FTX-198 - LANGUAGE AND HUMOUR

THE GAMES WE PLAY -1-

Following the publication of "The Lore & Language of Schoolchildren" here is Peter Opie's classic 1960 presentation on the historical and folklore background to the rhymes and games still played by children, as well as comment on their beliefs and customs. Some of the recordings were specially made by Sasha Moorsom, other illustrations were made by Damian Webb. This first album is concerned with the kid's love of language and sense of humour as shown in their play and chatter.

1. Playground atmosphere/ EENY MEENY MACHARACHA (Counting out Rhyme) - 0.25

2. Aim of programme/ EENY MEENY MINY MO - 1.05

3. Preserving ancient numerals, but up-to-date TV "rhyme of the year"/ BRONCO LANE 'AD A PAIN - 0.51

4. Juvenile pugnaciousness/ GET LOST, DROP DEAD - 0.26

5. (continued)/ I'LL BASH YOUR BRAINS IN FOR YOU - 0.24

6. Jeers & abusive names: I CALL SKINNY PEOPLE - 1.02

7. Historical examples; School meals: WHEN WE HAVE SAGO - 1.33

8. More food: SOMETIMES PEOPLE SAY - 0.54

9. Also more graceful language in singing games: ROSES RED & VIOLETS BLUE/ I'M A LITTLE ORPHAN GIRL/ ON A MOUNTAIN STANDS A LADY - 1.45

10. Poetry & rhyming riddles: LITTLE NANCY EDGECOTE - 0.31

11. Aesthetic comment; improper dress: IF WE SEE SOMEONE'S SLIP - 1.18

12. Dunces: THERE IS A SCHOOL IN LIVERPOOL - 0.33

13. Personal comment: NOBODY LIKES ME - 0.23

14. Age old reply: STICKS AND STONES - 0.19

15. Cry-babies: WATER CART, WATER CART - 0.43

16. Other cries: COWARDY, COWARDY CUSTARD - 0.11

17. Sneakers: TELL-TALE TIT - 0.38

18. Regional truce names: I GO TO A SCHOOL IN POPLAR - 0.19

19. (cont.) Liverpool; WHEN WE'RE HAVING A GAME - 0.19

20. "Barley" Australian: I COME FROM WOMAROO - 0.56

21. Proprietry rights: I BAGS BE FIRST - 0.19

22. (cont.) Yorkshire "Figgy": WHEN SOMEBODY WANTS TO BE OFF - 0.11

23. (cont.) "laggy": WHEN YOU WANT TO BE FIRST - 0.24

24. "Lag" at Public School: AT ETON - 0.43

25. "Finding's keeping": IF YOU FIND SOMETHINK - 0.39

26. Stepney: SOME PEOPLE SAY - 0.43

27. Crying "halves": IF MY BROTHER FINDS SOMETHING - 0.39

28. "Truth" sayings: I LIVE IN OXFORD - 1.16

29. Authority: MY TEACHER'S GOT A BUNION - 0.36

30. Truancy: Bermondsey: I'M GOING UP THE WAG - 0.44

31. Truancy names: WHEN A BOY WANTS TO SLOPE AWAY FROM SCHOOL - 0.25

32. Police: NO WONDER, NO WONDER THAT COPPERS ARE FAT - 0.46

33. (cont.) "Bluebottles": WHEN I SEE A POLICEMAN - 0.23

34. (cont.) Liverpool: SEVERAL NAMES OF POLICEMEN - 0.23

35. (cont.) Manchester: BLACKJACKS, KNOBBERS - 0.20

36. (cont.) Wakefield: WELL, THERE'S SIX FOOT MISERIES - 0.20

37. (cont,) Bermondsey (song): I SAW A BOBBY ON THE CORNER - 0.33

38. Counting out rhyme from Germany: EINA MEINA MEINA MOA - 0.44

39. Shepherd numerals: Cumberland: YAN. TAN, TETHERA, METHERA - 0.36

40. Survival of most isolated: EENY MEENY MACHARACHA - 0.45

41. Atmosphere: MY OLD MAN'S A DUSTMAN - 0.22

42. Liverpool: AFTER THE BALL WAS CENTRED/ ROCK AND ROLL A DAY IN BED/ I KNOW A GIRL/ I LEFT OUR SCHOOL LAST JULY/ JOHNNY WENT DOWN WITH SOMEBODY, PARLEZ VOUS/ IN 1954 HITLER WENT TO WAR - 1.52

43. Myth characters/ Hitler (cont.) DOWN IN THE WATER - 1.10

44. (cont.): NOW THE WAR IS OVER - 0.40

45. (cont.) Modern: CATCH A FALLING SPUTNIK - 0.46

46. (cont.) Pop stars: DIANA DORS LOST HER DRAWERS - 0.16

47. End of school: ONE MORE DAY TO GO - 1.20

48. Sound of rhyming words: BOOTSIE HAD A LITTLE BOY/ MAUREEN BLAKE FELL IN THE LAKE/ WE THREE KINGS/ Mrs WHITE HAD A FRIGHT/ WHAT'S YOUR NAME ?/ WHO'S THAT KNOCKING ?/ - 1.12

49. Pun Stories: THERE WAS A LITTLE BOY/ MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS/ ROLLING COFFIN - 2.00

50. One-up-manship: SOMETIMES WHEN A PERSON SAYS TO YOU - 1.18

51. Dean Swift example: IF YOU GO ROUND - 1.30

52. George Gascooigne's prose comedy: HA, HA, VERY FUNNY - 0.51

53. Street jeers: STOP, YOUR BACK WHEEL'S FOLLOWING YOU - 0.21

54. Painful jokes: IF YOU WERE IN A RIGHT BIG FIELD/ PINCH ME - 1.28

55. Trickery: SAY: JUST LIKE ME - 1.03

56. Improprietry: MICKEY MOUSE IN HIS HOUSE - 0.58

57. Victorian: THE HIGHER UP THE MOUNTAINS - 1.00

58. Ball games: NEBUCADNEZZAR - 0.50

59. Skipping: LITTLE FAT DOCTOR - 0.23

60. Tangle talk: I WENT TO THE PICTURES TOMORROW/ I COME BEFORE YOU/ SPRINGTIME IN THE ROCKIES - 2.07

61. Well-known: ONE FINE DAY IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT - 0.16

62. Conundrums: WHAT BILL DO YOU HAVE TO PAY FOR ? - 1.43

63. Riddle with a catch: WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ? - 0.22

64. New jokes & variations: THERE WERE THREE CORNFLAKES - 0.27

65. Banbury: WHY DOES THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH ? - 0.13

66. Modern variations: WHY DID THE CHICKEN CROSS THE ROAD ? - 0.45

67. (cont.) WHEN IS A DOOR NOT A DOOR ? - 0.27

68. (cont.) WHERE WAS MOSES WHEN THE LIGHT WENT OUT ? - 0.14

69. (cont) CONSTANTINOPLE IS A VERY BIG WORD - 0.17

70. Riddle antiques: HOW MANY BALLS OF STRING ? - 0.30

71. Antiquarian advantage: I KNOW A LITTLE GIRL (Skipping) - 1.06

Recorded by Sasha Moorsom & Damian Webb 1960. Edited by Peter Kennedy and first published on Folktrax cassettes 1975.