Examples Of "Wipe Those Cooties Off Of Me" And/Or "Take A Smooth Shot" Lines That Are Found In "Miss Sue From Alabama" Rhymes

Edited by Azizi Powell

This is Part II of a two part* pancocojams series on "Miss Sue From Alabama" rhymes.

This post presents a small sample of different versions of the lines "Wipe those cooties off of me" and/or "Take a smooth shot" that are found in some examples of "Miss Sue From Alabama" rhymes.

The Addendum to this post lists variations of the title "Miss Sue from Alabama" that I've come across.

Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2019/01/the-textual-word-diversity-of-miss-sue_19.html for Part I of this series. That post presents a small list of verses or lines from stand alone rhymes that are found in "Miss Sue From Alabama" rhymes.

Most of these examples of "Miss Sue From Alabama" are from online sources.

These examples reflect the textual diversity that appears to be a dominate feature of "Miss Sue From Alabama" rhymes. 

By "textual diversity" [of a rhyme] I mean the large number of different versions" of a particular rhyme. 

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

Thanks to all who contributed examples of this rhyme that are included in this post. Thanks also to all who are quoted in this post. Special thanks to burgundyblake who shared an example of a "Mazoo From Alabama" rhyme with pancocojams on January 17, 2019. That example prompted me to continue my research on this rhyme family.
-snip-

*This originally was a three part series. However, it appears that I inadvertently deleted Part I of that series. According to the original Part II and Part III descriptions, Part I compared three different 1960s versions of "Miss Sue From Alabama." rhymes.  

****
DEFINITION OF "FOLK PROCESSED"
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Folk_process
"In the study of folklore, the folk process is the way folk material, especially stories, music, and other art, is transformed and re-adapted in the process of its transmission from person to person and from generation to generation. The folk process defines a community—the "folk community"—in and through which folklore is transmitted. While there is a place for professional and trained performers in a folk community, it is the act of refinement and creative change by community members within the folk tradition that defines the folk process."...
-snip-
This excerpt is quoted as it was found on that Wikipedia page.

"Folk processing" (also known as "folk etymology" can occur accidentally due to mis-hearing or mis-remembering or can occur on purpose. When a song or rhyme is accidentally or purposely folk processed an unfamiliar word or phrase is often substituted for a familiar word or phrase. Often this substituted word or phrase rhymes with the word or phrase that was used before.

****
EXAMPLES OF FOLK PROCESSED TITLES [FIRST LINES] FOR "MISS SUE" ("MISS SUE FROM ALABAMA") RHYMES
These examples are given in no particular order and are numbered for referencing purposes only. This isn't meant to be a comprehensive list of these titles.

1. Miss sue from Alabama, Alaska, Nebraska
2. Miss Soup
3. Pea Soup
4. Mazoo
5. My Soup From California
6. Miss Sue From Parramatta
7. ET (ET from outer space)
8. Mrs Soup
9. Miss Sou

****
DEFINITION OF "COOTIES"
From https://www.google.com/search?q=cooties+definition&oq=cooties+de&aqs=chrome.0.0j69i57j0l4.5734j1j8&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8
"Cooties:
a body louse.
a children's term for an imaginary germ or repellent quality transmitted by obnoxious or slovenly people."
-snip-
"Cooties” isn't a sexual referent, but I wonder if some children thought that "boy germs" and some other substitutions for "cooties" in this "Miss Sue From Alabama" rhymes had (have) a sexualized meaning.

****
SOME EXAMPLES OF "WIPE THOSE COOTIES OFF OF ME" & VARIATIONS OF THAT LINE IN "MISS SUE FROM ALABAMA" RHYMES
Pancocojams Editor's Note for this section and for the "take a smooth shot" section below:
These examples are from the United States and from other English speaking nations (Australia, United Kingdom) etc.
Unfortunately, as is the case with almost all online examples of children's rhymes, few examples include geographical location or performance year/s or decade/s.

These variant forms are written in italics to highlight those lines within examples of this rhyme. They are given in no particular order and aren't a comprehensive listing of those types of verses/lines that are found in "Miss Sue From Alabama" rhymes.

Examples are numbered for referencing purposes only.
1. "Me and my friends do it this way

"Miss sue, miss sue
Miss sue from Alabama, Alaska, Nebraska
Sittin' in a rocker eating Betty Crocker watching that clock go tic toc, tic toc chiwawa, tic toc, tic toc chiwawa
A b c d e f g, wash those cooties off of me
I betcha, I betcha, I betcha can't freeze as long as me!"

And then who ever freezes the longest wins
- Victoria Golden, 2017; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-svfUMX3BM

**
2. MY SOUP FROM CALIFORNIA
"We sung those Barney songs too and I live in Australia. We also used to do this weird one called My Soup which was weird. It went like this:
My soup clap clap clap
My soup clap clap clap
My soupd from california waiting on a rock to go
tick tock tick tock shawalawala tick tock tick tock shawalawala abcdefg wash those boy germs out of me
Moonshine moonshine moonshine
Freeze!
And then we all had to freeze.”...
Rochelle Foley, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=55TnrD5re5g2015, 2015
-snip-
With the exception of the italics, this is how this example was given in that YouTube discussion thread.

**
3. "It is ms su 👏👏 ms su 👏👏 ms su from Alabama Nebraska she was sitting in a rocking chair chewing a on her under where watching the clock go tic toc banana rock tic toc banana rock ABCDFG
wash those Cooney's off of me wisha wisha we daddy had a donkey donkey died daddy cried indie biddy donkey but cute"
Ayla Holt, 2018; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qig_7pdDkHQ

**
4. "back in my day it went a little something like this:

Miss Sue (clap clap clap)
Miss Sue (clap clap clap)
Miss Sue from Alabama, her real name's Suzianna
she's sittin in a rocker, eatin Betty Crocker
watch the clock go tick tock tock tock, banana rock
tick tock tick tock banana rock
ABCD123
wash those spiders off of me
mooshka, mooshka, i see mommy
mooshka, mooshka, i know karate
mooshka, mooshka, oops i'm sorry
mooshka, mooshka, FREEZE."
-RespectMyThickness, 2015; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-svfUMX3BM

**
5. "At my school it is completely different it goes
My soup, my soup
My soup from California
Sitting in a rocket
Eating chocolate waiting for the Time to go
Tic tic cicawawa tic tic cicawawa
A b c d e f g
Gummy bears are chasing me
One is red
One is blue
One is peeing on my shoe
I'm running running for my life
Cause the red one has a knife
CACHING"
- The Colour English, 2016, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-svfUMX3BM

**
6. "This is the way I sang it in Elementary School (I love seeing all the different versions!):

Miss Sue
Miss Sue
Miss Sue from Alabama
Her real name's Suzianna
Sittin' in a rocker
Eatin' Betty Crocker
Watchin' the clock go
Tick Tock
Tick-tock Banana-wana
Tick Tock
Tick-tock Banana-wana
ABCDEFG
Wipe that Blue Stuff (or "Those Boy Germs") off of me
HIJKLMNOP
I have plastic surgery
Oocha Boocha
Turn around and FREEZE!
-Jenalyn Barton; 2016; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-svfUMX3BM

**
7. "here is how i sang it.

miss sue( clap clap) miss sue ( clap clap)
miss sue from Alabama her real name was Susana sitting in that rocking
chair mixing that porage like tick tock tick tock shoo walla walla abcdefg wash that moosha off of me moosha moosha
all on me and who
ever moves is the black eye pea"
-Mikya Thomas, 2016; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-svfUMX3BM

**
8. "My Miss Sue was
Miss Sue (clap clap)
Miss Sue (clap clap)
Miss Sue from Alabama her name was Suzzianna sitting in her rocker eatin Betty Crocker watchin that clock go tick tock tick tock sha wa wa tick tock tick tock sha wa wa abcdefg ya betta wash that chocolate off of me I said a mooooshka I said a mooooshka I said a mooshka mooshka mooshka freeze."
-Felicia Villermaux, 2016; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-svfUMX3BM

**
9. "No it's
Miss sue
Miss sue
Miss sue from Alabama
her real name's Suzianna
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
Wrap it up in toilet paper
Shoot it down the elevator
First floor stop
Second floor stop
Third floor you better watch out
For the S-T-O-P spells stop.
I said an A B C D E F G
Wipe those crumbs right off of me
You better freeze like a peice of cheese
Don't show no teeth😶"
-Isaiah Guiden, 2015; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-svfUMX3BM

**
10. "mine is: miss sue,miss sue,miss sue from albama they call her suzieanna sitt'in in a rocker eati'n bettie-crockertick- watchin that clock go tick-tock tick-tock shawawa tick-tock tick-tock shawawa abcdefg wash them boy cooties off of me moosha moosha i know karate moosha moosha i want my momy moosha moosha im so sorry moosha moosha FREEZE! have a staring contest"
-Sadie Fletcher, 2013; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-svfUMX3BM

**
11. "Me and my friends go ms sue clap clap clap ms sue from Alabama Alaska Nebraska she was sitting in her rocking chair chewing on her under ware watching the time go tick toc tick toc banana rock tic toc tick toc banana rock abcdefg wash these kittens off of my mushka mushka mushka freeze icky icky donkey daddy had a donkey donkey died daddy cried icky icky donkey
-Jennifer Lofgren, 2018; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lNkxEU3OFbU

**
12."I do miss sue miss sue miss sue from Alabama Siting on a rocker eating Betty Crocker Watching the clock go tick-tock. Tick tock fanna mana tick tock tick tock fanna mana wipe those black spots off of me moon shine moon shine moon shine freeze"
-Adam Flanders, 2018; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o4L-H86olg8

**
13. "I do it differently I do it like this

Miss Sue, miss Sue
Miss Sue from Alabama, Alaska, Aribaska she was
Sitting on her rocking chair,
Chewing on her sock
Watching the clock go
Tick tock tick tock balabala x2
ABCDEFG
Wash those groodies of me
Wishka wishka wishka freeze.
Inky dinky donkey Daddy had a donkey donkey died
Daddy cried inky dinky donkey"
-Holly Bailey, 2018; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o4L-H86olg8

**
14. "miss sue miss sue miss sue from Alabama they call her Susieanna. siting in a rocker eating Betty crocker watching that clock go tick tock tick tock chawlwa tick tock tick tock chawlwa abcdefg wip those blue germs off of me if they slap you don't you cry slap them back and wave bye bye
Robin, 2015; https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20100521121653AAqa6Lq

**
15. "This was how I knew it growing up in Utah as you clapped it out with a friend:

Mazoo
Mazoo
Mazoo from Alabama
Sittin' in a rocker
Eatin' Betty Crocker
Listen to the clock go
Tick Tock
Tick Tock Banana-Rock
Tick Tock
Tick Tock Banana-Rock
A-B-C-D-E-F-G
Wipe that blue stuff off of me
Mushka Mushka Mushka
Freeze!

And then you froze and had a staring contest"
-burgundyblake; January 17, 2019 [comment]; http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2017/09/selected-examples-of-hand-clap-rhyme.html Selected Examples Of The Hand Clap Rhyme "Miss Sue From Alabama" (1965-1990s)

****
MY THOUGHTS ABOUT THE MEANING OF SMOOTH SHOT"
The word "smooth" is an adjective whose 1970s slang meaning is "doing something difficult without effort, with finesse." The word "smooth" was often used this way when someone performed a difficult action in a way that made that action seemed easy.

I believe that the non-folk processed form of "take a smooth shot" was "take a flu [influenza] shot [immunization]. However, I've not found any examples of "Miss Sue From Alabama" that includes the "take a flu shot" line.

My guess is that the slang meaning of "smooth" was what children meant when they chanted "take a smooth shot", if they considered the meaning of the term at all when they performed this rhyme or before/afterwards they performed this rhyme.

****
SOME EXAMPLES OF VARIANT FORMS OF THE LINE "TAKE A SMOOTH SHOT" IN "MISS SUE FROM ALABAMA" RHYMES
Pancocojams Editor's Note
Based on my online research, the line "take a smooth shot" or its variants appear to be found in far fewer examples of Miss Sue From Alabama" than the "wipe those cooties" line and its variant forms.

My guess is that "take a smooth shot" was probably chanted in the 1960s-1970s or earlier examples of "Miss Sue From Alabama" and was largely retired after that.

1."Miss Sue
Miss Sue from Alabama
Hey you,
scooby do
your Mama's got the measles
Your papa's got the flu
magic measles
magic flu
Take an a b c d e f g
Take an h i j k l.m.n.o.p.
Take a smooth shot
Take a smooth shot
and now freeze.
-Eleanor Fulton, Pat Smith, editors Let's Slice The Ice, (Magnamusic-Baton, 1978; St. Louis, Missouri; p. 16)

**
2. "How I remember miss sue miss sue miss sue from alabama jer real name suseanna sittin In the rocking eatin popcorn watchin that clock go tick tock boom boom bananas +2 hey little white girl what u gone do your momma got the chicken pox ur daddy got the flu take a
A b c d e f g. H I J K L M N O P take a boooo shot take a boo shotFREEZE
Makyia Ballentine, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-svfUMX3BM Miss Sue Playground Song; 2014

**
3. E.T. FROM OUTER SPACE
E-T.
E-T.
E-T from outer space.
He has an ugly face.
Sitting in a rocker,
Eating Betty Crocker,
Watching the clock go tick-tock
Tick-tock ski-wa-dee-da-dee
A-B-C-D-E-F-G
Wipe those crumbs off of me!
I've got a smooth shirt.
I've got a smooth shirt.
I've got a smooth smooth smooth smooth smooth shirt.
Now freeze!
-KeepOnSingin, http://www.dance.net/topic/7106059/1/General/Do-you-remember-those-old-rhymes-you-d-sing-as-a-kid.html re: Do you remember those old rhymes you'd sing as a kid?, Apr 20, 2008

**
4. "Miss Sue, (clap, clap)
Miss Sue (clap, clap)
Miss Sue from Alabama,
Let's make a movie,
Sittin' in a rocker,
Eatin' Betty Crocker,
Hey wise girl,
Whatcha gonna do,
When your mama's at work,
Baby's got the flu,
Daddy's got the chicken pox,
And so do you?
Take an a b c d e f g,
Take an h i j k l m n o p,
Take a booty shot,
take a booty shot,
And FREEZE!!"
- Ashley, 2010 https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20100521121653AAqa6Lq

**
5. "Miss Sue

Miss Sue
Miss Sue from Alabama
Her name was Suzianna
Sitting in a rocker
eating Betty Crocker
Watching the clock go
Tick Tock
Tick all around go
Tick Tock
Tick all around
A-B-C-D-E-F-G
Gotta wash that stain right out of me
Gotta Boom-shot
Gotta Boom-shot
Gotta crick in my side
Gotta crick in my side
Salt and pepper said "DO NOT MOVE"
(alternate ending)
Salt and pepper said" DO NOT MOVE,
FIRST ONE TO MOVE IS A BLACK-EYED-PEA
SECOND ONE TO MOVE IS A BEAUTY QUEEN
-Dani (White American, Southern USA), http://www.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=63097 "Folklore: Do kid still do clapping rhymes?", September 22, 2003

****
This concludes Part III of this three part pancocojams series on the textual diversity of "Miss Sue From Alabama" rhymes.

Thanks for visiting pancocojams.

Visitor comments are welcome.