dot-com wanes; eny, meny, miny, mo

[Bob Fitzke]

An anecdote. My two youngest kids were about 4 and 6, circa 1963. The
younger, a boy, had a voice like a foghorn. Anbd a range to match. They
had used the version with "catch a nigger" in it. I heard them and sat
them down and explained that the word was very insulting and they should
not use it. A couple days later we were in A Kroger store that had a
mixed ethnic customer base. All of a sudden I heard the two of them
about 50 feet away. They were bent over, face to face, saying in a duet
that could be heard in the parking lot, "Eeny. meeny, miney, mo..." I
started to run to them to see if I could reach them before they fomented
a riot. I got to within about 30 feet and started to shout. Then the
next line came out, "Catch-a Patch-a by the toe."

I don't think I ever felt a greater reward than at that moment.

Bob

Laurence Horn wrote:
>
> It would be interesting to try to pin down the replacement pattern--by the
> late 40's in New York, the only version around our part of town was "catch
> a tiger by the toe", and I was amazed when I learned the existence of the
> earlier one.
>
> larry
>
> >
> >Eny, meny, miny, mo
> >
> >The rhyme at the end remained common in Milwaukee until at least the 1940s
> >and possibly even longer.
> >akra
> >
> >
> >      The favorite in Milwaukee at the present time seems to be: "Eny, meny,
> >miny, mo, catch a nigger by the toe; if he hollers, let him go--eny, meny,
> >miny mo."  Doubtless the list could be indefinitely extended.--PECK'S SUN
> >MAN.)