a 1999 song by Kim Kay. Eeny, meeny, miny, moe also known as Eena, meena, mina, mo is a popular counting rhyme and singing game. Then shop him to the FBI. $MMT = window.$MMT || {}; $MMT.cmd = $MMT.cmd || [];$MMT.cmd.push(function(){ $MMT.display.slots.push(["6e36601e-44cf-4f78-b804-bfbdde6ee2e3"]); }). Children all over the world use a variation of this childhood chant, most often used, in America, to decide who will be it in a game like tag. ), 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. Kling klang, ", 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. An unavoidable question arises: what do you do with these songs? Whenever I hear the music now, the antique voice laughing about niggers and watermelon fills my head," Johnson wrote. All rights reserved. The words: "Eenie, meenie, minie mo. A leader takes the counting role and, in the rhythm of the rhyme, points to each child in turn. It's also, you know, it's so much fun because they sound great together. There's also another version that goes. Is it my responsibility to foul the sweet taste of ice cream with their first taste of racism?". Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium. And so, a simple game of tag turned into a research assignment with unsettling outcomes. "BasketBall, Watermelon, Cadillac cars, we aint as dumb as you think we..is". If then the slave would scream, the trader would decline to purchase him. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. The FBI and Energy Department think Covid-19 came from a lab. Bickerton says that the language was used by African slaves and that this term might have been picked up by American children to be used in the rhyme. Israeli/British. This bears more than a passing resemblance to the English version recorded by Fred Jago in The Glossary of the Cornish Dialect, 1882: Ena, mena, mona, mite,Bascalora, bora, bite,Hugga, bucca, bau,Eggs, butter, cheese, bread.Stick, stock, stone dead - OUT.". Ting, tay, tong, Shorty is a eenie meenie miney mo lover "Eenie Meenie" is a song by American singer Sean Kingston and Canadian singer Justin Bieber. A version from Yorkshire is: Eeeny, meeny, miney, mo. Pastor, lone, bone, strei, Instead of Monkeys, Five Little Monkeys (also known as Ten Little Monkeys originally used the n word or darkies as a reference to Black people. "Never Stop The Music!"Thank you for watching!Hope you enjoyed it! My goal to explain to my kids how a popular childrens rhyme came to have such unusual lyrics of a tiger being abused ended up with the knowledge of the rhymes much sinister past. Eena, meena, mina, mo, (one version of several; they also chant the US variation above) France: Une, mine, mane, mo, Une, fine, fane, fo Maticaire et matico, Accuracy and availability may vary. Harvard PhD student Adrienne Raphel looked into its origins, and tells NPR's Rachel Martin it's found on playgrounds around the world. Each country had slightly different lyrics, but the basic structure, melody, and first-line were all similar. Eenie, meenie, miney, moe " In historical references of this song, the word "tiger" is replaced by the N-word. And it sounded a little like this. I understand that one of the earlier versions of the rhyme included a racial slur. Catch an nigger by the toe. If he hollers, let him go. The songs meant something at the time they were created, and they have a different, and important meaning to our lives now: remembering a past that we should never forget. Interestingly, Dutch scholars had the same idea. Definition of eenie meanie, miny, moe in the Idioms Dictionary. I contacted Matthew Shaftel, a professor of Music Theory and Associate Dean of Undergraduate Studies at Florida State for an expert opinion. . But, it gets a little complicated because parts of the rhyme probably come from different places and times. The meaning: . 98 Likes, 9 Comments - Hannah Arbogast (@hannaharbogast) on Instagram: "eenie meenie miney mo" Eenie Meenie (Radio Version) Sean Kingston & Justin Bieber Similar Songs TRACK ARTIST SHAZAMS Eenie Meenie (Remix) DocterS 41,737 Payphone x Please Don't Go (slowed + reverb) Tazty, slowed + reverb Tazty & slowed + reverb songs 2,255 We Found Love Melone 29,072 Down Jay Sean 4,369,372 Beauty and a Beat (feat. There's a deliberate choice here to make the singer sound unsophisticated. Eeny meeny miny mo. The stories we learn from them are painful, but also valuable. Related Chasing Games. Ha! The sisters claimed that the flight attendant's use of the rhyme was racist. He disregards the idea that the first line is a distorted version of a Latin prayer of dark-ages monks. Added to that, as far back as the 19th century there have been variants of the rhyme which are so dissimilar to our current version as to be scarcely recognisable - 'Hana, mana, mona, mike' (from New York) and 'Eetern, feetern, peeny, pump' (from Scotland) and many of these now have local variants and words added from other languages. Definitions by the largest Idiom Dictionary. Gotta jump down, turn around, Oh, Lordie, pick a bale a day." Its racist origin, however, still haunts the popular rhyme. The real lyrics, according to The Oxford Dictionary of Nursery Rhymes, are as follows: Eenie, meenie, miney moe Catch an [N-word] by the toe If he hollers, let him go Eenie, meenie,. Eenie, meenie, minie mo." An alternate version: "Catch a negro by his toe/ If he hollers. Barcelona, stony, sty, Some of these are obvious, others not so much! which makes as little sense in Danish as it does in English but, despite it being entirely meaningless to them, the children in the area continued to sing it for centuries. Something went wrong. Now what? American in origin or English? I grew up in Australia and during my childhood years in the mid-late 70s, the only version I was aware of was the n***** version. All The Pasta Shape Names Explained: How Many Do You Know? But in that context, does the current edit make this nursery rhyme any less derogatory? 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. If he hollers let him go, You seem like the type To love them and leave them And disappear right after the song. Many people conveniently forget parts of American history like the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 and the Japanese internment camps that dotted the American West during WWII, but the truth is, Asian Americans have never had it easy in the States. Thanks so much for talking with us, Adrienne. Doo-dah!/ I go back home wid a pocket full of tin -- Oh! The link to the names of numerals in ancient languages is also likely. Shawty is a eenie meenie miney mo, lover [Justin Bieber] Let me show you what your missing, Paradise, With me you're winning girl, You don't have to roll the dice, Tell me what you're really here for, Them other guys? [30], The 1933 Looney Tunes cartoon Bosko's Picture Show parodies MGM as "TNT pictures", whose logo is a roaring and burping lion with the motto "Eenie Meanie Minie Moe" in the place of MGM's "Ars Gratia Artis". And who decides this? Our skimmable newsletter is delivered to your inbox each week, giving you 5 things you need to read and get smarter. Ene, tene, mone, mei, Catch an [N-word] by the toe The ten little monkeys are lying in the bed, the little one said roll over, and one fell out this rhyme is meant to teach littles to count backward from 10. 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 You probably sang something about a tiger, but the original lyrics go like this: "Eenie, meenie, minie mo/. Wo? 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. What does eenie meanie, miny, moe expression mean? Is It Called Presidents Day Or Washingtons Birthday? Eenie Meenie Miney Moe 2013 Not Rated 1 h 34 m IMDb RATING 4.7 /10 321 YOUR RATING Rate Play trailer 1:37 1 Video 4 Photos Crime Drama Thriller Raul, a tow truck driver in Miami Beach, learns that every choice has its rewards and consequences. For the most part, schools in the U.S. have gone with the latter. Why do so many fairy tales contain a hero named Jack? Later, they can learn where the songs came from, and that lesson will be an important one. "When the reach of racism robs me of fond memories from my childhood, it feels intensely personal again. [11] There are considerable variations in the lyrics of the rhyme, including from the early twentieth century in the United States of America: During the Second World War, an AP dispatch from Atlanta, Georgia reported: "Atlanta children were heard reciting this wartime rhyme: A distinct version of the rhyme in the United Kingdom, collected in the 1950s & 1960s, is: There are many scenes in books, films, plays, cartoons and video games in which a variant of "Eeny meeny " is used by a character who is making a choice, either for serious or comic effect. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. The rhyme appears towards the end of 1949 British black comedy Kind Hearts and Coronets. "Eeny, meeny, miny, moe", which can be spelled a number of ways, is a children's counting rhyme, used to select a person in games such as tag. The title of Chester Himes's novel If He Hollers Let Him Go (1945) refers to the rhyme. You could rock, paper, scissors for it, or you could do the following ANNA KULBASHNY: Catch a tiger by the toe EMILE BEAUBIEN: If it hollers, let him go MARTIN: Every kid seems to know this rhyme, or at least a variation of it, including the kids you just heard - 11-year-old Cecilia Clemens and Anna Kulbashny, 10-year-old Emile Beaubien and Sarayu Mudiya, age 6. When he's done, Wipe his bum. NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. Its possible children tried all sorts of nonsensical sounds and rhythms until they found one they liked: Eenie, Meenie, Miney, Moeand its variants just happened to win out most of the time because it was pleasant to hear and say, like most nursery rhymes. It starts with a group of nonsense syllables and ends with a phrase that will indicate the games goal. Maticaire et matico, 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. My story begins a few days ago while playing tag with my kids. Eeeny, meeny, miney, mo! Oops. In other musical instances, this is not the case. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. Dutch? A new intersectional publication, geared towards voices, values, and identities! However, the lyrics to this song were not originally about a tiger. The rest of the rhyme usually varies between countries, offering a mixture of gibberish and local spoken words. 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. And if you have a vested interest in perpetuating the myths, youll want to start corrupting your children young right from the cradle and thats how these rhymes were surely born. This page was last edited on 25 February 2023, at 16:19. He should run again. An alternate version: "Catch a negro by his toe/ If he hollers make him pay/Twenty dollars every day.". 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. The songs meant something at the time they were created, and they have a different, and important meaning to our lives now: remembering a past that we should never forget. Is it originally American? Eeny meeny miny mo. Eje, veje, vaek. Catch an nigger by the toe. Hearing the lyrics, my younger son then asked about the tiger hes in the tiger phase and was curious about the song that describes what can only be seen as animal cruelty. RAPHEL: An earlier version of the rhyme that children recited on playgrounds did include a racial slur sometimes. "Eeny, meeny, miny, moe"which can be spelled a number of waysis a children's counting-out rhyme, used to select a person in games such as tag, or for selecting various other things. Ene, fune, herke, berke, There isnt any evidence to back up this theory, which basically means that a term used by African slaves was used by white children in a racist song mocking them. Children often utilize this rhyme to determine whos it, especially during a game of Hiden Seek. In other musical instances, this is not the case. Then there's choosing a completely alternative rhyme to choose which kid sits in the front/ gets to play first on the xbox etc. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. The meaning: The vocabulary used by lyricist Stephen Foster is meant to mimic black speech. Please also read our Privacy Notice and Terms of Use, which became effective December 20, 2019. It has been utilized before in songs including "Eeny Meeny Miney Mo," a popular song written in 1935 by Johnny Mercer and Matty Malneck and the similarly titled "Eeny Meeny Miny Moe," which was an European hit for Dutch girl group Luv . As late as the 1980s, though, children werent catching a tiger by the toe, but a n-word.. each word or pair of syllables). Remember playing this choosing game on the playground? Seemingly innocent, the rhyme is not what it seems. 144 Likes, 0 Comments - VW Barstool (@barstool_vw) on Instagram: "eenie meenie miney mo, your season is over, time to go home @barstool_elida" Bach's St. John Passion, for instance, is set to anti-semitic text. The meaning: The protagonist of the song is an African-American slave who is portrayed as dumb and naive. newsletter. Following by different variations of if he squeals/screams/hollers and then let him go/make him pay/send him hum. So then you stick words that you recognize into the nonsense syllables. There never was an accepted definitive version, so the children who used the rhyme were very happy to substitute their own words as the mood took them. 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. The song's melody, it turns out, was popularized in antebellum minstrel shows where the lyrics "parodied a free black man attempting to conform to white high society by dressing in fine clothes and using big words." 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. Only in recent years, when n***** became a taboo, the term tiger somehow replaced it and became the common version of the rhyme. You know them by heart, but you can do these little, like, switches and flips and variations in them. 0:00 / 1:18 Eeny Meeny Miny Moe | Nursery Rhyme With Lyrics | English Rhymes For Kids The Tiny Tots 93.5K subscribers Subscribe 205K views 8 years ago Watch 'Eeny Meeny Miny Moe', a classic. I've updated the piece to reflect those concerns. It was actually a part of a 2004 lawsuit against Southwest. Put the baby on the po Eenie meenie miney mo Catch a bad chick by her toe If she holla, if, if, if she holla let her go. It goes something like this: Eenie, meenie, miney, moe, 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.". Johnson's piece got us thinking about the songs like the ice cream truck song a seemingly innocuous folk song, nursery rhyme, or jingle that we may not have known were racist, and what we should do when we learn about their histories. Related entries. It's all over. Different lyrics, but also valuable and, in the U.S. have gone with the latter tag. But in that context, does the current edit make this nursery any! In that context, does the current edit make this nursery rhyme any less derogatory popular rhyme flight... The trader would decline to purchase him learn from them are painful, but also valuable foul the taste... Himes 's novel if he squeals/screams/hollers and then let him go ( 1945 ) to!, points to each child in turn the nonsense syllables those concerns expert opinion identifier stored a..., but you can do these little, like, switches and flips and variations them. 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Shaftel, a professor of Music alternatives to eenie meenie miney mo and Associate Dean of Undergraduate Studies at Florida State for an opinion... Each child in turn talking with us, Adrienne please add to it, especially a! The nonsense syllables and ends with a group of nonsense syllables and ends a! Sisters claimed that the flight attendant 's use of the rhyme included a racial slur sometimes the lyrics this. Mission, and tells NPR 's Rachel Martin it 's so much fun because they sound great together choice to! A negro by his toe/ if he squeals/screams/hollers and then let him go ( 1945 ) refers the... Him pay/Twenty dollars every day. these little, like, switches and flips and variations in.... Foster is meant to mimic black speech: an earlier version of the page across from the article title this... Game of Hiden Seek to each child in turn and then let him go, you seem like the to... 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