Edited by Azizi Powell
Latest revision: September 6, 2021
This pancocojams post presents some examples of children's hand clap rhymes (hand clap games) that end with one or both of the chanters doing some type of lightly competitive movement such as not moving while "freezing in place" (completely stop moving and hold that position.)
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.
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PANCOCOJAMS EDITOR'S NOTE
A number of these rhymes are found on other pancocojams posts and/or are found in posts on my cocojams2 blog. With only a few exceptions, no explanations are given in this post about words or sayings that are found in these examples.
This post doesn't purport to be a comprehensive collection of these types of children's rhymes.
Citations are given for each example. If a hyperlink isn't given, that means that the online source is no longer active.
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EXAMPLES OF HAND CLAP RHYMES THAT END WITH CHANTERS DOING A PARTICULAR MOVEMENT
A, B
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C, D
COCA COLA WENT TO TOWN
Coca Cola (clap clap clap)
went to town (clap clap clap)
Hi-C (clap clap clap)
knocked him down (clap clap clap)
7up (clap clap clap)
picked him up (clap clap clap)
Dr. Pepper (clap clap clap)
gave him (clap clap clap)
sleeping pills (clap clap clap)
jelly rolls (clap clap clap)
Theres a place on Mars
where the ladies smoke cigars
every puff they take
is enough to kill a snake
when the snake is dead
you put diamonds in his head
when the diamonds break
it's enough to bake a cake
when the cake is done
it is 1991
when you tie your shoe
it is 1992
when you get stung by a bee
it is 1993
when you slam a door
it is 1994
when you dance the jive
it is 1995
when you pick up sticks
it is 1996
when you like a boy named devon
it is 1997
when you close the gate
it is 1998
when you're feelin' fine
it is 1999
then it gets all cold
then you
FREEZE!
- Miranda; octoblog, August 19, 2004
**
DOWN DOWN BABY
me and my friends do down down baby like this even when we are still 6 years old so it goes like this
down down baby
down down the rollacouster
sweet sweet baby
sweet sweet don't let me go
i have a boyfriend a BISQUIT
he so cute a BIQUIT
apples on the table petch in the frot [floor]
step on baby i don't love you any more
to the front to the back
to the side to the side
to the front to the back
to the side to the side and . . . FREEZE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
-TIFFINILE ; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eTFdsz8llOI, July 2010
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E, F
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G, H
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I, J
(Pancocojams Editor's Note: Each of the examples of "I Am A Little First Grader" are presented here as versions of the same rhyme regardless of their titles.)
I AM A LITTLE FRESH GRADER (Version #1)
Sea Sea Sea To the bottom of the sea Hey! Hey!
I'ma little FRESH GIRL as pretty as can BE BE
all the guys in the nieghborhood just wanna get with ME ME
my daddys name is JUMBO he lives in alaBAMA
whatca gonna cal him DADDY
whatcha gonna feed him CANDY
my mommy told me if i was goode then he would buy me a
rubber dolle my auntie told her i kissed a souldier she didnt buy me that
rubber dolle
3 6 9 ur momma aint fine she looks liek a monkey form a
telephone line
BACK IT UP 2 3 4
RAISE THE ROOF 2 3 4
FREEZE!(U freaze) thanks!
-Alexandria;
http://hubpages.com/hub/Recess-is-BACK-Hand-Clapping-Games; 2009)
**
I'M A LITTLE THIRD GRADER (Version #2)
My swing swing swing use to go like “Swing Swing Swing to
the USA Hey Hey I’m a little 3 grader pretty as can be be all the boy that’s at
my school are fighting over me me my boyfriends name is jello we live in
Alabamo tic tack toe 3 in a row and this is how my story goes one day I was
walking I saw my boyfriend talking to another girl with curly curls and this is
what he said to her ‘L.O.V.E love you’
‘K.I.S.S kiss you’ ‘M.I.S.S miss you and that is how my story goes stop
freez look at me and don’t blink cause were competeing in a starring
competition
-Janae TheTiktoker, 2021; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7zEcsIfe6lU&ab_channel=Geneas
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I'M A NUT IN A HUT (Version #1)
I'm a nut... In a hut... I show my butt at pizza hut so what... I'm craaaaaazy.... I'm fooooooolish.... Hey man I'm cool 😎 I'ma fool... I'ma fool.. I'ma fool la la.... I'ma fool, I'ma fool, I'ma fool la la, I'ma fool, I'ma fool, I'ma fool la la... so freeze!
-Ms. Hill, 2020, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-NKrzvqz_I&t=0s&ab_channel=Geneas
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I'M A NUT IN A HUT (Version #2)
I'm a nut in a hut,I showed my butt in pizza hut so what,I'm
craaaazy,I'm foooolish,I'm crazy I'm foolish I'm ooh lala I'm crazy I'm foolish
I'm ooh lala so freeze😂😂😂I
remember it perfectly
-Life Of A Gemini, 2021, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-NKrzvqz_I&t=0s&ab_channel=Geneas
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I WENT DOWNTOWN TO SEE CHARLIE BROWN (Version #2)
I went downtown
To see Charlie Brown,
She gave me a nickel
To buy a pickle,
The pickle was sour,
So I bought a flower.
The flower was dead, so he said.
Down Down baby, do the roller coaster.
Sweet sweet honey (lick your fingers), No No No.
Just because I kissed (kiss hand)
Doesn’t mean that I love you (pat heart)
Shimmy Cocopops show off your body
(stand in model pose and jump)
and Freeze.
-http://funclapping.com/song-list/charlie-brown/
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I WENT DOWNTOWN TO SEE JAMES BROWN (added Sept. 4, 2021)
I went down town
To see James Brown
He gave me a nickel
To buy me a pickel
The pickel was sour
So he bought me a flour
The flour was dead
So guess what he said
He said:
Down, down, baby
Down, down a rollercoaster
Sweet, sweet baby
Sweet sweet - I love you so!
Shimmy shimmy coco puff (?)
shimmy shimmy why
shimmy shimmy coco puff (?)
shimmy shimmy pow pow
I like the coffee
I like the tea
I like the colored boy
And he likes me
Sittin at the table
Peeling my potato
Waitin for the clock to go
Tick-tock, Sha-walla walla
Tick-tock, Sha-walla walla ... FREEZE!
- JaneLane, April 25, 2008, http://forum.blackhairmedia.com/topic128043.html
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K, L
I remeber in kindergarden i would play this lemonade game
that goes like:
lemonade (clap clap clap)
crunchy ice (clap clap clap)
sip it once (clap clap clap)
then sip it twice (clap clap clap)
lemonade, crunchy ice, sip it once, sip it twice, turn
around, touch the ground, kick your boyfriend outta town, now freeze, and
pose,( and for some reason my friends and i would add) like american cheese!
and sometimes it could be different and go like this:
lemonade (clap clap clap)
ice tea (clap clap clap)
coca-cola (clap clap clap)
pepsi (clap clap clap)
lemonade, ice tea, coca-cola, pepsi, turn around, touch the
ground, kick your boyfriend outta town, now freeze, and pose, like american
cheese!
-
LEMONADE CHRUNCHIE ICE (Version #3)
-*!* anime simp *!*, 2021, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7zEcsIfe6lU&ab_channel=Geneas
The bold font was included in this comment.
LEMONADE CHRUNCHIE ICE (Vesion #4)
Lemonade Crunchie ice Sip it once Sip it twice Lemonade
,crunchie ice, sip it once,sip it twice turn around, touch the ground,
FREEZE(see who stays still the longest)
-
LEMONADE ICE TEA [Added Sept. 5, 2021]
Lemonade
Ice Tea
Coca Cola
Pepsi
Lemonade,Ice Tea,Coca Cola,Pepsi
Turn around
Touch the ground
Kick your boyfreind out of town
Freeze!
-Karen, Nov. 12, 2010, http://hunsford.blogspot.com/2007/02/childhood-sayings.html
M, N
MISS SUE FROM ALABAMA (Version #1)
Miss Sue
Miss Sue from Alabama
Hey you,
scooby do
your Mama's got the measles
Your papa's got the flu
magic measles
magic flu
Take an a b c d e f g
Take an h i j k l.m.n.o.p.
Take a smooth shot
Take a smooth shot
and now freeze.
-Eleanor Fulton, Pat Smith, editors Let's Slice The Ice, (Magnamusic-Baton, 1978; St. Louis, Missouri; p. 16)
-snip-
I believe that the words "take a smooth shot" originated from "take a flu shot" [an immunization to prevent against getting influenza [disease].
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MISS SUE FROM ALABAMA (Version #2)
Miss Sue, (clap, clap)
Miss Sue (clap, clap)
Miss Sue from Alabama,
Let's make a movie,
Sittin' in a rocker,
Eatin' Betty Crocker,
Hey wise girl,
Whatcha gonna do,
When your mama's at work,
Baby's got the flu,
Daddy's got the chicken pox,
And so do you?
Take an a b c d e f g,
Take an h i j k l m n o p,
Take a booty shot,
take a booty shot,
And FREEZE!!
-http://www.inthe80s.com/rhymes.shtml
-snip-
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betty_Crocker
"Betty Crocker is a brand and fictional character used in
advertising campaigns for food and recipes. The character was originally
created by the Washburn-Crosby Company in 1921 following a contest in the
Saturday Evening Post...] A portrait of Betty Crocker, first commissioned in 1936 and revised several times since, appears on printed advertisements and product packaging. On television and radio broadcasts, Betty Crocker was portrayed by several actresses, on radio by Marjorie Husted for twenty years, and on television by Adelaide Hawley Cumming between 1949 and 1964.
The character was developed in 1920 as a way to give a
personalized response to consumer product questions. The name Betty was
selected because it was viewed as a cheery, all-American name. It was paired
with the last name Crocker, in honor of William Crocker, a Washburn Crosby
Company director.[2] The character's image has been updated seven times since
her creation, reflecting changes in fashions and hairstyles.[3]
Described as an American cultural icon, the image of Betty
Crocker has endured several generations, adapting to changing social, political
and economic currents.[4][5] Apart from advertising campaigns in printed,
broadcast and digital media, she received a number of cultural references in
film, literature, music and comics."...
**
MISS SUE FROM ALABAMA (Version #3)
Miss Sue, Miss Sue, (Snap fingers.)
Miss Sue from Alabama.
Sitting in her rocker,
Eating Betty Crocker, (Pretend to eat.)
Watching the clock go
Tick-tock, tick-tock banana rock. (Point index fingers up
and then tick
Tick-tock, tick-tock banana rock. tock from left to right.)
A B C D E F G,
Wash those spots right off of me. (Brush hands off
shoulders.)
Oosha mama, oosha mama, (Point fingers and dance.)
Oosha mama, FREEZE! (Freeze and don’t move!)
-https://songsforteaching.com/drjean/dj_friends_s/09misssue.pdf
**
MISS SUE FROM ALABAMA (Version #4)
Miss Sue, Miss Sue, Miss Sue from Alabama,
Sitting on a rocker, eating Betty Crocker,
Watching the clock go
Tick, tock, tick, tock, banana rock
Tick, tock, tick, tock, banana rock
A, B, C, D, E, F, G, wash those spiders off of me.
Mooshka, mooshka, I know karate.
Mooshka, mooshka, I love my momm
Mooshka, mooshka, Oops, I'm sorry.
You better be sorry.
I'm not sorry.
FREEZE!
-https://forum.unilang.org/viewtopic.php?t=39100
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MISS SUE FROM PARRAMATA (Version #5)
mine is
miss sue
miss sue
miss sue from parramata
hey you Scooby-Doo
your mother's got the measles
your fathers got the flu
magic measles magic flu
take a abcdefg
take a hijklmnop
take a smooth shot
take a smooth shot
and freeze. (×4)
-Gymnast Queen, 2016 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-svfUMX3BM
Miss Sue Playground Song [discussion thread comment]
-snip-
"Parramata" is a city in Australia.
-snip-
It's likely that children who recite "Miss Sue" rhymes that include the words "Scooby-Doo" associate those words with the cartoon dog with that name.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scooby-Doo
"Scooby-Doo is an American animated franchise comprising many
animated television series produced from 1969 to the present, as well as their
derivative media. Writers Joe Ruby and Ken Spears created the original series,
Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!, for Hanna-Barbera Productions in 1969. This
Saturday-morning cartoon series featured teenagers Fred Jones, Daphne Blake,
Velma Dinkley, and Shaggy Rogers, and their talking Great Dane named
Scooby-Doo, who solve mysteries involving supposedly supernatural creatures
through a series of antics and missteps.[1]"
However, I think that the words "Scooby Doo" in Miss Sue rhymes represents or at least originates from scatting phrases.
-snip-
I think that this example of "Miss Sue" is a folk processed version of the example that is given as Version #1 above.
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MS. SUE (Version #6)
Ms. Sue (2 claps) Ms Sue (2 claps)
Ms. Sue from Alabama, her real name's Suzy Anna
Sitting on a rocker, chewing on her underwear, wish she had
another pair
Watching the clocker going
Tick Tock Tick Tock, banana rock
Tick Tock Tick Tock, banana rock
ABCDEFG, Wash those spots right off of me
HIJKLMNOP, I got plastic surgery
Moocha Moocha, I know karate (pose)
Moocha Moocha, I love my mommy (hug)
Moocha Moocha, oops! I'm sorry! (push opponent as hard as
you can)
Moocha Moocha freeze! Whoever moves is American cheese!
(first to move - even an eye twitch or a blink loses!)
-https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk%3AClapping_game/Examples , (alternate on LI, NY) [Long Island, New York]
-snip-
That Wikipedia page includes additional examples of "Miss Sue" rhymes.
**
MISS SUE (Version #7)
Me and my friends do it this way
Miss sue, miss sue
Miss sue from Alabama, Alaska, Nebraska
Sittin' in a rocker eating Betty Crocker watching that clock go tic toc, tic toc chiwawa, tic toc, tic toc chiwawa
A b c d e f g, wash those cooties off of me
I betcha, I betcha, I betcha can't freeze as long as me!"
And then who ever freezes the longest wins
- Victoria Golden, 2017; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-svfUMX3BM [comment]
**
MISS SUE (Version #8)
mine is: miss sue,miss sue,miss sue from albama they call her suzieanna sitt'in in a rocker eati'n bettie-crockertick- watchin that clock go tick-tock tick-tock shawawa tick-tock tick-tock shawawa abcdefg wash them boy cooties off of me moosha moosha i know karate moosha moosha i want my momy moosha moosha im so sorry moosha moosha FREEZE! have a staring contest"
-Sadie Fletcher, 2013; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-svfUMX3BM
-snip-
Several other pancocojams post include examples of "Miss Sue From Alabama" rhymes. Here's a link to one of those posts: http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2019/01/the-textual-word-diversity-of-miss-sue_90.html "Examples Of "Wipe Those Cooties Off Of Me" And/Or "Take A Smooth Shot" Lines That Are Found In "Miss Sue From Alabama" Rhymes".
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MY MOTHER AND YOUR MOTHER LIVED ACROSS THE STREET (Example #1) [Added Sept. 4, 2021]
esso esso esso ess
my mother
your mother
lived across the street
18, 19 strawberry sweet
every night they had a fight
and this is what they say all night
boy are rotten, made out of cotton
girls are sexy, made out of pepsi
boys go to jupiter to get more stupider
girls go to mars to be film stars
ramma ramma PUSH
ramma ramma CLAP
ramma ramma FREEZE IT
(thats when you strike your best pose and freeze)
-Derri - Aug 06 2009, http://forum.blackhairmedia.com/childhood-songs-or-rhymes_topic205958_page10.html
MY MOTHER AND YOUR MOTHER LIVED ACROSS THE STREET (Example #2) [Added Sept. 5, 2021]
My mother your mother live across the street
1819 blueberry street
every night they had a fight
and this is what they said to me
boys are rotten made out of cotton
girls are sexy made out of Pepsi
boys go to jupiter to get more stupider
girls go to mars to be superstars
Rumble tumble strawberry shake
Rumble tumble strawberry shake
rumble tumble strawberry shake
FREEZE
-
old school hand games from way back.. can u remember any more???....
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O, P
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Q, R
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S,T
THE SIMPSONS (Version #1)
The Simpsons
Bart Simpson
Lisa Simpson
Homer and Marge
That’s not all-
Bart’s in double trouble
Bart Simpson
Lisa Simpson
Homer and Marge
That’s not all-
Bart’s in double trouble
Criss Cross
Apple sauce
Pump up the volume
Pump up the volume
Pump up the volume
Pump up the volume
Pump up the volume
Freeze!
Pump up the volume
Pump up the volume
Pump up the volume
Pump up the volume
For the last time
Freeze!
-Tamia, (12 year old African American girl, Maryland) Oct
29, 2005; collected by Marimba for Azizi Powell
Sin Sin Sin
We do twist (tricks?)
And I do twist (tricks?)
And Maggie Maggie Maggie twist (tricks)
And Mart is double trouble
Mart is double trouble
Criss cross
The apple sauce
Pump up the volume
Pump up the volume
Pump up the volume
Now freeze 1 time
Pump up the volume
Pump up the volume
Pump up the volume
Now freeze
- Alecia and Arianna, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJ9PPA7MaJk&feature=grec_index
, April 25, 2009; transcribed by Azizi Powell on September 5, 2010
U, V
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W, X
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Y, Z
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