Edited by Azizi Powell
This is Part III of a four part pancocojams series that presents a compilation of examples of Stella Ella Ola & similar group hand slapping games that include information about their geographic location.
The rhymes that are included in this compilation have the titles "Stella Ella Ola", "Strolla Ola Ola", "Quack Diddley Oso", "Crocodilly Oh My", "Slap Billy Oso", and similar titles.
This post presents examples whose geographic locations are from cities or states in the United States that begin with N-S. When commenters mention both the city and the state for United States examples, I've listed those examples under the first letter of the name of the city. Examples that cite a region of the United States are listed under the first letter of that region (for example: "New England" is listed under the letter "N".
This post also presents examples whose geographic locations are from countries outside of the United States whose names begin with N-S. All of those examples are listed under the country's name.
The online sources for these examples are cited along with their full comments (except for additional examples or off topic comments).
Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2023/11/stella-ella-ola-similar-group-hand.html for Part I of this pancocojams series. That post presents examples whose geographical locations are given under the letters A-H.
Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2023/11/pancocojams-compilation-of-examples-of.html for Part II of this post. That post presents examples whose geographical locations are given under the letters I-M.
Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2023/11/pancocojams-compilation-of-examples-of_48.html for Part IV of this pancocojams series. That post presents examples whose geographical locations are given under the letters T-Z.
The content of this post is presented for folkloric and recreational purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post.
-snip-
Also, click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2016/10/in-search-of-sources-for-stella-ella.html for the 2016 pancocojams post entitled "In Search Of Sources For "Stella Ella Ola"/"Quack Dilly Oso" Rhymes".
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INFORMATION ABOUT THIS COMPILATION
The rhymes that are included in this pancocojams compilation
are selected examples from various sources.
I found almost all of these examples in this pancocojams compilation by reading multiple online discussion threads, including YouTube discussion threads (Thankfully, I had documented some of the comments from YouTube discussion threads that are now deleted because in Feb. 2019 YouTube deleted most of the discussion threads for videos that feature children. A few YouTube discussion threads for videos that feature children show old comments and are still open for new comments. This compilation includes some of those examples.)
In addition, a few of examples in this pancocojams compilation of "Stella Ella Ola" and similar group hand slapping rhymes are from comments that I received in other posts on this pancocojams blog.
In addition, a few of examples in this pancocojams
compilation of "Stella Ella Ola" and similar group hand slapping
rhymes are from comments that I received in other posts on this pancocojams blog.
The exceptions to the online sources for these examples are those that I learned from my direct experiences in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania beginning in the 1980s.
These examples are given in alphabetical order under the geographical location that is mentioned in the comment. Examples from cities in the United States are given under their state's name. Examples from regions in the United States are given under the first letter of that region's name (for instance examples from "New England" is given under the letter "N".) Examples from outside of the United States are given under the name of the country.
Multiple examples from each of these geographical categories are given in no particular order.
The YouTube videos of "Stella Ella Ola" and other related hand slapping games whose links are included in this compilation are played the same way as I've seen in my direct experiences of that game (from the 1980s to early 2000s in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and some of its surrounding communities, mostly among African American children).The exception is that my recollections of those games is that they were always played by people standing in a circle while YouTube videos sometimes show these games being played by people who are seated.
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DISCLAIMER
This compilation isn't meant to represent all of the examples of these rhymes in a given city, state, or country during any particular period of time. This post also doesn't present any information or examples that purport to be the earliest example/s of this rhyme. Nor does this compilation stipulate that any example of these rhymes is more correct than any other examples.
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SELECTED EXAMPLES
N-O
New England
GUEST, Mara, 12 Mar 11; https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=77066 Subject: RE: Kids chant Stella Ola Ola / Stella Ella Ola [henceforth given in this post as "Mudcat: Stella Ella Ola"]
"I think this is fascinating! I had always wondered about this song. My high school (in New England) was a combination of two neighboring towns and we found that even just between our two towns there was a difference (albeit slight)!
I learned it this way:
Crocadilly, oh my, croc croc croc
Say cinqo cinqo, cinqo cinqo sock-a-locka
Follow, follow, stick your head in jello,
Make it turn yellow,
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
The kids in the next town said "stick your head in yellow jello" "
****
upstate New York
GUEST,Erin, 05 Jul 10, "Mudcat: Stella Ella Ola"
"This is so great to read - I love how oral tradition has changed and modified it - the song has different dialects :)
In upstate NY, I learned:
A quack a dilly oma
quack quack quack
Hey chico, chico,
Chico, chico, Chack
Follow, follow, follow, follow, follow
Follow 1-2-3-4
For ours 4 was the "get out" number with the same right hand to left hand clapping. Once down to 2 players though, the after singing the number "4", the chanting went "i declare a thumb war - kiss. bow. begin" and the thumb war determined the ultimate winner.
As a music teacher now in CT, I pass on my version to my students - though I had no idea until now that it existed in so many different variations. Can't even remember where I learned it but I've been teaching it since working at camps in high school."
-snip-
CT=Connecticut
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Yonkers New York
Clint Says, March 6, 2019
https://www.mamalisa.com/blog/handclapping-rhyme-stella-ella-ola-and-quack-dilly-oso-with-a-youtube-video/
"I remember this from elementary school. (Yonkers, NY) One time, on the playground, I remember that everyone outside at recess joined in one big circle and played.
Though, I think the lyrics were corrupted a bit, ha:
“Clap Daddy Oso, clap clap clap!
Oh Seeeenorita, your mama smells like pizza!
Felowa, felowa, potatoes on the floora!
Fey-lo! 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1!
And if the person at “1” got their hand successfully slapped, they were out of the circle. If not, the other person was out.'
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Pickerington, Ohio
Guest,. 03 Dec 11, "Mudcat: Stella Ella Ola"
"Hi - I was looking for a chant similar to these that we sang during elementary
school. Ours (from Pickerington, OH) went like this:
My crocadilio
My crocodile
Dance to my chica
Chica, chica,
cha cha cha
Fell-ow, fell-ow
fellow, fellow, fell-ow
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10!
I find this thread fascinating!
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P-Q
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Azizi, 04 Jan 05 "Mudcat: Stella Ella Ola", [with updated content added on Nov. 7, 2023]
...Here are the words to these rhymes written phonetically. The first letter of syllables that are slapped is written in caps.
Pittsburgh, PA
STROLLA OLA OLA"
Strolla Ohl Lah Ohl La
Slap, slap, slap.*
With ah "s" Shee Ka Shee Ka.
Shee Kah Shee Kah flap jack.
Fah lay, fah lay
Fah lay, fah lay , fah lay.
With ah 1-2-3-4-5. **
*{these words are spoken}
** {another number could have been designated beforehand as the end}
---
"SLAP BILLIE OLA"
Slap Bill Lee Oh La.
Slap, slap, slap, slap.*
Hit it! **
San Dah Ree Koh Ree Koh Ree Koh Ree Koh.
Slap 1-2-3-4.
* these words are spoken
** optional, if spoken they are also used for slaps”...
-snip-
I started this Mudcat discussion thread on the rhyme "Stella Ella Ola" with this comment. This is only part of that comment.
Update: Nov. 6, 2023
I corrected the spelling on the word "Strolla".
The word sandarico (given in this examples as "san dah ree koh") sounds like a folk processed form of the Spanish word "senorita".
**
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
@lydiad452, 2010,
"lol mines is
Stella Ella Ola Quack Quack Quack s chica chica chica chica
slap jack falay falay falay falay falay with a 1, 2, 3...
lol mines is all wrong but this is what most of us say in
Pittsburgh lol"
-snip-
In her following comment, Lydiad452 referred to an example of this rhyme that I had published in that discussion thread.
"@lydiad452, 2011
"@Azizip17 lol i have a few friends from homewood (which is
next to east liberty) that say it like that"
-snip-
this comment was written in response to a comment that I wrote that is no longer included in that comment thread. I think my comment was deleted because I added a link to my (now no longer active) cultural website in that comment which apparently the channel owners or YouTube administrators themselves could disallow. My comment probably referred to the "Strolla Ola Ola" version given above in this pancocojams post.
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
GUEST,Mackenzie,
"I learned this as a kid in Pittsburgh in the mid 90s.
Stella Ella ola
Quack quack quack quack
Ess cheego cheego
Cheego cheego slap Jack
Go! Slow!
Go slow go slow
One two three four!"
-snip-
There are other states in the United States that have cities named "Pittsburgh", but the custom is for those cities to include their state initial so they won't be confused with the major city with that name in Pennsylvania. Since that commenter didn't do that, I believe I'm safe to assume that this example is from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
anal_annihilator_420, 2023; https://www.reddit.com/r/AskNYC/comments/15nq462/can_anyone_confirm_my_version_of_quack_a_dilly/
transplant from pittsburgh, the only lyrics i know are
Stella Ella ola
Flapjack flapjack
Es chiga chiga
Chiga chiga flapjack
Go slow
go slow go slow 1, 2, 3, 4…
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
"Stella Ella Ola
Slap jack slap jack
S chica chica
Chica chica slap jack
Go slow go slow go slow
1,2, 3,4, 5"
***
R-S
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This concludes Part III of this pancocojams series.
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
Visitor comments are welcome.
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