"Elevator" & "Alligator" Hand Clap Rhymes Examples & Comments From essiajay's 2025 Tik Tok Discussion Thread "Y'all Remember These Hand Games?"

Edited by Azizi Powell

This is pancocojams post serves as a compilation of some examples and comments about the hand games "Elevator" &"Alligator" from the discussion thread of @essiajay's large May 4, 2025 Tik Tok discussion thread "Y'all Remember These Hand Games?"*

The content of this post is presented for folkloric, historical, socio-cultural, and recreational purposes. 

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to essiajay for sharing hand game examples on her Tik Tok channel and for providing a forum for other people to share their examples and comments about hand games. Thanks to all those who are quoted in this pancocojams post. 
*Unfortunately, I'm unable to embed that video in this pancocojams blog. Click the link that is given in this post to watch that video clip and find the complete discussion thread.  

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DISCLAIMER
I don't know essiajay. I have no affiliation with her or with anyone else who is quoted in this pancocojams post. I haven't had any communication with essiajay with anyone who is quoted in this post.

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I'm a self-described community folklorist who voluntary curates this pancocojams blog and my other Google blogs. I receive no money from these blogs or from any other blogs or websites whose content I showcase. 

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PANCOCOJAMS EDITOR'S NOTE
Showcasing examples of "Elevator" and "Alligator" doesn't mean that these rhymes are the most often cited hand rhymes in this Tik Tok discussion thread. I'm focusing on these rhymes because I believe they are the latest children's recreational rhymes that have their source in the old folk song "What'll We Do With The Baby-O" and they are the most contemporary examples of the children's jump rope and later hand clap rhymes "Fudge Fudge Call The Judge", "Mama's Having A Baby", and other titles.

**
I scrolled through this entire Tik Tok video's discussion thread and I believe that these examples/comments and other examples/comments in that discussion thread* should be archived for the folkloric record as a means of documenting the words and performance activities of these particular hand games and as a means of documenting people's opinions about them. 
-snip-
*I haven't decided if I will publish other pancocojams post that only showcase this essiajay Tik Tok discussion or if I will add examples/comments from that discussion thread in other pancocojams posts that have already been published or that will be published in the future.

If I decide to publish "stand alone" pancocojams posts showcasing examples/comments from this Tik Tok discussion thread, I'll add that link in the preface of this post.

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DESCRIPTION OF THIS TIK TOK VIDEO
essiajay is an African American teenager or a young African American woman.

This video shows essiajay in a room of her (?) house chanting and demonstrating hand moves for six hand clap rhymes that she remembers. essiajay invites people to share the hand clap rhymes that they remember in her video's discussion thread. 

The rhymes that she chanted were
-Double Double This This
-Lemonade
-Concentration
-Slide (also known as "Numbers")
-Down Down Baby (Shimmy Shimmy Co Co Pa)

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DESCRIPTION OF THIS VIDEO'S DISCUSSION THREAD
The examples/comments in the discussion thread for essiajay's "Y'all Remember These Hand Games?" video refer to a large number of children's recreational hand clap rhymes (hand games) that are known in the United States, particularly among African American girls in the 1990s and since the 1990s. (Note: None of these comments mention race.)

Comments/examples of "Elevator" & Alligator are frequently given in that discussion thread compared to comments/examples of some other hand games.

As of April 21, 2026 at 7:50 PM EDT essiajay's "Y'all remember these hand games?" Tik Tok video has 625.7K likes and 13,000 comments. 

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SELECTED EXAMPLES AND COMMENTS FROM THIS DISCUSSION THREAD 
This compilation includes selected comments from this Tik Tok discussion thread of the hand game that is known as "Elevator" or "Alligator".  This compilation doesn't include all of the comments in that discussion thread about the "Elevator" or "Alligator" hand games. Many of the comments consisted of statements such as "Yes" or "Love" (with or without one or more emojis", and "frr" (for real for real).

In contrast,  I tried to include all of the examples of those two rhymes that I came across that were in that discussion thread before this pancocojames post was published. That said, I admit that I didn't open most of the replies to comments that featured other hand games. 

These examples and comments are given in relative chronological order except for replies.

These examples are numbered for referencing purposes only.

https://www.tiktok.com/@essiajay._/video/7500758064157445419?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7623684776109573662 , published by essiajay May 4, 2025

1, •*¨*•.¸¸☆*ᴀʙʙʏ•*¨*•.¸¸☆*
"WAIT I REMEMBER THE NAME ELAVATOR BUT I FORGOT HOW TO PLAY IT CAN YOU SHOW IT LIKE DESCRIBES"

2025-5-8

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Reply
2. 💕💕
"Elevator 1 says stop. Elevator 2 says stop. Elevator 3 says stop. Elevator 4 says keep going till your hands get hot, Then you just count—1, 2, 3—while clapping fast until someone messes up or stops.

2025-5-9

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Reply
3. Rayaaa2477
"Elevator 1 says stop elevator 2 says drop elevator 3 says keep on going to your hands get hot don’t stop"

2025-5-9

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Reply
4. Alaisha Isabell
"Mine goes like elevator 1 says stop elevator 2 says stop elevator 3 says keep on going until you reach the top"

2025-5-10

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Reply
5. Jak
"omg elevator"

2025-5-17

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Reply
6. lileyy_queenb888
"Fr me and my siblings love elevator"

2025 5-29

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7. speedybre
"Anyone remember the “elevator hand game” or “alligator hand game”"

2025-5-10

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Reply
8. speedybre
"Yessss “the third elevator said keep on going till your hands get red and hot”

2025-5-11

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Reply
9.  yami <3
"THE ELEVATOR ONE WAS MY FAVORITE"

2025-5-16

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Reply
10. shayss.shyt
"how does the elevator one go i remember some but not all of it an it was my fav 🤣😭😭"

2025-5-21

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Reply
11.speedybre
"The first elevator said stop… the second elevator said stop.. the third elevator said keep on going till your hands get red and hot"

2025-5-21

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Reply
12. OneLoveBabiiee
“Mamas having a baby, daddy going crazy, if it’s a boy I’ll it’s it a toy, if its a girl I’ll give her a curl ,if its twins I’ll wrap them in toilet paper and throw them down the elevator “

2025-5-22

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Reply
13. lilli
"elevator 1 says stop….. elevator 2 says stop….. elevator 3 says keep on going till yout hands get hot and then u like cough in your hand… and then u just keep on going 😜😜😜😜"

2025-5-29

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Reply
14. claritno03d
"that one is the first alligator says stop the second alligator says stop the third alligator said keep on going till you hands get red and hot"

2025-6-9

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Reply
15. speedybre
"That’s what I remember to but people also did elevator to to that game that’s why I just put alligator/elevator"

2025-6-11

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Reply
16. dondonthedon
"That’s definitely the way I remember it ❤️🤣"

2025-6-13

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17. ✰ 𝒕𝒂𝒆 ⁷
"I rememberrrrr alligator"

2025-6-9

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18. Bre
"Elevator way my favorite especially going as fast as you could"

2025-6-14

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Reply
19. speedybre
"Yessss mine to I rarely know anyone else that knows hand games anymore"

2025-6-14

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Reply
20. Miria
"How i played it “elevator said stop, second elevator say stop, third elevator say keep going till ur hands get hot, First stop dont stop the power, second stop dont stop the power, third stop, dont stop the power till ur hands get hot. 1,2,3,4 - then u just keep going till ur hands get hot💀"

2025-6-15

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Reply

21. 🤎:P
"YES THE ELEVATOR GAMEEE"

2025-6-15

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22. your0nly.torah
"How about the elevator 1 says stop elevator 2 says elevator 3 says stop"

2025-5-29

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Reply
23. [no name given]
"mine was the first alligator says stop the second alligator says stop the third alligator says keep on going till you hand get red and hot"

2025-7-2

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Reply
24. your0nly.torah
"Alligator?"

2025-7-2

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Reply
25. [️no name given]
"yess"

2025-7-2

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26. sav💕
"DOES NO BODY REMEMBER THE ELEVATOR ONE"

2025-5-10

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Reply
27. kaaaay
"YES!!! I forgot how it stared by you would go by floors “First flooor-STOP! Second flooor-STOP! Third floooor-STOP! Keep on going till your hands get hot” and you’d keep going lol"

2025-5-17

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Reply
28.🗣️ "We did the one that go “ Mommas having a baby daddy’s going crazy if it’s a boy, I’ll give it a toy if it’s a girl I’ll give it a curl if it’s a twin I’ll wrap it up in toilet paper. Throw it down the elevator first don’t stop second don’t don’t stop till your hands Get hot” "

2025-5-18

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29. faith<3
"Elevator 1 says stop, elevator 2 says stop, elevator 3 says keep on goin till ur hands get hot"

2025-6-14

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Reply
30. Annie🌺
"DUDE I THOUGHT THIS WAS A LOST ART TILL I STARTED WORKING AT AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AND I PLAYED ELEVATOR WITH A 3RD GRADER"

2025-5-14

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31. cam
"the last one is the elevator one my favvvv. something about not stopping till ur hands hurt"

2025-7-2

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32. [no name given]
"That elevator one was my favorite! My hands were never fast enough but I loved watching the other kids play lol"

2025-7-2

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33. IIuvvTea
"Elevator one said stop. Elevator two said stop. Elevator three said keep on going till your hands get red and hot." then you speed up"

2025- 5-9

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34. ☆•♪*⏱ ⅉ⍺☡ ⏱*•♪☆
"How about "Elevator one says stop elevator 2 said stop elevator 3 says keep on going to your hands get red and hot"

2025-7-4

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35. madit2007
"What about “elevator 1 says stop. Elevator 2 says stop. Elevator 3 says keep onnn be going til your hands get hot!”

2025-5-16

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36. °❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･
"Elevator one says stop elevator two says stop elevator three says keep on going till your hands get red and hot"

2025-6-1

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Visitor comments are welcome.

The Folk Song "What'll We Do With The Baby-O" is The Source For Various Jump Rope Rhymes, & Hand Clap Rhymes That Are The Sources Of The Contemporary Hand Games "Elevator" And "Alligator"

Edited by Azizi Powell

Latest update- April 21, 2026

This is Part II of two part pancocojams series on the children's recreational rhyme "Elevator" (also known as "Alligator"). 

 This post presents information about how the folk song "What'll We Do With The Baby-O" is the source of various jump rope and hand games that are the sources of the contemporary "Elevator" and "Alligator" hand games. 

This post also includes a few word only examples of these folk songs and recreational rhymes.  

Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2026/04/elevator-also-known-as-alligator.html for Part I of this pancocojams series. That post showcases some YouTube video examples of the hand games "Elevator" or "Alligator". That post also presents an AI overview write-up about the rhyme "Elevator". 

The content of this post is presented for folkloric and recreational purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to all those who are featured in these showcases examples and thanks to the publishers of these examples on YouTube.
-snip-
Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2026/04/elevator-alligator-hand-clap-rhymes.html for the closely related pancocojams post entitled "Elevator" & "Alligator" Hand Clap Rhymes Examples & Comments From essiajay's 2025 Tik Tok Discussion Thread "Y'all Remember These Hand Games?"

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PANCOCOJAMS EDITOR'S NOTE
Although the mission of pancocojams is to showcases the music, dances, language practices, & customs of African Americans and of other people of Black descent throughout the world, this post doesn't mean to imply that only Black people play the hand game "Elevators" or its variant form "Alligators". 

As documented online, children of any race or ethnicity* have performed these rhymes.

*In the United States, colloquially speaking "ethnicity" usually means "Latina"/"Latino" ("Hispanic").

I believe that "Elevators" (also known as "Alligators") hand clap rhyme and game originated in the United States among African American girls. However, that is just a guess since most hand clap/hand slap rhymes originated from that population and then extended to other populations of girls in the United States and then throughout much of the world.

As is the case with other pancocojams post on children's recreational rhymes, singing games, and chants, these examples are showcased for folkloric and socio-cultural purpose and because I like these genres of children's recreational activities.

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"WHAT WILL WE DO WITH THE BABY" FOLK SONGS AND FOR "FUDGE FUDGE CALL THE JUDGE (ALSO KNOWN AS "MAMA'S HAVING A BABY" & OTHER TITLES) JUMP ROPE RHYMES AND HAND CLAP RHYMES (timeline, information, comments, and word only examples)

1917  -"What'll We Do With The Baby-O" folk song
[information from AI Overview [retrieved April 21, 2026
"The earliest documented example of the folk song "What'll We Do with the Baby-O" (also known as "What are You Going To Do With the Baby?") is a version collected by Cecil Sharp in 1917 in the Southern Appalachians.

Key Historical Details

Earliest Documentation: Cecil Sharp collected the song in 1917, which was later published in English Folk Songs from the Southern Appalachians.

First Recordings: While it existed in oral tradition earlier, the first known recordings were made by the Hodge Brothers in 1928, followed by Grayson & Whittier in 1929.

Origins: The song is considered a play-party song—a traditional song-and-dance hybrid popular in the U.S. South, particularly in Virginia, Kentucky, and Arkansas.

Variations: The song is closely related to or shares verses with "Sugar in the Coffee" (recorded by the Skillet Lickers in 1924) and "Prettiest Little Girl in the County-O".

[...]

The first recordings of “What are You Going To Do With the Baby?” were made in 1928 by the Hodge Brothers and then by Grayson & Whitter".
-snip-
Click https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=98173 for a Mudcat folk music discussion thread entitled "Origins: What Shall We Do With The Baby-O".

Here's an excerpt of the first comment in that discussion thread:

Subject: Lyr Add: What Shall We Do With The Baby O
From: Jacob B
Date: 18 Jan 07 - 02:19 PM

...here are the verses I know.

(Chorus)

What shall we do with the baby-o
What shall we do with the baby-o
What shall we do with the baby-o
He won't go to sleepy-o

Dance him North and dance him South
Put a little moonshine in his mouth

Dress him up in calico
Send him off to his daddy-o

Every time the baby cries
Poke a finger in the baby's eye

That's what we'll do with the baby-o
That's what we'll do with the baby-o!

 

What other verses do you know?"

Here's a comment from that same Mudcat discussion thread that was written by the renowned folk singer Jean Ritchie in response to questions about that folk song/folk tune:

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: What Shall We Do With The Baby O From: kytrad (Jean Ritchie) Date: 18 Jan 07 - 07:24 PM "Jacob- The "Baby-O" tune, as it's often called, is a traditional tune with some trad and many borrowed verses. In our Kentucky mountain community, the fiddle often played the tune for running sets (now usually known as 'square dancing'). Whole families went to these weekend parties at each other's houses- from grandmas down to babies-in-arms. Babies as they fell asleep would be put on a big bed in a back room, and the womenfolk took time-about watching them. To amuse them the minder would bounce the bedsprings up and down with her hands, in time to the fiddle tune in the next room, and sing the verses she knew to the old tune. Many new verses got made up that way. My mother made up the one about, "give Old Blue your chickenbone" (at dinner, sometimes the baby would be playing underneath the table, and his Mom would hand him a drumstick bone to chew on to keep him-or her- quiet). I made up the verse "Dance him north, dance him south, Pour a little moonshine in his mouth," one time while I was taking my turn being a minder at a dance. Other verses I sing,in our family version, are mine, and I also added the line to the chorus, "He/she won't go to sleepy-O." This explains the copyright notice- it's only for the Ritchie Family version, the one I do on my recordings. Another of my own verses is the one, Pull her toes, tickle her chin (3 times) Roll her up in the county-pin! "County-pin" is the Kentucky pronounciation of, "Counterpane," which means a bedspread.    End of lesson,    Jean Ritchie" ** Subject: Lyr Add: WHAT'LL WE DO WITH THE BABY-O From: Richie Date: 18 Jan 07 - 09:45 PM "This is may be the earliest collected version of "What'll We Do With the Baby?" from Cecil Sharp. The "What'll We Do With the Baby?" songs are part of the song family that includes "Prettiest Gal in the County-O" and "Sugar in my Coffee-O." All three songs originate indirectly from "Dandy Jim From Caroline" and similar parodies from the 1800's. What'll We Do With the Baby? Sharp's EFSSA No 228 Mrs. Alice Wilson Pineville, Ky. 1917 What'll we do with the baby? What'll we do with the baby? What'll we do with the baby-o? We'll wrap it up in calico, Wrap it up in calico, And send it to it's pappy-o." -snip- Click https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2LKUaVfoYw0 for "What Will I Do with the Baby-O", published by Jean Ritchie - Topic, May 19, 2015

Also, click https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=odxY0l3gUJY for a YouTube sound file of  Grayson & Whitter-What You Gonna Do With The Baby" published by BBYMRLCCOTN, Feb 26, 2010

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1934 - Fudge Fudge Call The Judge [recreational rhyme]

the Ballad Index (https://www.fresnostate.edu/folklore/ballads/MHAp239C.html)
indicates that the earliest example of this rhyme is from 1934 and gives the following information for the rhyme family that I call "Fudge Fudge Call The Judge":
"Oh Fudge, Tell the Judge

DESCRIPTION: "Oh, fudge, Tell the judge, Mother's got a baby. Oh, joy, It's a boy, Father's nearly crazy." "Wrap it up in tissue paper, Send it down the elevator." "First floor, second floor... send it out the back door."

AUTHOR: unknown

EARLIEST DATE: 1934 (Henry, from Mrs. Henry C. Gray, or her maid)*...
-end of quote-
Also, I found this online example from a person who remembers chanting "Fudge Fudge Call The Judge" will jumping rope in the United States in the late 1930s/early 1940s:
"Phyllis  Mel • 2016; https://www.buyjumpropes.net/resources/jump-rope-rhymes-songs-buyjumpropesnet/
"Yes, I've been trying to remember that one from the late thirties, early forties. "Fudge, fudge, tell the judge, Mama's got a new born baby, Wrap it up in tissue paper, put it on the elevator, first floor-stop, second floor-stop," etc. I can't remember if the rope stopped at each floor or what. Maybe the jumper stopped the rope with her foot, them kept going until she missed. "
-snip-
Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2022/11/fudge-fudge-call-judge-rhymes-with.html for the 2022 pancocojams post " "Fudge Fudge Call The Judge" Rhymes (with demographic information: city/state & decades chanted).

Here are three jump rope examples from that large "family" of children's recreational rhymes:

Numbers are added for referencing purposes only.

1. "In Michigan City, Indiana, in the late 50's at our Catholic grade school we jumped rope to:

Fudge, Fudge, Call the Judge
Momma's got a newborn baby
It isn't a girl
It isn't a boy
It's just an ordinary baby

Wrap it up in tissue paper
Send it down the elevator
First floor-push
Second floor-Push
Third floor- Kick 'em out out the door
Momma doesn't want that baby anymore"
-GUEST, Mary, 18 Feb 11 - 9:55 AM https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=99131&messages=21 , Lyr Req: Fudge, Fudge, Call the Judge

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2. "FUDGE, FUDGE, CALL THE JUDGE/
MAMA'S GOT A NEW BORN BABY./
NOT A BOY, NOT A GIRL,/
JUST A PLAIN BABY./
WRAP IT UP IN TISSUE PAPER/
SEND IT UP THE ELEVATOR./
FIRST FLOOR: HOP,
SECOND FLOOR: STOP.
THIRD FLOOR: SKIP.
FOURTH FLOOR TRIP./
FIFTH FLOOR RED HOT PEPPER.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT

Keyword(s): CHARACTER ; SPEED-JUMP

Date learned: 10-20-1969"
-the James T. Callow Folkloric Archive, citation #1
-snip-
Notice the words that signal actions the jumper is supposed to perform. The words "red hot pepper" signals that the jumper is supposed to jump fast.

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3. I remember it as

 

fudge, fudge, call the judge

Momma's got a newborn baby

wrap him up iin tissue paper

send him down the elevator

first floor STOP (turners stop turning)

second floor DOWN (jumper goes down)

third floor turn around

fourth floor touch the ground

fifth floor get out of town

(next person gets a turn)

 

Oh gosh, it's been almost thirty years! Let's just say I did a LOT of jump roping as a kid.
-Suzanne (Poohnatic, Dec. 20, 2005, https://www.disboards.com/threads/holy-cow-jump-rope-songs-have-come-along-way-since-i-was-a-kid.982726/ "Holy cow! jump rope songs have come along way since I was a kid!" published by Disney fan 2002 on December 20, 2005

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the 1970s to around 2011-The early 1970s marked the beginning of a change in performance activity for "Fudge Call The Judge" (also called "Mama Has A Baby" (or similar titles) and other American girls' recreational rhymes from jump rope to hand clapping (i.e. hand games).

Some early1970s examples of "Fudge Fudge Call The Judge" (and other titles) still appear to have been chanted while jumping rope, as evidenced by their words, particularly the word "Miss" that signaled the action of not jumping over the rope. However, by at least the mid 1980s, it appears that most African American girls' recreational rhymes that used to be chanted while jumping rope were then chanted while doing hand clap (or hand slap) routines. 

Here are five examples of these "Fudge Fudge Call The Judge"/"Mama's Having A Baby" 9and other titles) rhymes from that time period.

 Numbers added for referencing purposes only:
1.  "FUDGE, FUDGE, CALL THE JUDGE/
MAMA'S GOT A NEW-BORN BABY./
IT AIN'T VANILLA/
IT AIN'T COCONUT/
IT'S JUST A CHOCOLATE BABY./
WRAP IT UP IN TISSUE PAPER/
THROW IT DOWN THE CHUTE/
FIRST FLOOR: MISS,
SECOND FLOOR : MISS,
THIRD FLOOR : OUT THE DOOR. EVERYBODY OUT.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT

Keyword(s): CALL-RHYME ; CHARACTER

Date learned: 10-02-1971"
-the James T. Callow Folkloric Archive, citation #2
-snip-
The word "Miss" and the words "Out The Door. Everybody Out" signals actions that the jumper/s in the middle of a long jump rope were supposed to perform ("Everybody out" meant that all the jumpers were supposed to jump out of the rope.)

**
2.  "Ya'll are taking me back! Does anyone remember that handslapping game that went something like this:

"Mama's having a baby...daddy's going crazy...if it's a boy, I'll give it a toy. If it's a girl, I'll give it a curl. If it's two twins, I'll wrap it up in toilet paper...send it down the elevator...first floor STOP! Second Floor STOP! Third Floor STOP! Don't stop 'til your hands get hot!"

Then, you would keep handclapping as fast as you could until you got tired....LOL"...
-PrettyPetite, 12-30-2000, Location: ATL, GA by way of Miami, FL, "Childhood chants and games......" https://greekchat.com/gcforums/showthread.php?t=4123&page=3 "childhood rhymes and games
-snip-
I believe this example is from the mid 980s or early 1990s. Read my comment in this pancocojams post's discussion thread below about how I deduced that decade (with the help of AI Overview).

**
3. "one that we use to sing with a hand game is

Mama's having a baby

Daddy's going crazy!

If it's a boy I'll give it a toy (holds out hand)

If it's a girl I'll give it a curl (does curling motion)

If it's twins I'll wrap it up in toilet paper throw it down the elevator

first- don't stop

second- don't stop

third don't stop till' your hands get hot (Speed up until someone messes up)"
-GUEST,Dani, 08 March 12,  Lyr Req: Fudge, Fudge, Call the Judge, https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=99131

**
4. Two African American girls behind me on the 86B bus [Pittsburgh, PA} were happily chanting:
Oh My! Don't Cry! Mommy's having a baby!
Daddy's going crazy!
If it's a boy I'll give it a toy!
And if it's a girl! I'll give it a curl!
wrap it up in toilet paper! send it down the escalator.

It was accompanied with clapping and gestures. There was also some discussion of wrapping babies in toilet paper, the conclusion being that this would not be a good idea.
-LadyJean; 22 Sep 03; "Folklore: Do kids still do clapping rhymes", https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=63097

5. "I was in elementary school in the Bronx in the early 2000s. We sang it like this:

Mama's having a baby
Papa's going crazy
If it's a boy, I'll give it a toy
If it's a girl, I'll give it a curl
Then wrap it up in toilet paper
Send it down the escalator
SECOND FLOOR!
Stop! Take it easy
FIRST FLOOR!
Stop! Take it easy
S-S (slap hands twice)
T-T(slap hands twice)
O-O(slap hands twice)
P-P(slap hands twice)
Spells STOP!"
-E. Correa, February 13, 2017, http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2011/12/fudge-fudge-call-judge-twins-triplets.html [comments]
-snip-
The Bronx is a borough in New York City, New York.

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2011 or earlier in the 2000s - The "Elevator" or "Alligator" hand games 
Children particularly girls) perform/ed hand games (hand clap routines) while they chant/ed a shortened form of "Fudge Fudge Call The Judge" (also known as "Mama's Having A Baby" that they refer to as "Elevator" or "Alligator". (I believe that the word "alligator" is a folk processed form of the word "elevator".) 

These examples are much shorter and therefore much more fixed in their words than the "Fudge Fudge Call The Judge", or examples of "Mama's Having A Baby" or other such rhymes in previous decades.

Here are five examples/comments of these rhymes. Numbers are added for referencing purposes only

1."The first elevator says stop

The second elevator says stop
The third elevator says keep on going until your hands get hot"
-Irene Kistler, Apr 7, 2011, Elevator Playground Song, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TzOM3jbqQAw

**
2. "that one is the first alligator says stop the second alligator says stop the third alligator said keep on going till you hands get red and hot"
-claritno03d, 2025-6-9 [comment]
https://www.tiktok.com/@essiajay._/video/7500758064157445419?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7623684776109573662 , published  by @essiajay

**
3. Reply
"That’s what I remember to but people also did elevator to to that game that’s why I just put alligator/elevator"
- speedybre [comment], https://www.tiktok.com/@essiajay._/video/7500758064157445419?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7623684776109573662 , published  by @essiajay

**
4. "Elevator one said stop. Elevator two said stop. Elevator three said keep on going till your hands get red and hot." then you speed up"
-IIuvvTea, 2025-7-3, [comment]
https://www.tiktok.com/@essiajay._/video/7500758064157445419?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7623684776109573662 , published by @essiajay

**
5. How i played it “elevator said stop, second elevator say stop, third elevator say keep going till ur hands get hot, First stop dont stop the power, second stop dont stop the power, third stop, dont stop the power till ur hands get hot. 1,2,3,4 - then u just keep going till ur hands get hot💀"
-Miria, 2025-6-15, [comment]
https://www.tiktok.com/@essiajay._/video/7500758064157445419?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7623684776109573662 , published by @essiajay

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This concludes Part II of this pancocojams series.

Thanks for visiting pancocojams.

Visitor comments are welcome. 

"Elevator" (also known as "Alligator") Children's Hand Games (Videos & Words)

Elevator Playground Song

 Irene Kistler, Apr 7, 2011
-snip-
Words for this rhyme: 
"The first elevator says stop
The second elevator says stop
The third elevator says keep on going until your hands get hot"

****
Edited by Azizi Powell

Latest revision - April 21, 2026 

This is Part I of two part series on the children's recreational rhyme "Elevator" (also known as "Alligator"). 

This post showcases video examples of  "Elevator" ("Alligator") rhymes along with the words to those examples.

This post also presents an AI overview write-up about the rhyme "Elevator". (I believe that the rhyme "Alligator" is a folk processed form of the "Elevator" rhyme.)

Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2026/04/tracing-what-will-we-do-with-baby-words.html for Part II of this pancocojams series. That post presents information about how the folk song "What'll We Do With The Baby-O" is the source of various jump rope and hand games that are the sources for the contemporary "Elevator" and "Alligator" hand games. 

That post also includes word only examples of these folk songs and recreational rhymes. . 

The content of this post is presented for folkloric and recreational purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to all those who are featured in these showcases examples and thanks to the publishers of these examples on YouTube.
-snip-
Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2026/04/elevator-alligator-hand-clap-rhymes.html for the closely related pancocojams post entitled "Elevator" & "Alligator" Hand Clap Rhymes Examples & Comments From essiajay's 2025 Tik Tok Discussion Thread "Y'all Remember These Hand Games?"  
 
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PANCOCOJAMS EDITOR'S NOTE
Although the mission of pancocojams is to showcases the music, dances, language practices, & customs of African Americans and of other people of Black descent throughout the world, this post doesn't mean to imply that only Black people play the hand game "Elevators" or its variant form "Alligators". 

As documented online, children of any race or ethnicity* have performed these rhymes.

*In the United States, colloquially speaking "ethnicity" usually means "Latina"/"Latino" ("Hispanic").

I believe that "Elevators" (also known as "Alligators") hand clap rhyme and game originated in the United States among African American girls. However, that is just a guess since most hand clap/hand slap rhymes originated from that population and then extended to other populations of girls in the United States and then throughout much of the world.

As is the case with other pancocojams post on children's recreational rhymes, singing games, and chants, these examples are showcased for folkloric and socio-cultural purpose and because I like these genres of children's recreational activities.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE ELEVATOR HAND CLAP RHYME AND GAME

From AI Overview (retrieved on April 20, 2026 as a result of my query for information about this rhyme)

"The Elevator Hand Game (also known as "Elevators") is a popular two-player hand-clapping game often played on school playgrounds. It involves players reciting a specific chant while performing a synchronized series of claps, with the goal of continuing the sequence as fast as possible without making a mistake.

How to Play

Players face each other and perform a standard hand-clapping motion while reciting the lyrics:

Opening Chant:

Player 1: "Elevator one says stop."

Player 2: "Elevator two says stop."

Both/Player 1: "Elevator three says keep on going till your palms get sweaty and hot!"

Counting Phase:

Players immediately begin counting upward (e.g., from 1 to 29 or higher) while maintaining the clapping rhythm.

The Objective:

The game continues until one player messes up the words or the clapping pattern.

Experienced players often increase the speed with each round to make it more challenging.

Variations

While the "palms get sweaty and hot" version is most common, some regional variations exist:

Hips Variant: Some versions change the lyrics to "keep on going until your hips get hot".

Counting Ranges: Different groups may have different "milestone" numbers to reach, such as counting specifically from 30 to 54 after the first set.

For visual learners, you can find various demonstrations and video tutorials of hand-clapping games on Upparent or by searching for "Elevator hand clap" on platforms like YouTube and TikTok
-snip-
I like the concise information that AI Overview gives, but don't always take their word as gospel. For instance, I don't believe their (its?) statement is credible when they when they say that a certain version of a rhyme is the most widely chanted or a certain way that a rhyme is performed is the most common way of performing that rhyme. How do they know that? If they are only using information that's found online, that information is insufficient to reach those conclusions. 

** 
I believe that "Alligator" is a variant form of "Elevator" i.e. the rhyme "Alligator" developed as the result of folk processing such as accidentally mistaking the word "alligator" for "elevator" (or some other form of folk processing.) 

**
"Alligator" is played the same way as "Elevator".

**
The "Elevator" and "Alligator" hand games almost certainly originated in the United States

The earliest example that I've come across for these children's recreational hand games is 2011 (as per the publishing date for the YouTube video given at the top of this pancocojams post). However, that rhyme could have been chanted and probably was chanted before that 2011 date 

Like most hand games, in the United States, these hand games can be played by more than two people.(See Video #3 in this pancocojams post for one boy and two girls doing a hand clap routine for "Alligator".)

**
As as of the date of this pancocojams post (April 2026), I haven't come across any online videos of four or more people playing "Elevator" or "Alligator"  as hand clapping games or as hand slapping circle elimination games (such as "Stella Ella Ola" or "Down By The Banks Of The Hanky Panky".) 

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ADDITIONAL VIDEO EXAMPLES OF THESE RHYMES  

These examples are presented in no particular order and are numbered for referencing purposes only.

SHOWCASE VIDEO #2 - ELEVATOR! - The BEST Hand Clap :) | Fun Clapping Games for 2 players 👏


Podo Town English, May 11, 2023

Elevator one says STOP!

Elevator two says STOP!

Elevator three says,

Keep on going 'till your palms get sweaty and hot!

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SHOWCASE VIDEO #3 - alligator hand game lol

@the6ssssss, May 23, 2023  

The first alligator said stop
the second alligator said stop
the third alligator said keep on going till
your hands get [sweaty?] and hot
[begin clapping real fast until there's only one person left] 

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SHOWCASE VIDEO #4- Hand Clap Game for 2 players - Elevator

@emmaellashow,  September 26, 2024 

Elevator one says stop

Elevator two says stop

Elevator three says keep on going till

your hands are red and stop

[The girls do a clapping exchange while counting out loud to 20]

No person "wins" this clapping exchange. The tempo for this example is slower
than the tempo for other examples that I've come across of this rhyme.
That may be because these girls are young compared with the people in other videos  that I've found
of this rhyme (or of the "Alligator" rhyme.

****
This concludes Part I of this pancocojams series.

Thanks for visiting pancocojams.

Visitor comments are welcome.

Differences Between Black American Jubilee Singing Groups And Black American Gospel Singing Groups

Edited by Azizi Powell

This is Part IV of a four part pancocojams series on the word "jubilee".

This post provides information from three online sources about the differences between Black American Jubilee singing groups and Black American Gospel singing groups.

Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2023/07/mcintosh-county-shouters-jubilee-black.html for Part I of this series. That post presents YouTube videos, information about, and lyrics for the ring shout "Jubilee" ("Jubilee In The Morning"). That pancocojams post was published on July 5, 2023.

Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2026/04/information-about-original-fisk-jubilee.html for Part II of this series. That post presents information about the original Fisk Jubilee singers and information about six other Black American singing groups with the word "jubilee" in their names.

Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2026/04/swing-and-turn-jubilee-play-party-song.html for Part III of this pancocojams series. That post showcases a YouTube audio file of folk singer Jean Ritchie singing the Appalachian play party song "Swing And Turn Jubilee" (also given as "Jubilee").

The content of this post is presented for historical, folkloric, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to the legacies of all the early Jubilee and/or the early Gospel singing groups that are included in these write-ups as well as the legacies of the early Jubilee and/or the early Gospel singing groups that aren't mentioned in these write-ups. Thanks also to all  those who are quoted in this post. .

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ONLINE SOURCES ON THIS SUBJECT
These online sources are numbered for referencing purposes only.

SOURCE #1
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jubilee_quartet
"Jubilee quartets were popular African-American religious musical groups in the first half of the 20th century. The name derives from the Fisk Jubilee Singers, a group of singers organized by George L. White at Fisk University in 1871 to sing Negro spirituals. The members of the original Fisk Jubilee Quartet (1909–1916) were Alfred G. King (first bass), James A. Myers (second tenor), Noah W. Ryder (second bass), and John W. Work II (first tenor).[1] Students at other historically black schools, such as Hampton Institute, Tuskegee Institute and Wilberforce University, followed suit. Many independent jubilee troupes also found inspiration in the Fisk Jubilee Singers, such as the Original Nashville Students.

The early jubilee quartets featured close harmonies, formal arrangements and a "flatfooted" style of singing that emphasized restrained musical expression and technique derived from Western musical traditions. Early quartets reinforced their respectable image by adopting uniforms that a university glee club might wear and discouraging improvisation.

In time, however, the popularity of the jubilee style spread from the universities to black churches, where quartets, singing before audiences with a tradition of enthusiastic response, began to absorb much of the energy and freedom of Gospel music coming out of Holiness churches. Groups such as the Golden Gate Quartet—originally named the Golden Gate Jubilee Quartet—infused their performances of spirituals with the rhythmic beat of blues and jazz and gradually began including gospel standards written by Thomas A. Dorsey and others in their repertoire. The Gates and other jubilee quartets gained nationwide popularity through radio broadcasts, records and touring in the 1930s and 1940s.

Other groups, such as the Dixie Hummingbirds and the Original Five Blind Boys of Alabama (formally known as the Happyland Jubilee Singers) that had begun singing in the conventional jubilee style went further, creating the more improvisational and fervent style of quartet singing known as "hard Gospel". That new style largely eclipsed jubilee singing by the 1950s."...

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SOURCE #2
From https://timeline.carnegiehall.org/genres/gospel-quartetSacred Gospel Quartet
“We changed our name to the Jericho Quintet for the clubs. During that time [1940s] the gospel audiences weren’t ready for a night club group, so we worked under the Jericho Quintet in the [club] Café Society. But back in the church we were the Dixie Hummingbirds.”
-Ira Tucker, Lead Singer, Dixie Hummingbirds

"The gospel quartet sound began evolving in the1940s when jubilee quartets incorporated songs by pioneering gospel songwriters, such as Thomas Dorsey and Lucie Campbell, in their repertoire. The Dixie Hummingbirds, Golden Gate Quartet and the Soul Stirrers, among others, helped to introduce and popularize this new musical style, initially rejected by ministers of denominational churches, to the Black masses through their live performances and regular broadcasts on local radio. In the 1950s some jubilee quartets had begun slowly transforming into gospel quartets. This transformation included a repertoire of nearly as many gospels as jubilee songs, and the addition of instruments, particularly the guitar. Influenced by the bluesy melodies of Thomas A. Dorsey’s gospel songs and the sanctified singing style of Holiness-Pentecostal churches, gospel quartets emerged as a distinct tradition. By the 1960s, several quartets had also added piano, Hammond organ and drums.

The Soul Stirrers is believed to have been the first jubilee quartet to shift completely to gospel music. They moved away from a collective group singing style to one that featured a lead tenor supported by refrain lines repeated throughout the song (“Glory, Glory, Halleluiah” and “Wonderful”). After World War II, from about 1945 to 1960, gospel quartets reigned supreme. Many semi-professional groups toured the country, and some made performing their full-time profession. They sang at special gospel programs held in auditoriums and other large venues. By the 1960s, the gospel quartet sound had acquired shouts, screams and growls, and other non-verbal utterances. Rhythmic thigh slapping and other bodily movements further intensified the style, represented best by the Five Blind Boys of Alabama led by Clarence Fountain (“Alone and Motherless”). New trends eclipsed the popularity of gospel quartets, but their sound resurfaced in rhythm and blues vocal groups, many of whose members began in gospel quartets, such as Billy Ward and the Dominoes and the Isley Brothers."...

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SOURCE #3

[Pancocojams Editor's Note - This AI Overview write-ups are the results of my April 20, 2026 queries on this subject.] 

"AI Overview   

Jubilee songs (often called jubilee spirituals) and Black gospel songs differ primarily in their musical style, performance context, and origin, with jubilee serving as an early, often a cappella bridge between slave spirituals and the more modern, instrumental-driven Black gospel music of the 1920s and 1930s.

Here are the key differences between the two:

1. Musical Style and Structure

Jubilee: Features tight, close-harmony singing, often performed in a four-part harmony style. It is generally more restrained and rhythmic, focusing on ensemble singing rather than individual vocal gymnastics.

Gospel: Characterized by high-energy, soulful, and dramatic improvisation. It features strong, emotional vocal solos (screams, moans) over a rhythmic foundation, frequently with high-spirited call-and-response between the soloist and the group.

2. Instrumentation

Jubilee: Traditionally, jubilee singing is a cappella or accompanied by very minimal instrumentation. The focus is on the human voice blending.

Gospel: Known for heavy instrumental accompaniment, typically including piano, Hammond organ, drums, bass guitar, and tambourines.

3. Origins and Content

Jubilee: Originated in the late 19th century (popularized by the Fisk Jubilee Singers in the 1870s) as a polished, concert-style arrangement of traditional enslaved people's spirituals. They often carried subtle, coded messages of freedom.

Gospel: Developed later (early 20th century) as a new genre of sacred music, often composed by known artists (e.g., Thomas A. Dorsey) rather than passed down through oral tradition. It is more directly influenced by blues and ragtime, focusing on personal testimony, joy, and emotional release.

4. Performance Context

Jubilee: Historically presented in a more formal concert setting, designed to be accessible to both Black and white audiences in the post-Civil War era, helping to introduce spirituals to the world.

Gospel: Developed primarily within the Pentecostal and Baptist churches, becoming a core part of the worship service, and was designed to be ecstatic and engaging.

Summary Table

Feature            Jubilee Song    

Vocals             Tight 4-part harmony, blended       

Instruments     Often A cappella or minimal 

Origin  Post-Civil War Spirituals        

Style    Restrained, rhythmic  

Summary Table

Feature       Black Gospel Song

Vocals           Improvised, solos, passionate

Instruments  Organ, piano, drums, guitars

Origin          Early 20th Century Sacred

Style            Energetic, blues-influenced

While different, many early gospel groups, such as the Golden Gate Quartet, successfully blended the two styles, bringing the tight harmonies of the jubilee tradition to the upbeat, lyrical nature of gospel music."

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This concludes Part IV of this pancocojams series.

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Visitor comments are welcome.