Edited by Azizi Powell
Latest update- October 1, 2025
This post showcases examples whose titles begin with the letter M-Z.
Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2025/09/examples-of-jump-rope-rhymes-whose.html for Part I of this pancocojams series. That post showcases examples of these rhymes whose titles begin with A-L.
The content of this post is presented for folkloric, historical, cultural, and recreational purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
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The examples in this compilation don't include profanity and/or racially offensive references, and/or other offensive words. However, some other versions of these rhymes may include that content.
When more than one example of a rhyme is given in this compilation, no particular criteria was used to decide the order of those examples.
MABEL MABEL SET THE TABLE (Example #1)
Mabel, Mabel, set the table
Do it as fast as you are able,
Don't forget the SALT, PEPPER, VINEGAR, MUSTARD,
keep repeating salt, pepper, vinegar, mustard while turning
the rope.
If the jumper "misses" on "pepper", then
the turners begin turning fast or doing "hot peppers".
-Contributed by Kathy (US, Midwest) - Thank you!
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MABEL MABEL SET THE TABLE (Example #2)
Mabel, Mabel, set the table,
Don't forget the salt,
Vinegar, mustard, pepper,
Cedar, cider, and hot pepper!
-https://www.mamalisa.com/?t=es&p=5574
MABEL MABEL SET THE TABLE (Example #3)
Mabel, Mabel set the table
and don't forget the red hot pepper (when you said red hot
pepper, the rope had to go faster and faster)
-
****
MAILMAN MAILMAN (Example #1)
This is for jump roping chants/songs,
“Mail man, Mail man,
due your duty,
here comes a lady with a big fat booty,
she can wiggle she can
wobble,
she can do the twist,
but i bet ya five dollars she can’t do this-
Lady
on 1 foot, 1 foot
Lady on 2 feet, 2 feet
(You keep sayin the amount of body
parts needed, say for instance 1 foot, you would hop on 1 foot, then for four
feet, you would touch your hands to the ground, and jump)
– Dec 17 2005, https://jumpropesongs.wordpress.com/2013/05/18/mailman-jump-rope-rhymes/ quoted in "Mailman Jump Rope Rhymes", Roland, May 18, 2013
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MAILMAN MAILMAN (Example #2)
Mailman Mailman
do your duty.
Here comes a lady with an African booty.
She can do the pom pom.
She can do to the splits.
But most of all she can KISS KISS KISS
with her red hot lips.
K-I-S-S-I-N-G
-https://sweetsadness.wordpress.com/2013/07/24/hand-clap-and-jump-rope-rhymes/
-snip-
Read the very closely related examples entitled "Police Lady", "Policeman", and Postman" below.
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MISS POLLY HAD A DOLLY
On Lantern Tree, I found a rhyme that has the “call the
doctor quick quick quick” line it in. I haven’t heard it before.
Miss Polly had a dolly who was sick, sick, sick.
So she phoned for the doctor to be quick, quick, quick.
The doctor came with his bag and hat,
And knocked at the door with a rat tat tat.
He looked at the dolly and shook his head,
And said “Miss Polly put her straight to bed.”
He wrote a pad for a pill, pill, pill.
I’ll be back in the morning with my bill, bill, bill.
-
-snip-
This rhyme was part of the write up for "My Boyfriend Brought Me To The Candy Store" (Example #2). I don't know what "Lantern Tree" refers to.
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MISSISSIPPI (Example #1)
How do you spell Mississippi?
M (cross arms over chest)
I (point to your eye)
Crooked letter (cross legs and jump)
Crooked letter (cross legs and jump)
I (point to eye)
Hunch back
Hunch back
I!
-Ellen Mason, AACS Music Teacher, https://elitejumps.co/blogs/guides/jump-rope-rhymes-songs?srsltid=AfmBOoqAPbE2Kq2psUQdMZsx4egDJ9JIBXa8-kk1ekmzH6RI7sS3edqn
I was a child of the 60s....
We lived 30 miles from the Mississippi river so....
When you said crooked letter you had to jump with feet
crossed
and humpback you had to bend over and jump
M
I
crooked letter
crooked letter
I
crooked letter
crooked letter
I
humpback
humpback
I
Mississippi!
-Rhonda, Salem, Iowa, 08-2902013, https://www.quiltingboard.com/general-chit-chat-non-quilting-talk-f7/can-you-remember-your-jump-rope-songs-childhood-t228868-4.html
Last night, night before,
my boyfriend took me to the candy store.
(on the word "store" the person turns around to face the opposite direction that she started out on)
He bought me ice cream,
he bought me cake.
He brought me home with a belley ache.(turn)
Mamma, mamma, I feel sick.
Call the doctor quick, quick quick! (jump on one foot each time you say "quick")
Doctor, Doctor will I die? Close your eyes and count to 5. (turn)
1...2...3...4...5.. (on 5 jump out of the rope while the rope turners are still singing)
I'm still alive and on channel 5!
-Contributed by Khalilah Karim,
http://www.gameskidsplay.net/jump_rope_ryhmes/jump_last_night.htm
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MY BOYFRIEND TOOK ME TO THE CANDY STORE (Example #2)
The title given on that website: CALL THE DOCTOR QUICK
My boyfriend took me to the candy store.
He bought me Ice cream.
He bought me cake.
He brought me home
with a tummy ache.
Mamma, mamma,
I feel sick.
Call the doctor
quick, quick quick! (jump on one foot each time you say
quick)
Doctor, Doctor, will I die?
Count to 5 and you’re alive. (turn)
1
2
3
4
5 (on 5, jump out of the rope while the rope turners are
still singing)
I’m still alive.
-https://misslucy.wordpress.com/category/jump-rope-rhyme/ August 7, 2008
NOT LAST NIGHT BUT THE NIGHT BEFORE (Example #1)
Not last night but the night before,
24 gypsies came a knocking at the door,
I asked them what they wanted
and this is what they said.
Spanish dancers do the twist,(then the jumper had to twist)
Spanish dancers turn around (jumper turns around)
Spanish dancers give a high kick, (jumper gives a high kick)
Spanish dancers get out of this town.(jumper runs out and it is the next persons turn
-roserips,Pe Ell, Washington, 08-28-2013, https://www.quiltingboard.com/general-chit-chat-non-quilting-talk-f7/can-you-remember-your-jump-rope-songs-childhood-t228868-3.html
NOT LAST NIGHT BUT THE NIGHT BEFORE (Example #2)
24
robbers...we weren't allowed to say gypsies!!....
knocking at the door...
one
went out, and came back in,
and I hit him over the head with a rolling
pin...
how many hits...
lol...then you kept twirling faster and faster till the
person got tangled up!
-Anniedeb Twin
Cities, MN08-28-2013 https://www.quiltingboard.com/general-chit-chat-non-quilting-talk-f7/can-you-remember-your-jump-rope-songs-childhood-t228868-3.html
NOT LAST NIGHT BUT THE NIGHT BEFORE (Example #3)
Not last night but the night before
Three Spanish men came knocking at my door,
As I ran out they came in
And this is what they said,
Spanish lady turn around
Spanish lady climb the stairs
Spanish lady say your prayers
Spanish lady turn out the light,
Spanish lady say goodnight.
G. O. O. D. N. I. G. H. T.
(Christchurch, 1970s; Ashburton, 2005)
-Jack Horntip, 24 April, 25 https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=115045&messages=163&page=1&desc=yes , Not Last Night But The Night Before-rhyme
When I was a kid in Georgia (about 1960), it was
"rolling pin"
when there were adults around, otherwise it was
"bottle of gin.
Not last night but the night before,
Twenty-four robbers came knocking at my door
As I ran out, they ran in,
Hit them on the head with a bottle of gin
One, Two, ... Twenty-four
(If you made it to 24)
Spanish dancer, do the splits
Spanish dancer, do the twist
Spanish dancer, turn around
Spanish dancer, get out of town
-GUEST, Van, 06, June 16,
****
NOT LAST NIGHT BUT THE NIGHT BEFORE (Example #5)
In the 80s, I found this version:
Not last night,
but the night before,
twenty-four robbers came knockin’ at my door.
As I ran out, they ran in,
hit me on the head with a rollin’ pin.
Asked ’em what they wanted,
this is what they said:
Chinese dancers, turn around.
Chinese dancers, touch the ground.
Chinese dancers, do the splits.
Chinese dancers, that is it.
-First Published on: Aug 8, 2008, https://misslucy.wordpress.com/category/jump-rope-rhyme/
NOT LAST NIGHT BUT THE NIGHT BEFORE (Example #6)
This is so funny to me. This past weekend my cousin & I were trying to teach our daughters the jump rope & hand games we played as kid's & we were haveing a hard time remmembering this one, but we finally got it. We jumped rope to this rhyme
Not last night but the night before.
25 robbers came knocking at my door
As I ran out (we would run out the rope)
They ran in (we would run back into the rope)
They hit me on th ehead with the rolling pin.
I asked them why they did it, and this is what they said.
Jonny struck a match and the match went out but the bottom of the match was still sticking out.
The end of the rhyme makes no since to me at all but it was a fun game to play w my cousin's and friends.
-GUEST, Ty Thomas, 26 April 10, https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm/http/thread.cfm?threadid=115045&page=2 Not Last Night But The Night Before-rhyme
****
Not last night, but the night before
24 Robbers came knocking at my door
As I ran out (Run out of the jump rope)
They ran in (Run back in the jump rope and start jumping
again)
I asked them what they wanted and this is what they said:
Spanish dancer turn around (turn ½ turn each time you jump)
Spanish dancer touch the ground (touch ground once when you
are jumping)
Spanish dancer give a high kick (kick in the air once)
Spanish dancer get out before you miss (get out of the jump
rope)
If you stay in, someone yells "Hot Potatoes" and
then they (they ones holding the rope)start turning the rope real fast and
someone counts to see how many "hot potatoes" you do.
-Contributed by Kim Presson,
http://www.gameskidsplay.net/jump_rope_ryhmes/jump_not_last_night.htm
OH SHE BUMPS
I remember this skipping rhyme from the late 1950s onwards in Newport, I was Newport born and bred as they say. It was a plastic piece of washing line, not a skipping rope, that I used.
Why oh she bumps, she got the mumps, she went to school sat
on the stool and learnt her A B C etc.
ABC was fast skips called ‘bumps’. You would see how many bumps
you could do by how far you could get in the alphabet.
-https://folkonwight.files.wordpress.com/2020/12/games-remembered-1.pdf
OLIVER TWIST
Oliver Twist, he can't do this,
So what ís the use of trying?
Number One: Touch your tongue.
Number Two: Touch your shoe.
Number Three: Bend your knee.
Number Four: Touch the floor.
Number Five: Wave good-bye.
Number Six: Do the splits.
Good-bye, Oliver Twist.
-"The Jump Rope Book & the Jump Rope Paperback" by Elizabeth Loredo (Author), Martha Cooper (Photographer), quoted in this pancocojams post https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2025/08/kings-and-queens-and-partners-two-some.html "Kings And Queens And Partners Too" & Other Old Examples Of Jump Rope Rhymes From An African American Woman's 2007 University Dissertation
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PEEL A BANANAThis is a jump rope game.
Verse:
The two holding the rope chants
"Peel a banana upside down,
see if you can touch the ground
(the jumper tries to touch the ground without being tripped by the rope), if you spell your name correct, you will get another chance . . ." The jumper then spells her name, including saying "capital" for uppercase letters of her name. If the jumper trips or messes up the spelling, it's another jumper's turn.
-Contributed by Kim - Thank you!,
http://www.gameskidsplay.net/jump_rope_ryhmes/Peel_a_banana.htm
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POLICE LADY POLICE LADY DO YOUR DUTY (Jump Rope Rhyme)
Police lady, police lady,
Do your duty.
Here comes [girl's name]
with ah African booty.
She can wiggle.
She can wobble.
She can do the split.
But I betcha five dollars
She can't do this.
Lady on one foot, one foot, one foot
Turn all around, around, around.
Lady on two foot, two foot, two foot
Touch the ground, the ground, the ground.
Lady on three foot, three foot, three foot
Say your prayers, your prayers, your prayers.
Lady on four foot, four foot, four foot
Jump right out.
Tazi M Powell, (African American female), Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in the mid 1980s
-snip-
The change from "policeman" to "police lady" is quite significant. When I was growing up in Atlantic City, New Jersey in the 1950s and the 1960s, there were no female police officers that I knew of. For that reason I was surprised and pleased that my daughter said "police lady" instead of "police man".
An "African booty" means a "big butt". This descriptor is based on the erroneous idea that all Black women have big butts. In the context of this rhyme, having a big butt is something good.
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POLICEMAN POLICEMAN (Example #1)
Policeman, policeman
Do your duty.
Along comes {name} (* Name a girl *)
The American beauty.
She can hobble. She can wobble. She can do the twist But she can't do this: Jump on one foot, one foot. (* Jump on one foot *) Jump on two feet, two feet. (* Jump on both feet *) Jump on three feet, three feet. (* Jump both feet, hand to ground *) Jump on four feet, four feet. (* Jump both feet, hands to ground *)Source: Abrahams (1969), Knapp (1976), Solomon (1980) -https://mudcat.org/jumprope/jumprope_display.cfm?rhyme_number=220
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POLICEMAN POLICEMAN (Example #2)
Policeman, Policeman, do your duty.
Here comes [girl's name]
An American beauty,
She can wiggle
She can wobble
She can do the split.
But I betcha five dollars
She can't do this.
Lady on one foot, one foot, one foot
Turn all around, around, around.
Lady on two foot, two foot, two foot
Touch the ground, the ground, the ground.
Lady on three foot, three foot, three foot
Say your prayers, your prayers, your prayers.
Lady on four foot, four foot, four foot
Jump right out.
-Azizi Powell, memories of Atlantic City, New Jersey (mid 1950s.)
-snip-
This rhyme is sometimes called "Mailman Mailman". "Do the split" was sometimes given as "do the flip" {meaning the acrobatic movements}. However, these words were changed to "do the twist" in the 1960s when that dance became popular.
Here's what I believe are the meanings of "one foot, "two foot" etc. All of these movements are done while jumping in the center of a rope that two people are turning (at both ends of the rope):
"One foot" means hopping. One foot touches touching the ground when you jump.
Two foot" is jumping with both feet off the ground.
"Three foot" is two hands touching the ground and one leg raised (?). I'm not certain about that one.
"Four foot" is jumping with both hands and both feet touching the ground."...
-snip-
I shared this in this post in my cocojams2 blog that showcases examples of English language childen's recreational rhymes: https://cocojams2.blogspot.com/2014/10/hand-claps-and-jump-rope-rymes-o-p.html
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POLICEMAN POLICEMAN (Example #3)
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! – Wed Feb 08 2006
-Roland, May 18, 2013, https://jumpropesongs.wordpress.com/2013/05/18/policeman-jump-rope-songs/ "Jump Rope Songs and Rhymes about Policemen"
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POSTMAN POSTMAN
Postman, Postman, do your duty
Take this to my loving beauty.
Postie, Postie, don't delay,
Do the rhumba all the way"
-Opie, Lore & Language,
p. 236
-snip-
Read "Mailman Mailman". "Police Lady Police Lady" and "Policeman Policeman" in this compilation for similar examples of this rhyme.
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S, T
Teddy bear, teddy bear,
Turn around.
Teddy bear, teddy bear,
Touch the ground.
Teddy bear, teddy bear,
Show your shoe.
Teddy bear, teddy bear,
That will do.
Teddy bear, teddy bear,
Go upstairs.
Teddy bear, teddy bear,
Say your prayers.
Teddy bear, teddy bear,
Turn out the light
Teddy bear, teddy bear,
Say good night.
~Mrs. Harris, AACS Art Teacher / Caitlin Pollard, 2nd Grade
/ Adele Greil, .
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Texico, Texico
Over the hills to Mexico (on the word "over" the
rope begins going all the way around and continues doing this until the end of
the rhyme)
Where the Spanish dancers do the kicks, the kicks (do kicks)
Where the Spanish dancers do the splits, the splits (jump
with legs apart)
Where the Spanish dancers twirl around, around (twirl
around)
Where the Spanish dancers jump up and down, up and down
(jump high)
Where the Spanish dancers get out of town (jump out of the
ropes)
-Contributed by Sarah - Thank you!,
TEXICO (Example #2)
Texico, Mexico all the way to Texico (swinging rope on
ground)
where they do the splits, splits, splits (spread legs as if
to do splits)
and high heel kicks, kicks, kicks (bend knees)
and turn around, round, round, (spin)
and touch the ground, ground, ground (bend down and touch
ground W/
fingers)
and they eat red hot chili peppers (spin rope quickly)
-Contributed by Jenn - Thank you!,
And of course there was "Travel"...usually done to a single rope
Travel
Travel T’s
Travel T’s and Out
Travel Teas and Touch the Ground
Travel Teas and Touch the Ground and Turn Around and Split
-
This example was given as part of the same example as the "Fudge Fudge" (Example #1) that is found in Part I of this pancocojams series.
U, V
VOTE, VOTE, VOTE
My favorite was "vote vote vote," though I wasn’t
particularly good at it. It was a song, not just a rhyme, and you used the
names of the girls who were jumping. It was hard because the road never
stopped. You had to enter, and exit while the road was turning. Using random
names:
Vote, vote, vote for Susan [Susan is already in the middle jumping]
Shortcut Jenny at the door [Susan moves forward and continues to jump. Jenny enters from the left and they jump in unison]
Jenny is a lady and she knows how to vote so we don’t need
Susan anymore. [Susan exits to the right, and Jenny moves forward to make room
for the next girl.]
-Sparky-Malarky, 2022, https://www.reddit.com/r/AskOldPeople/comments/1am0g1d/do_you_remember_any_childhood_jump_rope_songs_so/
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Y, Z
This concludes Part II of this two part pancocojams series.
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
Visitors comments are welcome.
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