tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1674698756157853133.post7276939744624212608..comments2023-10-19T18:31:02.976-07:00Comments on Katie May's Blog: Childhood Rhymeskaytmayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00565853192175253849noreply@blogger.comBlogger34125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1674698756157853133.post-65062187512168327272023-10-19T18:31:02.976-07:002023-10-19T18:31:02.976-07:00Yes!!!!!!! I have been looking for this! Girl scou...Yes!!!!!!! I have been looking for this! Girl scout camp near Chicago in the 90s!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1674698756157853133.post-17641419076593474852023-08-19T11:22:52.241-07:002023-08-19T11:22:52.241-07:00We did the "wotten tottem" version late ...We did the "wotten tottem" version late in Miami way back around 1980. Finding this confirms that the words really were gibberish!clunkygirlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14113663725750428183noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1674698756157853133.post-69078628127607168302023-04-28T09:55:11.784-07:002023-04-28T09:55:11.784-07:00I had never heard it as watten totten either. I do...I had never heard it as watten totten either. I dont remember the whole song as we did it but the parts i remember were "bo bo she otten cotton hey hey i am boom boom boom."Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1674698756157853133.post-73029963114424496432023-03-22T01:01:47.674-07:002023-03-22T01:01:47.674-07:00The way Katie May learned it is exactly how I reca...The way Katie May learned it is exactly how I recall hearing it. It would have either been in Groton, Conn, early 80s, or Hampton VA, mid 80s.<br /><br />Bobo Shi Otten Totten<br />Uh-uh, I ain't no fool!<br />Itty bitty Otten Totten<br />Bobo Shi Otten Totten<br />Bobo Shi Otten Totten<br />Boom!<br /><br />My mind translated it to be an argument between two people, ending with a slap. As a kid, I figured the translation would go something like this...<br /><br />Bobo, she often taught him.<br />No, I am not a fool. <br />Lizzy Betty often taught him.<br />Bobo, she often taught him. <br />Bobo, she often taught him. <br />Boom. <br /><br />Anyway, I am convinced that ditty started with actual words, which may or may not have made sense, and much like the whisper game, the words/sounds moved farther away from their origins for each new generation that sang it. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1674698756157853133.post-29210435248573975052021-08-30T23:41:22.662-07:002021-08-30T23:41:22.662-07:00I remember the words a little differently. It made...I remember the words a little differently. It made no sense to me, but i enjoyed it at the time lol :-) I remember it as:<br /><br />Bo bo ski otten dotten<br />Nay nay, nay nay nay bo bo<br />Icky knock knock bo <br />Ski knock knock bo<br />Ski knock knock bo<br /><br />I know its not right but thats what it sounded like to me so thats how we said it. It was never watten tatten though. That much i know for sure! I just wanted to share how we said it as well. Lol :-)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1674698756157853133.post-80761823928683738482021-02-24T08:11:28.485-08:002021-02-24T08:11:28.485-08:00That's how we did it on the school bus! With t...That's how we did it on the school bus! With the right person's hands over the left person's. Made a 40-minute bus ride shorter.<br />Obo shin otten totten<br />Nay nay I am boom boom boom<br />Eeny meeny otten totten<br />Obo shin otten totten<br />I am boom boom boomAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09213085654246632615noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1674698756157853133.post-35172395479930602472021-01-24T06:05:41.179-08:002021-01-24T06:05:41.179-08:00I was taught as a kid bo bo shi aten taten hi hi I...I was taught as a kid bo bo shi aten taten hi hi I am boom boom itty bitty otten taten bo bo shi aten taten bo bo shi aten taten boom!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04855645509923543600noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1674698756157853133.post-81250896360797119492020-10-24T07:43:04.332-07:002020-10-24T07:43:04.332-07:00Hooray! I thought I was making up gibberish when t...Hooray! I thought I was making up gibberish when these words came into my head! Our 12 yr old learned the hand motions but not the words and then I felt crazy saying them! So glad to see we all grew up with this odd little song on the playground!!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08322394867412232243noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1674698756157853133.post-33245267342420672432020-08-15T16:39:55.196-07:002020-08-15T16:39:55.196-07:00Just went searching this on an old memory from sum...Just went searching this on an old memory from summer camp (Massachusetts, early 80s)! So interesting to see all the different versions from all over the northeast! Ours was a hand clap and the words were:<br /><br />Bo Bo ski waten taten <br />Na Na, I am Bo Bo<br />Eeny Meeny waten taten<br />Bo bo ski waten taten<br />Bo bo ski waten taten<br />BOOM! (With a big mutual hand clapTo end it 🙌🏼KayQuehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15499394051411163917noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1674698756157853133.post-67611822901353920392020-07-09T10:54:34.806-07:002020-07-09T10:54:34.806-07:00SAME!!! LOL 1990 baby... there was this crazy hand...SAME!!! LOL 1990 baby... there was this crazy hand clapping/ slapping, snap your fingers, slap your legs thing we did to the song? Been awhile! Stumbled upon this blog while I was looking up the version of "whistle while you work" we sang as kids! Turns out there's tons of variations to that too! The one we sang was like, <br />"whistle while you work<br />Hitler was a jerk,<br />Mussolini bit his weeny<br />Now it doesn't work!"<br /><br />...but I swear there was more to it hahaha<br /><br />Back to this rhyme, do we even know if there's ANY meaning to these sounds/words?!? <br />I'm just glad the dream I had about playground songs as kids was a memory... I'd have felt like a lunatic if I didn't find the "whistle while you work" lyrics!!<br /><br />MINNESOTA!!!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1674698756157853133.post-21544053465214541262020-07-04T22:17:28.794-07:002020-07-04T22:17:28.794-07:00I remember it as:
Bo bo ski otton totten
Nay nay ...I remember it as:<br /><br />Bo bo ski otton totten<br />Nay nay I am boom boom boom<br />Itty bitty otton totten<br />Bo bo ski otton totten<br />Bo bo ski otton totten<br />BoomAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02271771205168838159noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1674698756157853133.post-73800445545549681252020-05-15T06:42:14.018-07:002020-05-15T06:42:14.018-07:00Bo bo see watten totten
Eh eh eh eh boom boom boom...Bo bo see watten totten<br />Eh eh eh eh boom boom boom<br />Mini mini wa wa bo bo see wa wa<br />Bo bo see watten boom boom boom~ Cleveland '80s with claps<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1674698756157853133.post-7850293444545628022019-10-25T19:57:15.299-07:002019-10-25T19:57:15.299-07:00Obo shin otten totten hey hey i am boom boom boom ...Obo shin otten totten hey hey i am boom boom boom eeny weeny oten totton obo shin otton totten boom 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 1Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16206547414908268619noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1674698756157853133.post-38247488906406162652019-10-23T00:35:53.577-07:002019-10-23T00:35:53.577-07:00This was done sitting in a circle with our right h...This was done sitting in a circle with our right hands on top of the person next to us' left and a clap would go around and the last person's hands to be clapped was out. LadyShakespearehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08522006183990537564noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1674698756157853133.post-15214638950935821142019-10-23T00:33:41.622-07:002019-10-23T00:33:41.622-07:00Bo bo ski waten ta-ten
Eh Eh, say boys are rotten ...Bo bo ski waten ta-ten<br />Eh Eh, say boys are rotten <br />(Faster) Bo bo ski waten taten <br />Eh eh say boys are rotten <br />Bo bo ski waten taten<br />1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,out! <br />^As learned in the 1990's near Chicago LadyShakespearehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08522006183990537564noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1674698756157853133.post-48212755919803684442019-10-23T00:28:45.385-07:002019-10-23T00:28:45.385-07:00The one I did in the 90's near Chicago was lik...The one I did in the 90's near Chicago was like this and it was a complicated group clapping game. LadyShakespearehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08522006183990537564noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1674698756157853133.post-65914629863011669432019-10-10T20:52:56.051-07:002019-10-10T20:52:56.051-07:00Sorry my bad that was wrong.
Its
Bobo ski otten t...Sorry my bad that was wrong. <br />Its<br />Bobo ski otten totten<br />Nay nay I am boom boom boom<br />Itty bitty otten totten <br />Bo bo ski otten totten<br />Bo bo ski otten totten boom! 1,2,3,4,5!<br />Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03963267293171904848noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1674698756157853133.post-1228606687587321852019-10-10T20:51:17.839-07:002019-10-10T20:51:17.839-07:00Bo bo ski otten totten
Nay nay - i am boom boom bo...Bo bo ski otten totten<br />Nay nay - i am boom boom boom<br />Bo bo ski otton totten <br />Bo bo ski otton totten<br />Bo bo ski otton totten boom!<br />1,2,3,4,5!<br />Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03963267293171904848noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1674698756157853133.post-91363027773848737502019-09-11T19:12:02.153-07:002019-09-11T19:12:02.153-07:00i thought it was obo shen otten tot tin nanana i a...i thought it was obo shen otten tot tin nanana i am boom boom boom itty bitty otten tot obo shen otten tot BOOM 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 OUT!! who else heard it like thisAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1674698756157853133.post-79558399754974925332019-03-28T19:35:15.613-07:002019-03-28T19:35:15.613-07:00O Ob See (Clap) Ot Tin (Clap) Tot Tin
Eh(Slap your...O Ob See (Clap) Ot Tin (Clap) Tot Tin<br />Eh(Slap your leg)<br />Eh(Snap finger) I am <br />Boom' Boom' Boom' (Clap)<br />Itty Bitty (Clap) Ot Tin <br />Tot(Slap leg) Tin(Snap)<br />O Bo See Ot Tin (Clap)<br />Tot Tin(Clap)Boom!��Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1674698756157853133.post-30345870010535304352017-01-05T14:31:07.875-08:002017-01-05T14:31:07.875-08:00Bo Bo Ski Rotten Totten
I say that boys are rotten...Bo Bo Ski Rotten Totten<br />I say that boys are rotten<br />Itty bitty rot tot<br />Bo Bo Ski Rot Tot<br />Bo Bo Ski Rot Tot<br />1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 OUT!<br />(Or)<br />1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1674698756157853133.post-17176354844846987472016-02-18T18:47:01.182-08:002016-02-18T18:47:01.182-08:00Bo go ski otten totten
Eh eh see boys are rotten ...Bo go ski otten totten <br />Eh eh see boys are rotten <br />Itty bitty otten totten<br />Bo Bo ski otten totten<br />Bo bo ski otten totten <br />1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10! Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10790495768343292031noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1674698756157853133.post-25910752389205566282015-05-11T19:56:26.402-07:002015-05-11T19:56:26.402-07:00Bo bo ski watten dotten
Wah dot n sh
Go bo ski wat...Bo bo ski watten dotten<br />Wah dot n sh<br />Go bo ski watten dotten<br />Wah rotten n sh<br />Ish biddly oten doten<br />Bo bo ba ditten dotten<br />(Or ho do ba dit n dotten - 2nd verse!)<br />Wah dot n shAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1674698756157853133.post-92108129263803188702015-05-06T14:35:20.528-07:002015-05-06T14:35:20.528-07:00I'm a summer camp counselor and this is how we...I'm a summer camp counselor and this is how we do it:<br /><br />bo bo ski wotten totten<br />nah nah<br />boom boom boom boom boom<br />itty bitty wotten totten<br />bo bo ski wotten totten<br />bo bo ski wotten totten<br />NAH!<br />1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10!<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1674698756157853133.post-17995579355263366952014-12-27T11:36:17.086-08:002014-12-27T11:36:17.086-08:00I learned it thus:
Bobo siaten tahten
Nay nay, I ...I learned it thus:<br /><br />Bobo siaten tahten<br />Nay nay, I am a moo-moo<br />Bobo siaten tahten<br />Bobo siaten tahten<br />Bobo siaten tahten<br />BOO!Kellyhttp://www.kelly-sharpe.comnoreply@blogger.com