"He Can Wiggle He Can Wooble He Can Do The Splits" And Other Similar Words Found In "Mailman Mailman Do Your Duty" & "Apple On A Stick" Rhymes

Edited by Azizi Powell

This pancocojams post documents the inclusion of the same or similar lines in certain  versions of "Mailman Mailman Do Your Duty" (also known as "Postman Postman" and "Policeman Policeman) rhymes and in certain versions of "Apple On A Stick" rhymes.

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

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post. Thanks to all those who are featured in the embedded videos, and thanks to the publishers of those videos on YouTube.

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FEATURED EXAMPLES
These examples are given in relative chronological order based on their publishing date or collection date, with the oldest examples given first in each sub-category. Examples with no publishing date are given last. (Note that these examples may actually be older than other examples in their sub-categories).

The contributor's name, date and the internet link for these examples are given with each example.

The YouTube examples are from the comment section for those cited videos.

Italics are added to highlight the line/s that is/are the focus of this post.

Numbers have been added for referencing purposes only.

Brief explanations are given for references in a few of these examples.

MAILMAN MAILMAN DO YOUR DUTY
1. "Mail man mail man do your duty
Here comes a lady with a
With a big fat booty
she can do the pom pom
she can do the twist
but most of all she can blow you a kiss"
Uggh!
-froggielover737; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=80uKGksoFTA&feature=related; 1/22/2007
-snip-
"Twist" in this example and in these other rhymes probably means to do "the twist" (1960s R&B dance).

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2. "wrong! i do it ...
mailman,mailman on the duty.Here comes this american beauty. she can do the pom,pom. she can do the twist. but most of all she can kiss,kiss,kiss! K-I-S-S"
-KittyBunnny, 2013; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L3G7c6Fj_WM&t=7s

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3. "this is how i remeber it....

Mailman mailman beauty beauty better watch out for miss american beauty she can do the pom poms she can do the twist best of all she can make a boy kiss K-I-S-S.....and again
-Alyssa Henry, 2014; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L3G7c6Fj_WM&t=7s
-snip-
"do the pom poms" = shake your fists in front of your chest like you're pretending to be a cheerleader shaking pom poms.

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4. "Mailman, mailman, do your duty, here comes miss american beauty.
She can do the can-can, she can do the splits,
but most of all she can kiss-kiss-kiss!
K…I…S…S…(on each letter the child moves his or her feet more and more outward, doing better and better splits. the first one to fall loses)
- http://www.homeschool.co.uk/jump-rope-rhymes/mailman-jump-rope-rhymes/

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5. "Mailman, mailman, Do your duty Here comes miss American Beauty. She can do the pom-pom (move arms like cheer-leader) she can do the splits, (bend down to touch both toes) but most of all, she can kiss kiss kiss, (clap hands with partner) with her red.. hot.. lips. K.. I .. S.. S (move feet apart further outward with each letter. First person to fall loses.)"
- http://www.homeschool.co.uk/jump-rope-rhymes/mailman-jump-rope-rhymes/

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6. "Mail man, Mail man
Do your duty
Here comes a lady with an African Booty
She can do the pom pom
She can do the twist
First of all, she can kiss kiss kiss
With her red hot lips K-I-S-S
Lain, 2015; https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080508163109AAg6S8B
-snip-
The chanters spells the word "KISS" that is given in upper case letter and claps [or jumps rope] with each letter that is spelled.

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7. Mailman mailman do your duty here comes a lady with an african booty she can do the pom pom she can do the twist most of all she can kiss kiss with her red hot lips k i s s i n g”
-http://folklore.usc.edu/?tag=clapping, hand clap rhyme; date collected by the publisher of that page: 4/26/2017
-snip-
The chanters spells the word kissing and claps with each letter that is spelled.

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MILKMAN MILKMAN
"Everyone in my school says: milkman milkman do ur duty I fell in love with an American Beauty she can do the floss she can do the dab but can she do this Then everyone puts there legs apart
Cookie CrunchYT, 2018; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L3G7c6Fj_WM&t=7s
-snip-
Here's some information about the terms "floss" and "dab":
floss- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Floss_(dance): 2010 dance
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dap -https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dab_(dance): 2010s dance movement or gesture

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1. Policeman, Policeman,
Do your duty.
Here comes [insert the jumper's name or nickname]
an American beauty.
She can wiggle.
She can wobble
She can do the flip [later the word 'twist' replaced the word 'flip']
But I betcha five dollars she can't do this:
Lady on one foot, one foot, one foot,
turn all around. [jump on 1 foot and turn around]
Lady on two foot, two foot, two foot
Touch the ground.[jump on 2 feet and touch the ground]
Lady of three foot, three foot, three foot [jump on 2 feet with one hand on the ground]
Lady on two feet say your prayers. [jump on 2 feet while folding your hands like you are praying]
Lady on four foot, four foot, four foot [jump on 2 feet while placing both hands on the ground]
[Now] Go to bed. [jump out of the rope]
-Azizi Powell, memories of childhood, 1950s, Atlantic City, New Jersey

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2. "Policeman, Policeman Do your duty, lookin at the lady wit the big fat booty, she can wiggle she can wobble she can do the twist, but I bet you one dollar, that she can’t do this. Lady on one foot, one foot, one foot Lady on two feet, two feet, two feet Lady on three feet, three feet, three feet Lady on four feet, four feet, four feet!
– Feb 08 2006, http://www.homeschool.co.uk/jump-rope-rhymes/policeman-jump-rope-songs/

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3. Policeman, policeman, do your duty,
Here comes (name of next jumper)
And she’s a cutie;
She can jump, she can twist,
But I bet she can’t do this.
-http://www.homeschool.co.uk/jump-rope-rhymes/policeman-jump-rope-songs/

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4. "Policeman, Policeman, do your duty.
Here comes Janie, the bathing beauty.
She can do the heel-toe; she can do the splits;
She can do the wiggle-waggle just like this!
-https://makingmusicfun.net/htm/f_mmf_music_library_songbook/policeman-policeman-rhyme.php
-snip-
"Heel-toe" here probably refers to a tap dance movement and not the 2017 Hip Hop dance by that name.

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APPLE ON A STICK
1. Apple on a stick
Makes me sick
Makes my tummy go
Two forty six
Not because it’s dirty
Not because it’s clean
Not because I kissed my momma
Behind the magazines
Girls, girls
Do you wanna fight?
Here come Dickey
With her pants on tight.
She can wiggle
She can woggle
She can do all that
I bet you ten dollars
You can’t do this
Count to ten with your eyes closed
A-baby one
A-baby two
A-baby three, four, five
Baby, I don’t take no little jive
A-baby six
A-baby seven
A-baby eight, nine, ten
You better back it up and do it again
Source: Apples On A Stick by Barbara Michels and Bettye White (New York: Coward / McCann, Inc)
collection of playground rhymes from Black children in Houston Texas, 1983, page 11

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2. "Candy apple on a stick makes my heart go 246 246 not because I'm dirty not because I'm clean not because I kissed a girl behind a magizine boys wanna have fun here comes lalin with her pants undon she can wibble she can wobble she can do the splits but I bet you 10 bucks can't do this close your eyes count to ten whoever messes up has to be her boyfriend
-Blake Embry, 2013; https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=PDsDnUrY_3M

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3. "I learned it like this : apples on a stick they make me sick makes my heart beat go 246 not because your dirty not beacuse your clean not beacuse you kissed a boy behind a magizen hey _ you wanna have a fight meet me on a corner on a saturday night i can do the zumba you can do the twist i bet you 5 bucks you cant do this close your eys and count to ten and if you mess up you have to kiss your boyfriend"
Softiie, 2015; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sygUDQzShdM

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4. "I do it apples on a hot stick make me sick make my heart go two forty six not because I'm pretty not because I'm clean not because I kissed a boy behind a magazine hey girl u want a have some fun I saw make with his pants undone he could wobble he could wobble he could even do the spilts I bet u five bucks he can't do this close ur eyes and count to ten who ever messes up has to marry him *do it with eyes closed *
Oily Cupboard, 2016, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aotvJCUfeK8

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5. "Never knew there were so much different ways to sing it till i scrolled through the comments, lol. Mines
"Apple on a stick, makes me sick. Makes my heart beat 2,40,6. Not because you're dirty not because you're clean. Not because you kissed a boy behind a magazine. Boys, girls, having fun. Here comes a lady with a pickle up her bum. She can do the cartwheel she can do the splits, but i bet ya, i bet ya, she can't do this. Close your eyes and count to 10 if you muck it all up your not my friend."
- Florence S, 2017: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ht4h61GAZUc

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6. "I sing it this way:
Apple on a stick,
it makes me sick,
it makes my heart go 2 4 6!
Not because I'm dirty, not because I'm clean,
not because I kissed a frog behind a magazine!
So come on girls, lets have some fun,
here comes a lady with a big fat bum!
She can do the wiggle waggle, she can do the splits,
But I bet you ten bucks she can't do this!
Close your eyes and count to ten,
If you mess up, start over again!
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 8 9 10!"
-Esther LeClaire, 2018; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ht4h61GAZUc

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7. "I do more hand movements and different lyrics

Apple on a stick gonna make me sick put my heart in 249 249 not because your dirty not because your clean not because I kissed a boy behind a magazine girls and boys just wanna have fun here come Halle with a mini skirt on she can wiggle she can wobble she can do a full split but I bet she can't do this close your eyes and count to ten if you mess up do it again 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10"
-Halle's Place, 2018; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7NW1Cl4JzKc


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8. "My version I do with my friends is

Apple on a stick
Makes me sick
Makes my heart beat 2 46
But not because your dirty
And not because your clean
Not because you kissed a boy behind a magazine
Girls boys having fun
Here come Jonny with a pickle up him bum
He can wiggle
He can wobble
He can even do the splits
But I bet he can’t do this
Close your eyes and count to 10
If you can’t do it your a big fat hen
But if you can you can be my friend
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
And that’s the end of chapter 10

-XxTahliaGamerxX, 2018 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sygUDQzShdM
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