The Origins of Some Scandinavian Toe Naming Rhymes
Julie and Beth wrote looking for the origins of two Scandinavian rhymes that are played with little kids while touching their toes. We’re wondering if anyone’s ever heard of these rhymes and perhaps knows what country they’re from and/or anything else about their origins. Here’s what Julie wrote:
I have been searching for the origin of a nursery rhyme that my friend said to her kids. The child has his/her shoes off and starting with the little toe, she names the toes:
Little Pea (little toe)
Peter Lou (next toe)
Oosey Nossey (next toe)
Toosey tossey (next toe)
And a Great Big Oppososso (big toe)I am not sure of the spelling. However, the University of Wisconsin Children’s Library assures me that this toe rhyme has Scandinavian roots. They said: Scandinavia is known for naming toe rhymes.
Please help me, I have been searching the origin of this toe playing game for years with my friend’s blessing. My friend is Scandinavian and she doesn’t remember where she heard this toe playing game. I assume that she heard it as a child.
Julie
Beth Bookschlepper wrote in looking for the origin of a similar rhyme:
I know this as…
Little Pea,
Penny Rou,
Judy Whistle,
Mary Tossle,
And Big Tom Bumble.I am also interested in its origins.
If anyone can help, or would like to share other similar rhymes, please comment below.
Thanks!
Lisa
December 25th, 2006 at 3:06 am
Hi;
This toe rhyme came down in my husband’s family, Richard O. McKinsey.
It goes like this: Beginning with the small toe; Itty Mitty, Pea Rou,
Rou Whistle, May Tossle and Old Tom Bumbo … and when you say “Old Tom Bumbo” you wiggle the toe. All of the children in the McKinsey
family were taught this as little ones. We always thought its orgin was Scotland as our family came from there. Sincerely, Ellen T. McKinsey
Will your comments be sent to my e-mail?
January 2nd, 2007 at 2:31 am
Interesting that the verse I am trying to track down, begins with the big toe and goes down to the littlest one – just opposite of those above.This is a phonetic approximation of the Norwegian toe-naming verse I heard my grandmother say: “Tum-a-tut, Shlek-a-put, Ling-a-man, Leya-span, and Little Putti Yonson”. I want very much to find a Norwegian who can tell me how it really goes!
Thanks for any help!
January 2nd, 2007 at 1:37 pm
Lois, I know of that rhyme, but for fingers, not toes. It sounds very similar to your rhyme, but is in swedish. It goes: Tummetott, slickepott, långeman, gullebrand och lilla vickevire.
Starting with the thumb (tumme) and going to the pinky (lillfinger). Slickepott also means dough-scraper and of cause the finger is called so small children use the finger for eating . Slicka mean (to) lick, you lick the finger. Slickepott also means dough-scraper. Långeman means long man and gullebrand (d is silent so it rhymes) comes from gull, meaning gold, that is the finger you place the wedding band on. Tummetott and vickevire are more nonsence words (vicka means to wiggle).
Personally I never learnt any rhymes for the toes, but I’ve heard of two from further north in Sweden. I found them on the internet and they go:
Lilltåa, Tåtilla, Tillerosa, Baggfrua och Gubben Stor!
(from the province of Härjedalen)
Lilltåa, Tåtilla, Mockafrua, Parrarota och Storbonden opp´ i vä´re!
(province of Jämtland)
A little hard to translate, but lilltåa means (the) pinky toe. Frua means wife and gubben stor the big old man. Store gubben is used the same way as the expression “big boy” in english. Storbonde means affluent farmer and that’s why he’s “opp i väre” that is up in the air, a proud man.
January 2nd, 2007 at 2:19 pm
just correcting myself: it should be “tall man” not “long man”. And I found a norweigan version of Lori’s rhyme:
“Tommeltott,
Slikkepott,
Langemann,
Gullebrand,
og Lille Petter Spillemann
Essentially it’s the same meaning. Lille Petter Spillemann means little Petter Musician/fiddler. Och/og means and. Hope it helps even if it’s still not your version perhaps?
February 18th, 2007 at 12:19 am
I learned something similar to the original toe names listed, with some variations, and I thought it came from the Scottish side of my family. Starting with the little toe-
Little Pea
Penny Lutie
Lucy Whissie
Mary Hossie
And Great Gobby-gobby-gobby!
(The last is said while tickling the child.)
March 2nd, 2007 at 8:18 pm
I’m looking for a Toe Name poem. I don’t remember any rhyming but two of the names are Tilly Lou and Best Fossil. My grandmother & my dad used to rattle off the names but we don’t remember them now. Can you help?
March 17th, 2007 at 8:30 pm
My grandfather who died recently, aged 106, and collected Irish Folklore called the fingers; thumbeen, lisbeen, longman, shortman, little jack a dandy. Does any one know what the origin is?
March 29th, 2007 at 4:01 am
Hi,
I’m a canadian but live in Norway now. The finger naming rhyme I know, as below, is similar to what Christina said above, just the pinky is different.
Tommeltott,
Slikkepott,
Langemann,
Gullebrand,
og Vesle Per Spillemann.
And the is for the toe, begining with the little toe.
Titil,
Tåtil,
Tilarus,
Megelfru,
og Gubbelesten den Store.
April 3rd, 2007 at 3:59 pm
I know the origin (author/year and exact verse)
It’s not Scandinavian.
Please keep posting versions and I’ll return soon with the “answer”.
May 5th, 2007 at 6:03 pm
My family sais
Little pead
peady lou
lutie fizzle
fizzle nozzel
and great big hobble nobble!
Wonder where this came from….intersting how many versions of this.
June 5th, 2007 at 7:15 pm
I am 62 years old. My mother thought the origin was Norwegian as their church in eastern Kentucy had a minister from Norway and he played this toe game with the little ones in Sunday school. Starting with the little toe:
Little Pea
Allie Lou
Ludie Ossel
Mary Whissel
and (with great emphasis and tickling) BIG BOM BOLLY
June 7th, 2007 at 2:18 am
My Grandfather was Danish. He played the toe game with us as kids. I don’t know the spellings as this was always said aloud. I will spell them as they sounded to me, though, my guess is that the spellings posted by others is more accurate. I’ve also gotten the order of the middle ones mixed up over the years, but will assume the order that other have posted.
Starting with the big toe, and wiggling the final little toe, as someone else mentioned:
Tummeltot
Schlickapot (or Schligapot)
Lingamot (or Lingamont, the t is very soft)
Gullebrot (the “r” is rolled, the “t” at the end could be a “d”)
Little Pita Schpillamot
I am thrilled to find others with similar recollections, and to get, perhaps, some proper Danish spellings! I think Kristina’s is the closest, and sheds some light on the little toe’s name. I also recall my Grandfather pointing out “Tall Man” in English, as we struggled to get it right.
Thanks, All!
June 7th, 2007 at 10:21 am
I too have always wanted to know what a toe rhyme my grandfather and then father always did for us when we were kids. I have now started to do it with my 2year old daughter and she loves, but I have no idea what I am saying. It starts with the little toe and ends with pulling the big toe and saying the last phrase in a high excited way.
lil toe-a, toe tilla, tilla rosa, spuf lua, tu-tupa lua!
No idea on the exact spelling but this a phoenetic interpretation.
June 29th, 2007 at 7:25 am
As a child along with my sisters and cousins, we were all taught by our Grandmother (nee: Gulbransen) our Norwegian fingers,(spelling not sure) Thumb a kin, Schlak a pot, Long a mon, Vesslly haun, and Little Peter yenssen. This was a sunday dinner before the pudding rhyme. This caused a finger in the pudding bowl at the last by Grandfather, much to the dislike of our Grandmother. PS nice site. Dr. Boersma.
July 12th, 2007 at 8:18 pm
I was recently reminded of this when my mother did it with my newborn daughter. Hers was (not sure about spelling):
eekie pee
penny rue
ruey whistle
pele hostle
and old tom bumble
She reports that she learned it as a child, but has no knowledge of where it came from.
July 13th, 2007 at 1:18 am
I was taught it this way by another teacher:
Little Pea
Penny Rue
Rudy Whistle
Sarah Hustle
and Big Tom Bumbo
August 8th, 2007 at 3:36 pm
The rhyme in our family for toes is:
(Little toe-Big toe)
Icky Pea
Penny Rue
Rue Whistle
Jerry Ostle
Big Tom Bumble
We, too, are interested in the origin of this.
August 12th, 2007 at 1:52 pm
My Grandmother who grew up in rural Western Wisconsin (ancestors moved here in the middle 19th century) and spoke Norwegian at home until the Second World War used a similar yet different version than the ones listed above.
It went (phonetically)
Fingers, thumb first:
Tum-astat
Letch-a-put
Long-a-mine
Stick-fer-hine
pity-pity-pity-mine
Toes, little one first:
leigh-te-ta
til-tilla
ted-a-dos
mag-a-flugga
steig-a-loo-ga (useally a long “Steig” and “looooo”)
It’s really the only Norwegian I’ve ever known, and yet I never knew what it meant.
August 29th, 2007 at 3:01 pm
OK. I’m back. Your versions are very interesting. Here are the original version names:
Little Pea
Tilly Lou
Lu Whistle
Bess Throstle
Tom Bumble
Keep posting and I’ll return soon with the author’s name.
September 14th, 2007 at 3:16 pm
I was just telling a co worker about how my Dad used to do this to my fingers when I was a little kid. I’m not sure how far back it goes but I’m only 34 and I think his parents taught it to him.
I grew up with as: (Spelled Phonetically)
Tummututten
Slickaputin
Longamon
Little Yohann
Little Vickaveena
October 1st, 2007 at 2:23 pm
Amazing. The iterations of this sound similar to the “Telephone” game (where you whisper one phrase in someone’s ear and when it comes out at the other end (through at least four or five people) it is completely different (but similar enough to laugh at the original phrase).
My grandmother taught me the following (starting from the smallest toe):
Little Twee
Pally Lou
Louttie Whistle
Whistle Ossle
and great big Whoppy Dopple
I have no idea of the origin but will surely try to get more information and post here.
November 17th, 2007 at 10:00 am
My Family originated in Iceland and we were all taught the toe/finger song
we sang
Tommeltott,
Slikkepott,
Langemann,
Gullebrand,and litte bitty spitty mott (phonetic)
November 18th, 2007 at 2:18 pm
Funny, I just had a big disagreement with my significant other about me making this up, as I was doing this on our 3 yr olds toes and it was just something my family made up…
We Say
Little Petie
Petie Lou
Lounie Whistle
Monie Wastle
Ohhh Hoble Gooble Gooble
I went on line an sure enough here are several versions of this- so it was not my imagination
December 12th, 2007 at 2:02 am
My dear Norwegian mother in rural Wisconsin wiggled toes with:
Inka Pea
Penny Rue
Rue a Whistle
Mary Tossle
BIG TOM BUMBA LOW ! ! !
(I guessed at the spellings). How wonderful to read all the different versions that people submitted! I’ll bet babies loved them all.
December 21st, 2007 at 6:24 pm
My Norwegian father-in-law who grew up on a homestead in North Dakota and spoke Norwegian, played a “toe game” with our daughters. Wiggling the little toe first he would say (phonetically):
Litato tou
Tilerou
Magerfrus —-
Kromphestin, kromphrestin (as he wiggled the big toe).
January 15th, 2008 at 11:34 pm
I was looking for the names of toes from my family. They came from Denmark in the 1860’s. We have surely changed it from the ones given here. So American of us! They are now
tomal tot
slicko pot
lunga mung
gooler brown
and little itsy bitsy speeder man
How funny! Thank you for all of the more accurate history everyone.
January 29th, 2008 at 11:58 am
Here is the version my sister taught me from her husbands family.
Little Pea
Peadle Lou
Lucy Whistle
Whistle Nossel
Great Big Hottentoten
Hottentot was a name given to a tribal group in S. Africa by the Dutch from the Eighteenth Century. Look this name up it is very interesting.
February 13th, 2008 at 5:26 pm
it is known in Danmark as (my memory – I’m 63) :Tommeltot, slikkepot, langemand, guldbrand og (and) lille peter spillemand (d is silent), “spille” refers to playing music. It all goes – as far as I remember – on “learning” the fingers . Today a “spillemand” is a person who plays danish/scandinavian folk-dance music.
March 5th, 2008 at 2:09 pm
My grandmother taught us to begin with the Big toe:
Big Tom Rommer
Mary Tossle
Penny Rue
Rue Whistle
Little Locker Pea
She was from Georgia and had a french and english background. I love this !
April 10th, 2008 at 10:35 pm
My dad had a funny one he taught me. It goes like this:
Starting with the little toe, (either foot!)
Eenie Wee
Penny Rue
Roadie Winkle
Sadie Hawkins
And….
Ol’ Tom Bumboo ( in a deep voice while shaking the toe)
May 18th, 2008 at 10:51 am
I am the 6th of 7 children. We all know the toe rhyme as follows. No one knows where it originated. I am trying to find out for my granddaughters school assignment about family customs.
Eckie pee
Pecky roo
Roo whistle
Mary ossle
Tommy bumble (drawn out while you wiggle the last toe)
I suspect it is a variation of some of the other rhymes mentioned
here.
Jean
May 20th, 2008 at 8:09 pm
I was just looking up to find out where we got this weird tradition of ours… we name our toes:
Eckie Peeky
Pennie Rudy
Rudy Whistle
Mary Hossle
Old Tom Bumble (shaking the big toe)
June 30th, 2008 at 3:21 am
Egg-a-peep
Penny Rue
Rue de Whistle
Mary Hustle
Old Tom Bumble
(spellings assumed…said while wiggling each toe)
This in California, from a friend who learned it from her father, a man of mostly German descent, who grew up in Iowa. The variations of this are amazing: It’s like that old game of “telephone”!
July 5th, 2008 at 11:04 pm
My father was a Native Norwegian speaker from North Dakota, born 1903, so his Norwegian was a little stultified. Thumb to pinkie went like this..I looked it up while in Norway 1974. Tommelstot (Fell in the water. Slikkespot (licks the pot, pulled him out) Langeman (Tall man, carried him home) Gulebrand (Gold ring, dried him off) Lille Pete Spelleman ( Little Peter the student – spelleman means reader our equivalent for student, went and told Mama!) The toes were from the smallest up, teetel, totel, telerose, mekelfrukt, Stodel guben hesten (the big rocking horse, hest[en] means the horse.
August 4th, 2008 at 7:55 am
Does anyone out there know a Ukrainian toe rhyme (of sorts) that sounds like
Suroku, wuronu, gytym kashu varyla
tomudala, tomudala, tomudala, tomudala
tomu huloku zidvala y hai hai pulykela hai hai
As far as I know it has to do with a mother bird feeding cereal to her babies but then tearing off the head of the smallest and tossing it into the air. Sounds gory, but that’s the way I remember it. I’m looking for a proper translation and spelling in Ukrainian.
Thanks.
August 4th, 2008 at 6:48 pm
Hello
I am Norwegian.
Here are the finger rhymes and toe rhymes that i learned as a kid from grandparents and parents.
fingers start with thumb and goes
Tommeltott (thumb)
Slikkepott (slikkepott refers to licking the finger..as children do
when you bake something, they lick the pot)
langemann (long man/tall man…the longest finger on the hand)
gullebran (gull=gold refers to the goldring you get on the finger when getting married/engaged)
og lille petter spellemann (little peter fiddleman…it is a nursery rhyme in itself..fiddler on the roof.)
as for toes (megelfru,negelfru loved child has many names..)
youstart with the pinky finger.
here is the one i learned
Tittil, tottil, tillerot, megelfru og store-gubbe-hesten..
only thing making sense is the big horse *big toe*
Lawrence had a pretty good translation too.
August 15th, 2008 at 12:34 am
My mom and my uncle have been telling me for years about the names of the fingers in Norwegian but I always figured they were just making it up.
Their version sounded like
Thumb-oo-stadt
Schlicky-poot
lingbrahn
goolbrahn
little-pit-eh-schmil-a-mit
Completely inaccurate, but that is the version they always told me. And we didn’t use it as a game or anything, they just assumed those were the names of the fingers in Norwegian!
August 19th, 2008 at 10:40 am
My grandfather taught me the 5 Swedish words for each of my fingers, and as I grew I would recite them for him. My father, my grandfather’s son, was never taught the words. I have never seen the words in writing until now. As I remember the phonetics:
tomatut
slickaput
logamon
slipmahon
vika vika vena
The only translation that I knew was for logamon (long man).
Thanks for stirring up some wonderful memories!
August 19th, 2008 at 10:53 am
I recently found an old business card of my fathers from when I was a baby in 1960. I can remember the rhyme just barely, my Father is of Scotch ancestry, but I will have to ask him where he heard it. Here is is in his spelling:
Little Locher Pea
Penny Roo
Roo Whistle
Tommy Tossle
Great Big Tom Bummer
I cannot believe all the variations passed down. Wonderful to remember this stuff, I’ll have to teach it to my daughters.
September 2nd, 2008 at 5:22 pm
My father taught my 8 siblings and me the names of our toes which are as follows starting with the big toe:
Tom Pumpkin, Long Larkin, Betty Pringle, Johnny Jingle and Little Dick. Has anyone heard of these names and if so do you know the origin? I would be very interested in hearing. I have only met 1 other person who knew these same names.
December 17th, 2008 at 6:03 am
My grandparents were from Norway, The toe rhyme I remember, is: (no clue on spelling).
teetale
tautale
tilaroos
negafloo
studadubalessin(drawn out)
would love to know any tranlation, if it could be figured our from my spelling
December 17th, 2008 at 6:06 am
I think Lawrence above answered my question
December 21st, 2008 at 8:10 pm
The Norwegian finger song that my Great Aunt Tomina taught me went very similar to the others except;
tummeltut (thumb)
slikaput (first finger)
langalasa (second finger)
little e o (third finger)
velta hans e dahlen (fourth finger – little finger- and gently shake while saying that)
Another one taught to me by my father-in-law is Danish for parts of the head (excuse the spelling)
ponabean (forehead)
eyestean (eyes)
nasatip (nose)
monalip (mouth)
hagafip (chin)
tickle, tickle tickle (doing that under the chin)
January 22nd, 2009 at 11:05 pm
I’m looking for a similar Dutch rhyme. My great grandma who passed away several years ago taught it to me & my sister in Dutch and English when I was little.
I only remember the English version now, but it’s funny how some of the finger names translate so similarly.
If anyone knows this in Dutch please let me know!
Starting with the thumb & moving towards the pinky:
“Let’s go to bed said the thumb.
But first let’s get something to eat said the licker.
But where shall we get it? said the Longfellow.
From grandmother’s cupboard said the ring finger.
Then I’m going to tattle! said the little finger ((shaking finger vigorously))”
April 1st, 2009 at 6:23 pm
My grandfather was Norwegian. Arnold Sundheim. My mom says:
My father taught us these poems when we were little. Using our toes and fingers as he recited them. He was born in 1911 and they spoke Norwegian at home and he was schooled and confirmed in his church in the Norwegian language.
His parents came over here from Norway .
Fingers
Thumb – Tumutut
second -s lagaput – licking finger
third – lungamon – longest finger
fouth – gulbrung – ring finger
Little finger – litta pity Yonson(Johnson)
toes (starting with the little one)
teetle
taatle
toetle
monkafoot
stodagubalyson
I haven’t a clue how they are correctly spelled-this is how it sounded.
April 1st, 2009 at 8:21 pm
Those are cool!
-Mama Lisa
April 8th, 2009 at 8:41 pm
My great grandmother came to Saxon, Wisconsin from Sweden in the 1880’s. The finger naming game was passed down as written above. The only difference is the name of the little finger which (phonetically) is “lilla flika setz de ashka spun” meaning a little girl sat in the ashes and spun. Is anyone familiar with this variation and the correct spelling?
April 11th, 2009 at 3:25 pm
It was fun to read our version of the rhymes.
Thanks, daughter Cindy Smith
April 17th, 2009 at 11:39 pm
My grandfather was from norway and he used to do these rhymes for my toes as well.
Starting with the big toe
Toomastut
Slikaput
Lungalasa
Yilienta
Mittafair
Excuse the spelling. I have no idea how to spell them or the translation.
Hope this helps.
May 5th, 2009 at 9:16 pm
I taught creative dance for children for 30 years and I knew and taught the rhme as:
picky pete
petey roo
rooey whistle
mary ossel
and big tom bumble !
June 28th, 2009 at 12:47 am
When I was little, my mother would play a toe rhyme. I didn’t actually learn it until I had children of my own and wanted to play with them. Thank you all so much for your versions!!
My mother’s went like this:
Starting at the little toe, grab each toe and begin naming them…
Little Pea
Penny Rue
Rue Whistle
Mary Ossle
Gobble, gobble, gobble … as the big toe was grabbed three times.
June 29th, 2009 at 4:44 pm
I’ve been searching for this ‘toe game’ for over 30 years. My father, now passed away, used to play it on my son’s toes. He never was sure of the spelling, but phonetically we managed. Thank you all for your input and refreshing my memories of daddy.
July 4th, 2009 at 1:33 am
I was playing this game with my 3 y/o niece.. And I noticed her chipping toe nail polish and I asked her “who did your pedicure??” and she said “Old Tom Bumbo”… :) I cracked up!!
We do…
Old Tom Bumbo
Mary Horsle
Rue Whistle
Penny Woo &
Picky Pete
We start with OTB… and tickle on Picky Pete
July 12th, 2009 at 6:24 pm
This toe rhyme has been in my wife’s family for 40 years. Taught by my brother-in-law’s nanny. It makes our baby happy every time:
Little Pead
Polly Oud
Oudie Whistle
Mary Wastle
and the Great Big Wabbaduck!
August 11th, 2009 at 11:34 pm
Hi all!! Thank you for this wonderful website!! An old family friend used to do the toe names with my oldest son (who is now 5). My family never did anything like this (nor my hubby’s) so Keith’s cute rhyme was much enjoyed by all of us (mostly because of our sons giggles and satisfaction from the toe name game). Keith recently passed away and although he recited it frequently, when I went to recite it myself for our new bundle of joy I couldn’t remember it all for the life of me!! So I went searching the web and found you all, thank you all, this site was enough to spark my memory!! This how our beloved friend Keith used to say it to our babies Gus and Oscar, now I will pass it on to our newest edition, Walker.
Icky Pea (My husband swears it was Icky Peep)
Penny Rue
Rudy Whistle
Mary Hustle (I think Mary Thistle may sound right too tho…)
and Old Tom Bumble
I remember my grandfather used to say one about my fingers but I can’t remember the slightest about that one now.
Thanks again, I can’t wait to see the giggles (once he’s big enough of course) from my little Walker man! It’s so funny to see the evolution of this simple nursery rhyme from one family to the next!!
I want to learn the other one from Norway and use one for each for each foot!!
FYI: another cool site for nursery rhymes I found in my web search for this toe name game is http://www.smart-central.com/ it has thousands of nursery rhymes with the music!!
Cheers!!
August 21st, 2009 at 3:43 am
My mom also had variations of this, i can only remember 4, maybe somebody knows the 5th toe
icky pea
ruth whistle
mrs saussil
tom bamba
September 19th, 2009 at 12:31 am
My father-in-law (born in 1928) taught us his childhood version when our firstborn came along. It’s very similar to some of the English ones listed here…but just a tad different.
Icka Pea
Penny Roo
Rudy Whistle
Penny Oddle
and Old Tom Bumbo (said slowly with a deep, grumbly voice)
September 19th, 2009 at 9:21 am
These are really cool! I’d love to hear the intonation. Andie, if you, or anyone else out there, would like to record it for us, I’d love to post a recording! -Mama Lisa
November 4th, 2009 at 8:06 pm
My grandmother, who hailed from New Brunswick of Scottish parents, used to say:
Inky Pee
Penny Rue
Rudy Whistle
Mary Ossle
and OLD TOM BUMP!
Love you grandma. : )