Edited by Azizi Powell
Latest revision - May 28, 2026
This pancocojams post presents a compilation of examples of the children's recreational rhyme "Bobo Ski Otten Wotten" that include the decade and geographic location (city/state in the United States) that the commenter remembers chanting or hearing that example.
The earliest date that I've come across thus far for an example of "Bobo Ski Otten Wotten" (or similar titles) is the 1940s.
The content of this post is presented for folkloric, historical, and recreational purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to all these contributors of these examples.
-snip-
To be clear, I still believe that the source of the "otten totten" words in examples of "Bobo Ski Watten Totten" (and similar titles) is the Black American song entitled "Who Dare" that was published in 1845.
Here's an excerpt of that song that includes the "otten totten" words. (Those words serve as the song's chorus)
From https://www.google.com/books
"The Popular National Songster And Lucy Neal And Dan Tucker's Delight: Containing A Choice Collection Of The Most Admired, Patriotic, Comic, Irish, Negro & Sentimental Songs;
published by Perry, John B
Date: 1845
Publication Place: Philadelphia
SKU b00481
"PAGE 155
Come all you jolly [a plural form of "the n word"]
To you the truth I tell, ah
Neber lib wid white folks
For de neber use you well, ah
-Dingee, I otten totten
Ballio otten dotten
Dingee I otten dotten ,
WHO DARE?"
-snip-
I used italics for highlighting purposes only.
For the entire composition and my speculation about the meaning of the words in that song, click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2023/11/a-19th-century-source-for-20th-century.html
"Who Dare" - The 19th Century Black American Source For The 20th Century United States Hand Clap Rhymes "Bobo Ski Otten Totten".
****
SELECTED EXAMPLES OF "BOBO SKI OTTEN TOTTEN" (AND SIMILAR TITLES) WITH DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION
Before 1970
"My mom told me this was done as a crowd cheer when she was in school in the 1940’s:
Bo bo ski watten tottle, ala sssssssss,
Bo bo ski watten tottle, ala sssssssssss,
Eaten beaten watten tottle
eaten beaten watten tottle,
Bo bo ski watten tottle ala sssssssss."
-submitted by D, https://schoolyardplay.net/bo-bo-ski-watten-totten/
-snip-
This example is an exception to the rule in this compilation of only featuring examples that provide geographic demographics.
**
"I learned Bo Bo Ski as a small child in the early 50's. It was a cheer they used at high school football games. My mother cheered it in the late 40's in lower Delaware."
-Cathy Wagner, https://www.mamalisa.com/?t=es&p=2199, "Mama Lisa "Bo Bo Ski Waton Taton" Hand Clapping Rhyme
****
1970s
"Oh my gosh, you brought me back to a long-ago summer at
camp in Lake Peeksill, NY!(1970?)
I learned this one as:
"Bo-bo-ski-waten-doten,
EH-EH-EH-EH(boom boom boom)
Bo-bo-ski-waten-doten,
EH-EH-EH-EH(boom boom boom)
ITTY-bitty-waten-doten,
bobo-ski-waten-doten,
bobo-ski-waten-doten,
EH
EH
EH!!!!
Thanks so much!!"
-Perry, April
7, 2009, https://kaytmay.blogspot.com/2008/08/childhood-rhymes.html "Childhood Rhymes", Katie May’s Blog, August 27, 2008
****
1980s
"Bo bo see watten totten
Eh eh eh eh boom boom boom
Mini mini wa wa bo bo see wa wa
Bo bo see watten boom boom boom~ Cleveland '80s with
claps"
-Anonymous, October 25, 2019,
**
"Just went searching this on an old memory from summer camp
(Massachusetts, early 80s)! So interesting to see all the different versions
from all over the northeast! Ours was a hand clap and the words were:
Bo Bo ski waten taten
Na Na, I am Bo Bo
Eeny Meeny waten taten
Bo bo ski waten taten
Bo bo ski waten taten
BOOM! (With a big mutual hand clapTo end it 🙌🏼"
-
**
"The way Katie May learned it is exactly how I recall
hearing it. It would have either been in Groton, Conn, early 80s, or Hampton
VA, mid 80s.
Bobo Shi Otten Totten
Uh-uh, I ain't no fool!
Itty bitty Otten Totten
Bobo Shi Otten Totten
Bobo Shi Otten Totten
Boom!
My mind translated it to be an argument between two people,
ending with a slap. As a kid, I figured the translation would go something like
this...
Bobo, she often taught him.
No, I am not a fool.
Lizzy Betty often taught him.
Bobo, she often taught him.
Bobo, she often taught him.
Boom.
Anyway, I am convinced that ditty started with actual words,
which may or may not have made sense, and much like the whisper game, the
words/sounds moved farther away from their origins for each new generation that
sang it."
-
**
"We did the "wotten tottem" version late in Miami
way back around 1980. Finding this confirms that the words really were
gibberish!"
-
**
"11 yrs old 1980
Oh Bo say
Rotten Cotton
Oh Bo say
Boom Boom Boom Boom
(faster)
Eeny meeny rotten cotton
Oh Bo say rotten cotton
Eeny meeny rotten cotton
-
****
1990s
"The
one I did in the 90's near Chicago
was like this and it was a complicated group clapping game
Bo bo ski waten ta-ten
Eh Eh, say boys are rotten
(Faster) Bo bo ski waten taten
Eh eh say boys are rotten
Bo bo ski waten taten
1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,out!
^As learned in the 1990's near Chicago"
-
**
"As a Minnesotan born in the late 90s, I played this in
elementary school. I can’t really remember how it’s played but I can remember
kids singing it. I thought it was just some variation on duck, duck, grey duck."
-deleted, 2021, https://www.reddit.com/r/minnesota/comments/koyoo7/hope_i_dont_stir_up_too_much_controversy_with/ "Obo
ski wotten totten or Obo
shin otten totten"
**
"Man this takes me back. We played this in elementary school
in the early/mid 90s. Where I went to school, in a suburb just north of St.
Paul, we said "obo ski wotten totten."
-KristySueWho, 2021,
https://www.reddit.com/r/minnesota/comments/koyoo7/hope_i_dont_stir_up_too_much_controversy_with/ "Obo ski wotten totten or Obo shin otten totten"
**
..."Here’s the version I grew up with:
o-bo-oh shi-NA ten-TA-ten
ne-ne-eh ai/em-bum-BUM-bu(m)
i-ty bi-ty-AH-ten-TA-(t)en
o-bo-oh shì-NA ten-TA-ten—
MBU!
[...]
I first remember this song/game from daycare or kindergarten in Farmington, Minnesota, USA, in the mid-1990s.
The movement I remember was a circle hand-slapping elimination game: hands were placed so the slap passed around the circle, then after the chant we counted to ten, and the person whose hand was slapped on ten was out unless they pulled their hand away in time."...
-Thrin, May 26 and May 27, 2026 [two comments], https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2023/11/a-19th-century-source-for-20th-century.html " "Who Dare"- The 19th Century Black American Source For The 20th Century United States Hand Clap Rhymes "Bobo Ski Otten Totten"
-snip-
These are clips of two long comments that were posted in that pancocojams discussion thread on May 26 and May 27, 2026 by Thrin.
****
2000-2015
****
after 2015
****
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
Visitor comments are welcome.
Here's a comment about the history of "Bobo Ski Otten Wotten" (or similar titles) that doesn't include any demographic information:
ReplyDeleteFrom https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20070601173503AA1l6eJ [This link no longer leads to this content.]
"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?"