Edited by Azizi Powell
Latest Revision: July 2, 2019
This pancocojams post presents examples of the hand clap and hand slap game "Bo Bo Ski Watten Totten" and similar sounding titles.
The content of this post is presented for cultural and recreational purposes only.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post and thanks to all those who published videos or sound files of this hand clap or hand slap game.
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PANCOCOJAMS EDITOR'S NOTE
According to several online sites, "Bo Bo SKi Watten Totten" is an old hand game that is largely made up of nonsense syllables. This game is reported to have originated in the United States, but I've not been able to find any information about when and how this game was first played.
The comment given in example #1 indicates that "Bo Bo Ski Watten Totten is an old hand clapping game and jump rope rhyme." If that comment is true, then it's likely that this rhyme was performed while jumping rope and then evolved to a hand clap rhyme- as that is the usual progression of children's rhymes in the United States. Groups of adults chanting this rhyme while doing elimination hand slaps is an even later performance activity.
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This post is part of pancocojams' ongoing series on children's rhymes, cheers, and singing games. As such, it departs from pancocojams' general mission to feature cultural material from Black Americans and from other Black people throughout the world.
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SOUND FILE EXAMPLE: Bo Bo See Wattin' Tattin
Red Grammer - Topic, Published on Nov 5, 2015
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The words for this rhyme are relatively stable (the same) compared to the wide variation in many other children's recreational rhymes. However, as is the case with almost all children's recreational rhymes (in the United States), the tune for this rhyme is very constant over time and within different populations throughout the United States at the same time and during different periods of time.
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EXAMPLES OF BOBO SKI WATTEN OTTON [Text examples without videos or sound files]
These examples are given in no particular order. Information about the example's performance activity may be given along with the example. Numbers are added for referencing purposes only.
1. From Anonymous · 2008, https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20070601173503AA1l6eJ
"Bo bo Ski Watten Totten is an old hand clapping game and jump rope rhyme. It's also been used by some high schools as a high school football cheer song for the crowd to get "pepped up" and during pep rallies.
There are a couple different versions out there, but the basic version is:
Bo-bo ski watten totten,
Ah-ah-ah, boom boom boom
Itty bitty wotten totten
Bo bo ski watten tatten
Bo bo ski wotten tatten-BOOM
The longer version is:
Bo-bo ski watten totten,
Ah-ah, ah-ah boom boom boom
Itty bitty wotten totten
Bo bo ski watten tatten
Bo bo ski wotten tatten
Freeze please American cheese
Please don't show your teeth to me
As for it's original origin, no idea, it's been around for years, and every time I've ever seen it printed online and offline it's been by an anonymous author. Sometimes channels like KPBS show clips with children in them playing jump rope or hand clapping games, sometimes Nick JR and Playhouse Disney do as well, maybe that's where your daughter picked it up?"
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2. From https://www.mamalisa.com/?t=es&p=2199https://www.mamalisa.com/?t=es&p=2199
Songs & Rhymes From the USA
Bo Bo Ski Waton Taton
Hand Clapping Rhyme
Bo bo ski waton taton
Bo bo ski waton taton
Freeze
Please
American Cheese
Please don't show your eyes* to me.
Notes
*This rhyme can be repeated many times. Each time, use a different part of the face in the last line. Hide that part of your face with your hands and keep it covered while you repeat the next verse. After the first verse play the clapping game by pressing together your elbows. On the last repetition, you end the verse with "Boom"."
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3. From http://funclapping.com/song-list/bo-bo/
"Bo-bo ski watten tatten,
Ah-ah-ah, boom boom boom
Itty bitty watten tatten
Bo bo ski watten tatten
Bo bo ski watten tatten
Freeze please American cheese (stop clapping)
Please don’t show your teeth to me
(Resume clapping and repeat song and add
different things to hide; – like lips, eyes"
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4. From http://kaytmay.blogspot.com/2008/08/childhood-rhymes.html
"Recently I was thinking of that rhyme that I learned as Bobo- Shi Otten Totten. But the site that I found listing it had the words all wrong. They had it as Bobo Ski Wotten Totten.
Bobo Shi Otten Totten
Uh-uh, I ain't no fool!
Itty bitty Otten Totten
Bobo Shi Otten Totten
Bobo Shi Otten Totten
Boom!
But they had
Bo-bo ski watten totten,
Ah-ah-ah, boom boom boom
Itty bitty wotten totten
Bo bo ski watten tatten
Bo bo ski wotten tatten-BOOM. (Thanks to Azlyn)"
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5.
From http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=351152
"What hand-clapping and jumprope rhymes do you remember?
12-25-2005, posted by Angel of the Lord
Bo-bo-skee-otten-totten
Nay-nay, I am bo-bo-bo
Itty bitty otten totten
bo-bo-skee-otten-totten
bo-bo-skee-otten-totten boom.
Then counting up to a pre-determined number. On the last one, you had to try to move your hand out of the way before the other person hit it.
I'm amazed that I still remember that."
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VIDEO EXAMPLES OF BOBO SKI WATTEN OTTON [hand clap game]
These examples are given in chronological order based on the video's publishing date with the earliest video given first. Numbers are added for referencing purposes only.
Notice the different ways that two people standing or seated facing each other perform this hand clap game.
Video #1: Bo Bo Skee Otten Totten
zenopox, Published on Oct 9, 2011
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Video #2: Fun hand games
fatcat123455,Published on Dec 24, 2011
old school hand games from way back.. can u remember any more??? i got like 10 of them
1.bo bo seantin tatin 2.miss mary mack
3. i dont want to go to mexico 4.tweet tweet tweet 5.my mother your mother 6. down down baby 7. little sally walker 8.double double this this 9. ini mini sicilini
10. i went to a chineese restaurant 11. ce ce my play mate
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This video also included #11. Fudge Fudge Call The Judge
Here's my attempted transcription of "bo vo seantin tatin" (from .12-.25 in this video). Additions and corrections are welcome:
bo bo seantin tatin
nay nay I am boom boom boom
eeny meanie attin tatin
bo bo seantin tatin
bo bo seantin tatin
boom ah boom
ah boom boom boom
bang bang
ah bang bang
shish
creeps peace
peace
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Video #3: Bo-bo ski watten totten Amanda and Paige
Amanda Joy, Published on Jan 5, 2013
hand clapn it up!
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Here are the only two comments from this video's discussion thread:
1. CastleWoodsRC, 2013
"When i was a kid it was bobo skee watten totten, ah ah say girls are rotten"
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2. A Nony Mouse, 2013
"ahh, second grade memories"
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Video #4: BOBO HANDSHAKE
Carly and Madi, Published on Sep 21, 2014
How to do the bobo song.
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Video #4: Bo Bo Ski Watten!
Sisterearthification, Published on Jul 28, 2017
Miss Julie and Miss Katie in their fabulous performance of Bo Bo Ski Watten!!
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EXAMPLES OF BOBO SKI WATTEN OTTON [Hand slap game]
Video #1: Oboeshaynaughtentaten
Matilda Belle, Published on Jun 4, 2013
Our version of a hand jive game. Words are nonsense, but here's what I think they are:
Oboe shay naught (not?) ten ta ten
Nay nay, I am boom boom boom
Itty bitty ottin (ought ten?) tot ten
Oboe shay notten ta ten
Boom! 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10!
Object of the game: don't get hit on the number 10; try to hit the other person on the number 10. If they move their hands out of the way in time, they win, you're out. If you get them, they're out. Can play with as many people as you want.
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Video #2: Bo-Bo Ski Watten
Scout McHenrym Published on Mar 27, 2016
Crossover Campout 2016
-snip-
Here’s my transcription of this video (Additions and corrections are welcome).
Bo-bo ski watten tatten,
Ah-ah-ah, boom boom boom
Itty bitty watten tatten
Bo bo ski watten tatten
Bo bo ski watten tatten
1,2,3,4,5,6, 7,8, 9 10 [person whose hand is hit at #10 is out.
-snip-
The tempo increases each time the rhyme is chanted.
This game is played like the hand slap games "Stella Ella Ola" and "Down By The Banks Of The Hanky Pankt"*
*"Down By The Banks" is also played as a two person hand clap game. Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2015/02/down-by-banks-of-hanky-panky-video.html for a pancocojams post on that rhyme.
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