Notes

Diana Joy Leonard sang this song while growing up. She wrote me "I was born in 1982 and grew up in NYC... This song replaces 'eenie meenie miney moe' for making 'decisions', i.e. point to one of the options for each word until you get to the end."

Another New Yorker wrote: "...growing up in NYC, queens to be specific, my sisters and I used to sing this song as a hand clapping game, with the following additional verses..."

I saw you last night with your boyfriend
How do you know
I was peaking through the key hole
Nosy
I didn't wash the dishes
Lazy
I didn't wash up
Funky
I jumped out the window
You must be crazy
That's why they call me...

Eenie meenie sicileeny,
Ooh ah zambalini,
Achi cachi Liberache,
I love you,
Take a peach,
Take a plum,
Take a stick of bubble gum,
Not a peach,
Not a plum,
Not stick of bubble gum.

*****
Amy wrote, "I am a born and bred Wisconsinite (at age 18 just now), and that was one of my favorite counting-out rhymes. We put our feet in a circle and used that chant (and several others) to choose who would be "it" for games of tag or hide and seek. However, our version went a bit differently, and I thought you might be interested in seeing it.

Eeny, meany, tortellini
Beep, bop, bopellini
Etchy-sketchy, liver-etchy
I like you.
Take a peach, take a plum
Take a stick of chewing gum
Stick it here, stick it there
Stick it in your teacher's hair
No more school, no more books
No more teachers' dirty looks
Yeah.

Game Instructions

The hand movements are: get a partner, Put your hands together, hit them back and forth twice, then stop, clap your hands, hit your partners hand above your left hand, using your right hand, clap again, hit your partners hand under your left hand, hold hands, then take your left hand, hit your partners hand under your right hand, hold hands, hit your right leg 2 times, then using your right hand, snap two times next to your head in the air, using your right hand, then slap your partners hand while your partners hand is slapping yours twice, then point at each other with right hand. Then continue on with the song repeating these movements.

Download

Thanks to Corrina D. for reciting this rhyme for us!

Thanks and Acknowledgements

Many thanks to Diana Joy Leonard for contributing this song! Many thanks to Amy for contributing the alternate version. Thanks to Toniann for the game instructions.

Thanks so much!