Home > Eeny, meeny, miny, moe

Today the most common version goes:

Eeny, meeny, miny moe

Catch a tiger by the toe

If he hollers let him go,

Eeny, meeny miny moe

("It" is often substituted for "he".)

Many alternative verses appear with this rhyme, especially after the third line. These verses are used by children when picking a person for an activity by alternately pointing to a different person in a group until the last syllable, at which point the person is either chosen or out, depending on the version. Sometimes an extra line is added at the end of the rhyme to draw out the selection process: "My mother says that you are IT!", or a variation of it.

Other variations on the second verse include:

My mother told me

To pick the very best one

And you are (not) it.

or

Out goes one

Out goes two

Out goes another one

And that is you.

Although many stories exist about the "real" meaning of the first line, they are apparently just nonsense syllables. The earliest known published versions in the English language date to 1855, one of which used the words eeny, meeny, moany, mite and the other hana, mana, mona, mike. Other versions have also appeared in both Britain and America, as well as in several other European languages.

A controversial alternative version of this poem substitutes the word nigger for the word tiger, which in some eyes has tainted the entire rhyme. Some believe that the modern version is a politically correct version of the "nigger" version, but there is no clear supporting evidence. No versions are known to predate the oldest examples of "tiger" versions. It is also doubtful that the "nigger" version would have mutated into the "tiger" version in an era when political correctness was not an issue, or that it would have caught on so widely with few variations of similar popularity.

Residents of the southern United States, especially those who grew up before the Civil Rights Act of 1964The Civil Rights Act of 1964 (CRA '64) in the United States was landmark legislation. The original purpose of the Bill was to protect black men from job (and other) discrimination, but at the last minute in an attempt to kill the bill, it was expanded to are more likely to report having heard or grown up with the "nigger" version of the rhyme, while many others have never heard that version and were not aware of its existence. There is no clear evidence of how many people are familiar with it, but most people who grew up since the 1960sCenturies: 19th century 20th century 21st century Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s Years: 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 Events and trends The 1960s was a turbulent decade of change around have been taught the "tiger" version. This verse is in common usage in schools and religious organizations, and is not associated with racism by most users. However, the reader should be aware that some African Americans who are familiar with this rhyme may find it offensive due to the association with the other version, and care should be taken when using it.

In the 1994 film Pulp FictionThis article is about the movie. For the literature, see Pulp magazine. Pulp Fiction is a movie directed by Quentin Tarantino. It was released in 1994. The stories were written by Tarantino and Roger Avary. The cast includes: John Travolta as Vincent Vega, written and directed by Quentin TarantinoReservoir Dogs''. Here Tarantino's character, Mr. Brown, explains that Madonna's Like a Virgin is all about "dick dick dick dick dick dick dick dick dick". Quentin Tarantino (born March 27, 1963 in Knoxville, Tennessee) is an American screenwriter, film d, the "nigger" version is used by the character Zed, a presumably southern redneckRedneck is a term for people the meaning of which has varied significantly in different times and places. Origins The word redneck originates from Scotland and refers to supporters of the National Covenant and The Solemn League and Covenant, otherwise kno, and one of the only two obvious villians of the film. He sings the line while picking who will be first to be rapeFor the domesticated crop plant called "rape," see rapeseed. For responding to rape as a medical emergency, see sexual assault. For the former administrative division of Sussex, see Rape (district). Rape is a crime of engaging another person into sexual ad between Butch, a white boxer, and Marsellus Wallace, a black crime boss.

Jocular use of a form of the rhyme by a Southwest AirlinesSouthwest Airlines is an airline in the United States, founded in Dallas, Texas on June 18, 1971. It is currently the fourth largest U. airline (in terms of domestic customers carried). It is known as a " discount airline" compared to its larger rivals an stewardess to encourage passengers to sit down led to a lawsuit in 2003 charging the airline with racism:

Eeny meeny miny mo

Please sit down it's time to go

The passengers in question were African American and stated they were humiliated. Southwest is noted for a lighthearted approach to passenger control.