Fw: Allagaroo chant - 1902 word meanings

[Paul and Deb Waggoner]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: Paul and Deb Waggoner 
To: ADS-L at UGA.CC.UGA.EDU 
Sent: Friday, July 11, 2003 7:46 AM
Subject: Allagaroo chant - 1902 word meanings


Dear ADS:

Our local high school has a chant from 1902 and some of the words have been accused of being racial "code-words" and we are trying to research that fact.  Most people assume the words are just nonsense/rhyming words and have no significant referent.

The words we wondered about are Allagaroo, bulligator, ishabacka, higger, bigger, hoe potatoer, chicawaw, rat trap, and cat trap.  If you desire to see the words in the context of the chant, see below.

Thank you and send any responses to waggoner at southwind.net        

Paul M. Waggoner
P.S.  I do have a M.A. in History and am happy to hear complicated explainations/hypotheses.

"The Allagaroo"

Allagaroo, garoo, garoo
Wah, hoo, bazoo
Hicer, Picer, Dominicer
Sis! Boom! Bah!
hutchinson High School
Rah! Rah! Rah!

La shoo, la shoo
La shoo, Li Roo,
La shoo, Li ishabacka ishabacka boo
Hutchinson High School
Hey Roo

Boom skit a rat trap
See Si Boom!
Higger, Bigger hoe potatoer
Half Past Alligator
Rom Bom Bulligator
Chicka! Saw! Daw!
Hutchinson High School
Rah! Rah! Rah!

La Baga, La Baga
La baga baga boom
Boom skit a rat trap
bigger'n a cat trap
Boom skit a rat trap
bigger'n a cat trap
Chicawaw! Chicawaw!
Hutchinson High School
Rah! Rah! Rah!

Please note this is the edited 1939 version.  From 1902?-1938 stanza (3) had a line "Nigger, nigger, hoe potatoer".

Thanks for your time and please respond to waggoner at southwind.net