Cyndi wrote asking about a rhyme from her grandmother…
Lisa,
My grandmother always said the same nursery rhyme. She has recently passed away and I would love to know what it means.
Words (I am not sure of the spelling), this was not an English rhyme. It is believed to have been Portuguese, but I am not sure.
Bo wo skee wat tin dot tin
wa dot tin chew
isk a diddly, diddly dee
isk a diddly, diddly dee
bo wo skee wat tin dot tin
wa dot tin chewAny help you can give on this would be much appreciated.
Thanks,
Cyndi
If anyone can help with the original words to the rhyme and/or an English translation, that would be great! Please let us know in the comments below.
Thanks!
Mama Lisa
This artilce was posted on Wednesday, February 18th, 2009 at 9:53 pm and is filed under Brazil, Countries & Cultures, Languages, Mama Lisa, Nursery Rhymes, Portugal, Portuguese, Portuguese Nursery Rhymes, Questions, Readers Questions. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.











February 22nd, 2009 at 4:08 pm
Sorry, It does’t sound like portuguese.
May 4th, 2009 at 5:56 pm
I think it is Irish
May 22nd, 2009 at 11:09 am
Definelty not Portuguese.
September 9th, 2009 at 11:15 am
this is not portuguese
October 15th, 2009 at 3:35 pm
Oh my gosh it is so ironic that I came across this page. I was looking for a portuguese nursery rhyme to practice my portuguese. I didnt find one yet but I totally have heard this before. I worked at a scout camp last summer and those are words to a repeat-after-me song that was like my all time favorite. I am sorry to say but I have no idea what it means. I always thought it was just a bunch of nonsense words. This is how I remember it going.
Ottindottinlittledottin
Ittindittinlittledittin
Ishkabibblyottindottin
Boboskiddlyottin
Veedotenchew
December 11th, 2009 at 9:07 pm
im not sure about the spelling either but we use to sing it camp this way..
wa dot in chew
it skittley oat in doat in
wa dot in chew
boa doat skadeet in dot in
wa dat in chew
it in dit in little kitten
oat in doat in little boat in
it skittley oat in doat in
boa do skadeet in dot in
wa dat in chew
i think its irish too??
January 6th, 2010 at 12:52 pm
I leant it in boyscouts it goes
Wadotnchew
Itten bitten little bitten
Oaten boaten little boaten
Ish bittely oaten doaten
Bobo shpadeetendoten
Wadotnchew
January 6th, 2010 at 12:57 pm
I’d love to hear that pronounced! If anyone would like to record it – that would be great! We now have voicemail capability – where you can record by phone to an answering machine at a New York number… if anyone feels like helping out!
March 20th, 2010 at 9:58 am
Wha dot and chew
Bo doe ska deet en dotten wha dot and chew
Es skiddily oden doten Bo doe ska deet en dotten wha dot and chew
Etten ditten little ditten es skiddily oden doten bo doe ska deet en dotten wha dot and chew
Oden doten little doten Etten ditten little ditten es skiddily oden doten Bo doe ska deet en dotten wha dot and chew
September 25th, 2010 at 9:20 pm
bare:with:me:my:spacebar:is:broken…
i:am:also:looking:for:a:song:my:vavao:used:to:sing:to:me…
she:told:me:loosely:in:english:it:translated:to:….
mama:give:the:baby:the:bottle
mama:give:the:baby:the:bottle
so:the:baby:dont:cry
i:have:no:idea:how:to:write:in:portugese:but:to:the:best:of:my:ability:the:song:starts:like:this…
mamae:new:keto
mamae:new:keto
and:the:last:words:sound:like:this..:to:me…
baba:enshuda
i:would:love:it:if:someone:could:help:me:figure:this:out:cause:i:have:been:searching:all:over.
thanks.again
sorry.its.so.hard.to.read.and.my.spelling.and.grammer.doesnt.help.
October 5th, 2010 at 12:03 am
Denise..I think your song that your vovo sang you was by Carmen Miranda (a brasileira)
Mamae eu quero
Mamae eu quero
Mamae eu quero mamar..
Da lhe chupeta..da lhe chupeta…
Da lhe chupeta por bebe nao chorar..
Not sure..but it just might be…
March 19th, 2011 at 6:59 pm
For the music version see Boy Scout Songbook page 42, 2004 printing, or obtain Boy Scout Songbook CD.
Whadat-n-Chew is a “yell” for National Youth Leader Training.