Edited by Azizi Powell
This pancocojams post provides information about and presents some examples of Double Dutch rhymes entitled "D.I.S.H. Choice" and other examples of "D.I.S.H." Double Dutch rhymes.
The content of this post is presented for cultural and recreational purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post.
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EXAMPLES OF "D.I.S.H CHOICE" AND OTHER "D.I.S.H" DOUBLE DUTCH RHYMES
Pancocojams Editor's Note: These excerpts are given in no particular order and are numbered for referencing purposes only.
Excerpt #1:
From http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2017/08/double-dutch-irish-double-irish-chinese.html
Double Dutch, Irish, Double Irish, Chinese Jump Rope, And Other National Names Used As References For Jumping Games
Quote From https://books.google.com/books?id=Y4rYAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA5&lpg=PA5&dq=double+irish+jump+rope&source=bl&ots=VkZjl2hZph&sig=puhMuBKf4BxchX5XjZid-H6PevA&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiO1tG_y8XVAhWDz4MKHefyAfsQ6AEIXjAN#v=onepage&q=double%20irish%20jump%20rope&f=false "Some Jump Rope Rimes From South Philadelphia" by Roger D. Abrahams in Keystone Folklore Quarterly, Volume 8, Spring Issue 1963, edited by Simon Bronner
[page 3]
"The Negro in the neighborhood of South Philadelphia in which I lived and collected from 1958-1960 not only jumped rope extensively, but developed such coordination in doing so that many of their games were considerably more complex than those observable in most places elsewhere....The most common method of [jump rope] play is "single jumping", the rope being turned by two "enders" in a single strand...
This, however, is the least common method of playing in the neighborhood. The 'double dutch' games in which the 'enders' double the ropes and turn the two strands separately and alternately overhand, are much more common. In this game a rhythm is created that is twice as fast but not as insistent as in "singles".
[page 4]
The most common rime used with this game, especially by the younger children (5-8) is the simple counting one:
2,4,6-8, 10
2,4,6-8, 20
2,4,6-8, 30
etc.
(The 6-8 are said much quicker than any other number.)
or
D.I.S.H. choice
(With the "s" and the "h" said much faster than other letters.)
"Double-dutch" and its companion "double-Irish" call for an even more complicated rhythmic effect, paralleled by complications in motor responses....
[...]
[page 5]
"In the game with two “enders”, there are three standard ways of turning the ropes, “single”, double Dutch”, “Irish or “double Irish” (the same as double-dutch only underhanded and much more difficult). The most common types are the counting games...
[...]
[Page 8]
D. I.S. H. Choice
This is a jump that allows you to pick which way you want the rope turned. “D” stand for “Double Dutch”, “I” for “Irish”, “S” for single turn, “H” for “hop”, and “choice” is for any of the previous four.
The one you miss on is the one you must do.
D.I. S. H choice
D.I. S. H choice
D.I. S. H choice
H O P, hop
1, 2, 3"
-snip-
Note that "Negro" is no longer used as a referent for African Americans.
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Excerpt #2:
From http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2017/07/juice-juice-lets-knock-some-boots-four.html Saturday,
"Juice Juice, Let's Knock Some Boots" & Four Other Recreational Double Dutch Rhymes
This is Part III of a four part pancocojams series on recreational (street, old school) Double Dutch, with an emphasis on Double Dutch (jump rope) rhymes.
The words to these rhymes are from Recess Battles: Playing, Fighting, and Storytelling, by Anna R. Beresin (Univ. Press of Mississippi, May 27, 2011).
Here's an excerpt about this book from https://books.google.com/books?id=Wsm-IE3srh4C&dq=Boom+Boom+Tangle&source=gbs_navlinks_s
..."The author [Anna R. Beresin] videotaped and recorded children of the Mill School in Philadelphia from 1991 to 2004 and asked them to offer comments as they watched themselves at play. These sessions in Recess Battles raise questions about adult power and the changing frames of class, race, ethnicity, and gender. The grown-ups’ clear misunderstanding of the complexity of children’s play is contrasted with the richness of the children’s folk traditions."...
[...]
The words to these examples are from https://books.google.com/books?id=Wsm-IE3srh4C&pg=PA91&lpg=PA91&dq=Boom+Boom+Tangle&source=bl&ots=mYDeDwycGK& "Recess Battles: Playing, Fighting, and Storytelling"
D.I.S.H. CHOICE
D.I.S.H. choice, do your footsies
D.I.S.H. choice, up the ladder
D.I.S.H. choice do your hopsies
D.I.S.H. choice do your turnsies
1, 2, and 3, and a 1, 2, and 3
Hop, 1, 2, and 3
Jump, 1, 2, and 3
{At choice* the jumper can do "what she wants")
(1992, 1999)
-snip-
[page 94 in "Recess Battles: Playing, Fighting, and Storytelling"]
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Excerpt #3
From https://www.lipstickalley.com/threads/dbl-dutch.323634/ Dbl Dutch
a. Aug 12, 2011
Miss_M
"I remember a song called D.I.S.H
*Sings*
D.I.S.H D.I.S.H
D for double dutch, I for Irish, S is for selection, and H is for hop.
Little girls don't jump double dutch anymore let alone jump rope. Technology and trying to be grown is what is on their agenda."
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b. Aug 12, 2011
Diggin da Shamy
"From Brooklyn ...
We did " D.I.S.S choice sleeping beauty pop up cigarette mumble type rider" (we made up sh&t* lol)
The ones where you would choose a boyfriend (said letters while jumping)
Scotch is when the rope is going the other way. I could never do that sh&t* tho. I would get hit in the face. because I wasn't sure when to jump in."
-snip-
*This word is fully spelled out in this comment.
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c. Aug 13, 2011
QueenCocoBrown
"Miss_M said: ↑
I remember a song called D.I.S.H
*Sings*
D.I.S.H D.I.S.H
D for double dutch, I for Irish, S is for selection, and H is for hop.
Little girls don't jump double dutch anymore let alone jump rope. Technology and trying to be grown is what is on their agenda.
This is the one I remember. It went like this:
D.I.S.H choice, sleeping beauty, criss cross, around the world, pop ups cigarette, mumble, crazy (repeat)
The entire chant was different double dutch skips that you did. I remember those days. I do not see anyone playing double dutch anymore. I remember when we used to beg the telephone guy to give us some rope. lol." :Banane43::Banane41:"
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From https://www.lipstickalley.com/threads/dbl-dutch.323634/page-2
d. Aug 13, 2011
ChileBoom
"D I S S CHoice Sleeping Beauty Criss Cross Around the World Pop up's Cigarette mumbles Tricks!
I remeber being 13 and thinking I was the best ever LOL.”...
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Visitor comments are welcome.
I should note that a commenter on April 12, 2011 strongly disagreed with the comment given above as #3 (that little girls don't jump double dutch anymore because they're trying to be grown and because of technology).
ReplyDeleteThat comment (with no location given) wrote in part that "I work in a school and alot of kids still jump rope and double dutch, plus I see children in my neighborhood doing it all the time. smh."
For the record, let me mention that when I was growing up in Atlantic City, New Jersey in the 1950s I tried to learn how to jump Double Dutch and tried to learn how to turn the ropes- but failed at each of those skills.
ReplyDeleteI remember the Double Dutch enders sometimes turning the two ropes inside out instead of the way they usually turned them, but I don't remember any term like "Irish" or "Double Irish" given for that way of turning the ropes.
I also remember girls chanting some Double Dutch rhymes but I don't remember any of them.
I should also note that Double Dutch was rarely if ever played when my daughter and her friends were growing up in the 1970s in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and I've rarely seen Double Dutch being played by anyone in Pittsburgh since that time.
One of the reasons why girls may not have learned to play recreational Double Dutch is that some public schools may not have jump ropes for children to use and may not allow jump roping during recess, probably to protect the schools from liability due to possible student injuries.
DeleteWe used to double DUTCH to the chant DISHFA. D meant double DUTCH, I meant Irish (swinging the ropes backwards) S for Spanish, H fir hop, F for French, and A for American. Certain steps or rope strategies were associated with each initial. I just don't remember them all. This took place at ou Catholic school in the Philadelphia suburbs on the early 1960's.
DeleteMrs. Sullivan, thanks for sharing your memory of that Double Dutch rhyme.
DeleteI lived in Atlantic City, New Jersey from the 1950s to the early 1960s, but I never was able to jump Double Dutch or turn the ropes for Double Dutch :0(
Best wishes!