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
UPDATE: Check out Little One (aka Little Man) for an American Finger Naming Rhyme with origins in Medieval times.
This article was posted on Wednesday, December 13th, 2006 at 7:20 pm and is filed under Countries & Cultures, Danish, Danish Nursery Rhymes, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Icelandic, Languages, Norway, Norwegian, Norwegian Nursery Rhymes, Nursery Rhymes, Questions, Rhymes by Theme, Sweden, Swedish, Swedish Nursery Rhymes, Toe Naming Rhymes. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.
September 12th, 2023 at 5:02 pm
My husband’s family was originally from New Jersey and England and Germany before that. Their version is this:
Little Peed (start with pinky toe)
Penny Rude
Roody Whistle
Mary Jostle
aaaaannnndddd
GOBBY GOOBY GOSTLE!!!!
September 13th, 2023 at 4:22 pm
winka pea
pena roo
roo whistle
mary tossle
and tom BUM-BALO
October 21st, 2023 at 5:29 am
My cousin did a similar rhyme with me as a child.
‘Little pea
Tinker whistle
Dolly hassle
Pataroosk
And the big chubby hobble gobble!’
November 21st, 2023 at 9:13 pm
My father used to say, starting with my little toe (I’m 70 now):
Aqua Pea
Penny Rue
Roy Whistle
Mary Hawthom
(In a deep voice) Old Tom Bumbo
November 30th, 2023 at 9:30 pm
44 here, remember my great uncle born around late 1920s doing this to me when I was a kid, in Maine:
Little Pea
Penny Lou
Lucy Thistle
Mary Thossle
Old Bumbo!
December 17th, 2023 at 9:56 pm
Starting with the pinky toe of their right foot (so your left) say:
Ichy Pee
Penny Rue
Rufus John
Rue Izzle
And Old Tom Bumble
(then, continuing to the next foot … )
Tommel Tot
Slickem Pot
Lungamung
Goolabrung
And Itty Bitty Spielaman (using a really high pitch voice).
Spelling on all these could be off, and the last one might be Itty Bitty Peetaman (or something to that effect).
January 24th, 2024 at 8:24 pm
In my family it is:
Little Pea
Penny Sue
Suddee Whistle
Mary Wattle and
Big Tom Boodle (in a deep voice and a wiggle of the big toe)
We always called the big toe Big Tom Boodle.
From my Mother’s family. Her Grandmother was from Bergen, Norway
March 2nd, 2024 at 12:38 am
From central North Carolina, starting from the little toe and ending with vigorous wiggle of the big toe.
Acky Pee
Penny Rue
Rue Whistle
Mary Hossel
and Old Tom Bumblebee
March 9th, 2024 at 10:56 pm
Little pea
Peta roo
Roots wistel
Wistel noddle
And great big Gobble Gobble Gobble
April 2nd, 2024 at 12:50 am
Passed down from Northern lower Michigan, early 1900’s, starting at big toe:
Old Tom Bumble
Mary Possel
Root Whistle
Penny Root
Little Pete
Possibly came from Norfolk, England earlier
April 5th, 2024 at 3:17 pm
Mom and aunt always started little toe first (start with high pitched voice and move to deep voice for big toe):
Ecky pea
Penny roo
Rudy whistle
Mary hustle
and
Old Tom Bumble
April 12th, 2024 at 10:18 pm
Wow! What an interesting collection.
From my grandma – 1892, Irish descent:
(phonetically, of course – who knows about spelling?)
Ninny pead,
Penny rude,
Rudy whistle,
Mayjie hustle,
Tum bumble, tum bumble, tum bumble! (with tickling)
April 14th, 2024 at 7:47 am
Little late
Peter Lou
Lou the fissel
Phissel ossel
And great big Ossel Tossel
April 25th, 2024 at 4:34 am
Ours went like this!
Little Pea
Penny Roo
Rotty Ostle
Mary Whistle
And big fat gobble gobble gobble
May 4th, 2024 at 4:22 am
From my Grandfather Harkreader when I was a very little girl! He was German and French. So many variations when searching the internet! Starting with the little toe, “Little Pea, Petey Lou, Loutie Whistle, Whistle Nozzle, Great Big Hoppin’ Tossle” (While wiggling the big toe)
June 30th, 2024 at 2:10 am
I was searching for this! My mother had the following names
Icky Pea
Penny Rue
Rudy Whistle
Eady Ostle
Big Tom Bumble.
July 7th, 2024 at 3:47 pm
Little Pea
Pea Lou
Lou Lou Whistle
Mary Eyezelle
and Great Big Wobble Top!
September 1st, 2024 at 6:44 pm
My dad’s version 😆
Little Pete
Peteroo
Mary Azzle
Ruda Thistle
and Big Sam Pozzle
October 9th, 2024 at 3:41 pm
My late father used to play this game with me as a kid and I just Google searched the names to see if he made it up or where it came from. His version is similar to some of y’all’s, but not exact to anyone’s, which is fascinating. I think his side of my family is mostly Dutch and my mom’s is mostly Norwegian and Danish.
His version went as follows:
Little Petey
Petey Roo
Mary Dissle
Alice Nissel
And BIG TOM BUMBLE BO!
October 9th, 2024 at 10:08 pm
Growing up in northern Vermont, this was passed down from my dad’s side of the family.
Sicky Pied
Penny Rue
Rudy Whistle
Mary Hustle
and Ol Thom Thumper Bumper Bumper Bumper
Love to see all the variations. I’ve never met another family that does this.
October 11th, 2024 at 10:20 pm
My mom did it this way starting with the great toe:
Biggie Toe
Missy Moe
Donna Dissy
Piggy Wissy
Pipe-oh
Pipe-oh was wiggled and said with a high pitched sound.
October 17th, 2024 at 12:13 am
My grandfather, born in 1921, taught us,
Little Pea
Pea Looney
Looney Whistle
Whistle Nossel
And big ol’ hossle tossle
November 2nd, 2024 at 11:56 pm
My grandma said it like this:
Icka-pee
Penny-roo
Mary-Little
Ooey-outlet
Tumbumble-tumbumble
November 25th, 2024 at 10:06 pm
I learned it as a child this way, starting with the big toe:
Tommy Bumble
Lulie Whistle
Ceriosal
Peetle Doo and
Little Pea
December 25th, 2024 at 2:28 am
My grandpa learned this from his great Danish great grandmother
I am sure he or his mother had anglicized it.
Little pea
Padilou
Mary whistle
Rhody tossel
Great big tumbumbo
Tumble tot
Schlicken pot
Like a man
Goodle bran
Little Peter Schpieleman
January 13th, 2025 at 4:20 am
My Dad (born on 1924 in Wisconsin) always did our toes like this:
Little Pea
Pealy Lou
Lou-dee Whistle
Whistle Nossle &
GRRRUMBLE TOE!
We never learned of its origins, so this has been interesting.
February 23rd, 2025 at 9:12 pm
I am 30, my mom taught me this version and her family is of direct Welsh descent, as well as some other British/German/French distant ancestors.
Icky Pea
Pensy Rue
Reuben Whistle
Mary Hustle
and Old Tom Bumblebee
I’d love to know where other people’s parents are from! Maybe theres a pattern :)
March 16th, 2025 at 5:07 am
Oh my gosh!
I just saw your website because I did a search for “Big Tom Bummer”. That was the name (said in a deep voice, and shaking the toe) of my family’s big toe. We had names for all toes, which were said, or sung to us since birth. The version I grew up with is (starting from the smallest toe) this:
Ecka Pede
Penny Rude
Rudy Whistle
Mary Ostle
and
BIG TOM BUMMER! (Said in a deep voice, and playfully shaking the big toe)
No one I have ever known has heard this rhyme, and I’m simply amazed that it actually *is* a thing, and I’m not crazy.
Thank you for all these variations and putting this out there!
April 6th, 2025 at 8:42 pm
Germany orig. Starting little toe
Pickle Pete
Penny Roue
Rubby Whistle
Mary Ossoe
Big Tom Bosso
April 20th, 2025 at 2:41 pm
Little Pede
Polly Lou
Lou Lou Whistle
Ollie Ossle
And a Great-Big Ottie Tot!
Swedish/ German family origins
April 30th, 2025 at 3:20 pm
This is what my mother, Ruby Cox used to say
Inky Pee
Penny Rue
Lucy Whistle
Mary Ossle
and Ole Tom Bumbo
I am posting this in her memory (she just passed on 4/3/25 at age 79) because my granddaughter who is 5 was just saying it to herself and then said “This is what Granny always said to me and I really miss her and I hope I don’t ever forget it”. I told her we would try to look it up and see where it came from and we came across this blog.