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.
May 23rd, 2013 at 9:04 pm
My mother taught me this version. I’ve been trying to remember it to teach my little girls.
Little Pea
Perry Lou
Loui Whistle
Nistle Nossel
and Great Big Hopple Topple
Then on to the next foot…
Old Tom Bumble
( can’t remember this toe )
Long Man Lynn
Little Boe Pin
and Little Jack a Dandy’O … Ticking ensues!
June 6th, 2013 at 1:55 pm
My dad used to quote the finger names & I can’t remember all of them. His thumb was Tom Sucky, another was similar to Will Walkie? Thats all I can remember. Do you recognize these?
June 29th, 2013 at 12:24 pm
My grandma (born 1892 of German/English descent) said it this way:
Little Peed
Peedle Loodle
Loodle Thistle
Mary Thossle
Tom Bungle.
I thought I was the only one who knew about this!
Yay Google! ;-)
July 6th, 2013 at 7:17 pm
I was wondering about the origin of the finger and toe names my family has passed down…to find out that what i learned was an american version of the Swedish ones above…. i learned what sounds like…
fingers:
thumb a thot
slinky pot
longy man
stephy anne
and little vicky vinni
toes:
big toe
toe tila
tila toe so
coconoso
and itty bitty toso
glad to pass down this to my children …even if it is our own version…thought i was the only one too :)
July 13th, 2013 at 9:38 am
My mother taught me as a child a version of this rhyme which she had been taught by her parents who were 7th generation Americans from total English background:
(Starting with the pinky)
Little Pea
Polly Lou
Lulu Whistle
Sarah Hustle
(And ending with the big toe, wiggling it, and in a slow, deep voice)
And Great Big Tom Bumble!
July 23rd, 2013 at 12:51 pm
this is my mother’s version of the rhyme for counting toes – or at least as close as I can present it phonetically – I remember it as basically nonsense words
eeden peeden
peeden ruden
ruden whistle
maiden hustle
great big gobble gobble
September 6th, 2013 at 4:36 pm
When I was growing up my mother, who was from Maine said the following toe rhyme:
(Starting with the big toe)
Tom Bomble
Fodd Hossel
Mary Whistle
Penny Roo
Auntie Pee (Pee is prolonged-P-e-e-e-e-e)
I was curious about this toe rhyme and typed it into the search engine. I find the variations so interesting!
September 13th, 2013 at 11:57 pm
Hi — My Dad’s grandfather moved from Norway to WI in the late 1800s and I think that this toe game came from him. My dad used to do it on my siblings and me and his grandkids, but he has passed away and I can’t remember much more about the origin of this:
Starting from pinkie toe
Titil
Tatil
Spillarus
Margarus
Stargobleizen (grabbing/shaking big toe with a deeper voice)
I’ve seen a few similar names above, but I was really looking for the “Stargobleizen!” (however it is spelled). As I’m reading through these, it seems like we might all be involved in a long duration game of telephone based on the variations. Cool message board.
October 1st, 2013 at 5:45 am
My Grandmother was the child of Norwegian parents who emigrated to New Zealand. My father taught me the fingers and the toes but I can only remember the toes except for the little finger which was little Peter Jensen. The toes, starting with the big toe went like this (phonetically):
Krubahest
Magafroot
Tootil
Tillaroot
Leetatoe
October 6th, 2013 at 9:27 pm
I have been trying to remember what my mom called the toe names for years. Her sisters don’t recall it in their family so I think she got it from my German Grandmother who originally settled in Wisconsin. These are the ones I can recall;
Pinky, Irinky, long limbpot, potlicker lou-sin Konicker
Tom a tut, slick a put, ———– can’t remember the rest
Any input would be appreciated, Jane
October 13th, 2013 at 8:31 pm
The following version of the rhyme has been passed down in the Aderholdt family. Our ancestors left Germany in 1727 and landed in PA. They relocated to the Piedmont of North Carolina about 1760.
Little Pea
Patta Roo
Ruda Whistle
Modda Rossle
and………….Great Big Ole Toe-with lots of toe shaking.
We had a family reunion today and this rhyme was mentioned and is still being taught to our children!
October 13th, 2013 at 8:35 pm
That’s great (all of these!). Would you or anyone else like to send a recording?
January 10th, 2014 at 6:18 pm
My grandmother was Welsh- from southern Ohio – and taught us a Welsh version of the toe nicknames similar to these – and I won’t come anywhere close to the Welsh language, but it is (phonetically):
Bys Boosten
Tom Schoonken
Long Haary
Short Daavey
Willy bik bik bik (I believe it’s bach, the work for short in Welsh but don’t know how it’s pronounced)
If anyone has the original Welsh, I would love to have it. Can’t find it anywhere – and can’t believe she just made it up.
January 31st, 2014 at 12:04 am
my grand dad had a toe rhyme i always thought it had something to do with the railroad as he worked many many years ago gramps died in 74.
“Chicopee….Penny rou …Road Whistle…Mary Hustle …. and Old Thom Bumble. his version of This little piggie.. his mother came from Scotland. she was a highlander.
January 31st, 2014 at 12:16 am
gramps was born in 1889 and he was a Scot
April 8th, 2014 at 6:31 am
Here’s how I learned it (Spelling not important) Icky Pea Penny Ooh
Ooh Whistle May Ossel Great Big Tom Bumble. It started with the small toe and went to the big toe. I never realized how many different versions there were.
April 29th, 2014 at 6:16 am
To Peter Randrup : The words Tot(t) and Pot(t)
A little boy with an unruly part of his hair always sticking out in some odd direction
was during my childhood in Jylland, DK, often nicknamed “TOT”.
So Tot means a bunch of something pointing in an odd direction (like the thumb sometimes does) : en tot hår-a”tot” of hair, en tot graes – a tot of grass, en graestot etc. (bla bla)
Pot(te), an old word, like “pot” in english, can also mean a certain volume.
May 3rd, 2014 at 7:10 am
This version was recited to us by my mother, who was 3rd generation Irish:
pee wee,
pellie louie,
mary whistle,
mezzy wozzle,
big fat hoddy doddy
Her family name originally was O’Shea, which is one of the surname variants originating in County Kerry. I find it rather fascinating that in versions posted here by others, the 3rd toe’s name often has some variant of “whistle” and another toe often has something that rhymes with wozzle. I always assumed the rhyme originated with my mother’s family, but my father was 2nd generation German, so there’s some remote possibility she borrowed it from his mother.
June 18th, 2014 at 6:52 am
Our family came from Denmark in the late 1800’s. this is how it was passed down to us:
Little Peetey
Peetey Roo
Rudy Whistle
Mary Ostle
And BIG TOM BUMBLE BO!! (In deep gravely voice while shaking big toe)
July 27th, 2014 at 4:10 am
Icky Pea
Penny Rue
Mary Ossle
Oodie Whistle
AND BIG TOM BOMBLE!
July 28th, 2014 at 2:35 am
I grew up with my mom telling me the names of the toes but have no clue as to where they originated
starting with the pinky toe Icky p, Penny Roo, Roo Wistle, Mary Hustle, and Old Tom Bumble. my mother learned it from her mother in law who was from northern New Hampshire
July 28th, 2014 at 10:53 pm
Our Canadian grandmother taught us (starting with the little toe):
ecka peady
penny loody
loody wissle
mary ossle
tum bumble, tum bumble, tum bumble
My sisters disagree and say it’s starts with “ecka penny”. We are all in our 50’s and taking sides on what to teach our grandkids!
August 1st, 2014 at 1:23 pm
My grandparents were from the little island of Bornholm. I still play these games with my grandchildren.
Tommeltot, slikkepot, langemand, guldebrand, and lille peter spillemand (the “d”was silent)
Pandeben, ojesten, naesetip, mundelip, hageflip, and dikke dik (we said ticky tic)
August 1st, 2014 at 2:04 pm
That’s neat Kerry! Do any of the words have a meaning? -Mama Lisa
August 2nd, 2014 at 1:05 am
I don’t speak Danish, but according to Google Translate…
The first rhyme includes the fingers:
Tommel=Thumb
Slikkepot=Forefinger
Lange=Long
Gulde=Gold (maybe because of it being the ring finger)
Lille=Little
Spillemand=Fiddler (well, fiddlers do use their pinkies…)
I wiggle each finger as I say it’s name.
The second rhyme includes the parts of the face (based on a Hans Christian Andersen poem):
Pande=Forehead
Oje=Eye
Naese=Nose
Munde=Mouths
Lip=Lip
Hage=Chin
I point to each as I recite it, climaxing in a tickle under the chin to finish.
The “d” was always silent the way I remember it. The little ones especially love the expectation of the high-pitched “lille Peter spillemand” and “Ticky Tic” at the end of each! I’m doing the finger rhyme with my 6 month old grandson and he is simply mesmerized by it! After I do it to my own fingers, I take his little wrist and he stretched out his fingers so that I can do it on his! Too cute!
August 9th, 2014 at 7:42 pm
My great grandma ran a day care in Oklahoma, I learned this passed down from her:
Ankie Pee,
Penny Roo,
Roo Whistle,
Mary Hostle,
and Ole Tom Bombo.
All my cousins across Texas say it this way, as my aunts and uncles did also. I didn’t know the history of it. I thought great grandma made it up. I am pleased to see the different variations. I should ask grandma where my great grandma’s ancestors were from. How neat.
September 26th, 2014 at 12:43 pm
My mom used to start with the big toe as say:
Big Tom Booble
Mary Possle
Penny Rue
Rudy Whistle
and Little Lick a Pee
and she would shake my little toe (witch always made me laugh). Just remembering this….I still laugh. Thanks mom. I love you.
September 27th, 2014 at 6:00 pm
My mother’s version starting with the little toe:
Little pea
Penny rue
Rosey whistle
Cherry hostel
Big tom bimbo! (And shake big toe and all laugh)
September 27th, 2014 at 6:01 pm
Oh sorry, last line was
Big tom bumbo!
October 4th, 2014 at 4:28 am
Love reading all the various versions. My Mom used to play this with me (and also with my daughter) and her version (English/Scottish/Welsh heritage and from Maine) went from little toe to big toe:
Achy pea
Penny roo
Rudy whistle
Mary tussle
And Old Tom Bombo!
It still makes me giggle to hear it. Lol!
October 20th, 2014 at 9:24 pm
pettie whettir
patty whatty
lady wassel
lodie whistle
and dredo dorman dah
January 1st, 2015 at 2:53 am
Here’s my version:
Eedle Peedle
Peedle Lou
Oozie Sizzle
Mary Hozzle
And old Tommie Bumbo
January 4th, 2015 at 1:39 pm
Start with the pinky toe, his name is;
Peety Lootel,
Lootle Thisle,
Thisle Lassel,
Lassel Tasel
& a great Big Hassel Tasel!
January 4th, 2015 at 8:32 pm
Exactly what Sue said is what I was told from a man of German decent about 35 years ago.
January 7th, 2015 at 2:04 pm
When I asked my parents where they learned the toe rhyme they both did not know. I asked cousins if their parents recited the rhyme and they said they had never heard of it. After reading the above comments, I believe my family picked up the rhyme from an “adopted” Grandmother who I believe was from Norway. Here is the version I remember:
Little Pea
Potta Roo
Ruda Whistle
Mary Hustle
And Great Big Gobble Gobble
(little toe to big toe)
This version certainly sounds Americanized. My grandkids love it.
January 20th, 2015 at 1:10 am
I read through the list pretty quickly so may have missed it. I was looking for an Icelandic version I remember from my youth. It is similar to some others listed but goes like this:(spelled the way I remember hearing them)
Timilleltot
Sleighey Pot
Loungie man
Viellum Braan
Lilly Filly Spillyman
February 16th, 2015 at 4:54 pm
I have a video of my husband’s great great grandma (102) yesterday reciting what sounds like some that are posted… One for fingers and one for toes. Any way I can send to someone and they can translate?
February 16th, 2015 at 4:59 pm
Jessica – If you’d like to send me the video I can post it (or just post the audio recording) and see if anyone can help with it. -Mama Lisa
February 23rd, 2015 at 9:52 pm
Here’s Jessica’s video…
Does anyone know the language? Can anyone translate it?
Thanks!
Mama Lisa
UPDATE: Francisca sent a Dutch finger naming rhyme with a translation that we posted here – that may help with this rhyme.
March 2nd, 2015 at 10:51 pm
My family’s version: Little Pea, Peedle Loo, Loodle Whistle, Whistle Nostle, and Big Ol’ Hobbin Tobbin. My mother said it had been passed down through my dad’s side of the family. He had a largely Scottish heritage. We all loved this. You pull and wiggle each toe as you say it. If a toe got injured, we would be able to identify the toe by name. You start out with a high squeaky voice for Little Pea and by the time you get to Big Ol’ Hobbin Tobbin your voice has to be way in the bass.
March 13th, 2015 at 4:29 am
I have read all these replies and find it amazing that they are so close but so different. I am trying to put together my daughters’ baby books and wanted to include the toe games that my father-in-law learned from his grandmother and does for the kids but I can’t find the meanings for the names. (Excuse my spelling.)
Starting at little toe…
Litla Toe
Toady Toe
Tilla row
Oblegrow
Studen Gruben Hest
As a point of interest he also has one in English that is very similar but different then the ones posted so far. Again starting at the little toe…
Piggy Pea
Penny Rue
Rudy Whistle
Mary Hustle
and the Big Tom Bomb.
Any help with the translations would be really appreciated. Thank you.
March 18th, 2015 at 4:26 am
Our family said:
Little Pea
Penny Rue
Rudy Whistle
Mary Hustle
And great big ol’ Dumma Dog (shaking big toe)
March 29th, 2015 at 4:48 am
My Icelandic mother would do a finger rhyme with us. It sounded like:
Thimmletot (thumb)
sleikja pot (lick the pot)
lengi man (tall man)
Eric Bran
Litill Pietra Spalliman (she said it meant little Peter the sailor man, but now I think it may have meant student or fiddler)
When she got to the little finger, she would walk her fingers up the arm and tickle us under the arm. Great memories.
April 7th, 2015 at 6:52 pm
Suzanne Lane wrote:
“Icky Poo, Penny Roo, Mary Whistle, Rhody Hustle, and Tom Bumble are Irish toe names, of course we thought only our family used them, but looking for more evidence.
Thanks!”
April 24th, 2015 at 4:27 pm
My grandmother taught her children and each of us grand children: (I am spelling from sound as it was never written out for me.)
Little Pea
Penny Roo
Mary Hostle
Rhody Whistle
and Big Tommy Bumbo (wiggle big toe and laugh)
After reading other posts, I found it interesting some noted Scottish and Irish heritage. My family has a lot of both, I wonder if that had some influence on where this came from.
Would be really interested if anyone had any input.
May 17th, 2015 at 10:23 am
There was a researcher in the seventies in Sweden who collected different rhymes for the toes. The theme is a part of a Swedish National Radio Broadcasting programme some years ago. I guess it’s hard for those who don’t speak Swedish to follow, but in the first ten minutes, the issue is dealt with. Here’s a link: http://t.sr.se/1e8yjR1
Regards
May 24th, 2015 at 4:50 pm
Our family has lost the origin of our family toe game, but so many of these are similar. It came from my mother’s family who is Scotch-Irish, Welsh and British. The relatives lived in SW Iowa. Our version is the following:
Eetie-Peetie, Peetie-Rudy, Rudy-Whistle, Mary-Hossle, and Big Gobble Gobble.
Thank you for sharing your versions and stories. We had not previously known anyone else who had ever heard of this toe rhyme.
May 28th, 2015 at 10:31 pm
The one I half remember is,starting at littlest toe
eeney weeney
lottie wassel
?
?
the great odomondah
May 30th, 2015 at 5:54 pm
The version for counting toes I remember was probably passed down on my mother’s side. I think my dad had trouble remembering how to say it. Mom’s maternal grandparents are Swedish immigrants, and Dad’s are Irish. It goes like this, starting with the little toe:
Inky pee, penny roo, ruee histle, Mary hustle, big fat tum buzzle (followed by tickling)
Enjoyed reading the many versions posted. Thanks for sharing them.
June 15th, 2015 at 2:42 am
My grandmother who lived to 107 used to say the names of fingers and toes to the children. Her mother spoke only Norwegian. So it goes to all the following children. It sounded like this, starting from thumb to pinkie; tomertut, slikaput, longmun. goldbrun, and ittabitaspilamun. The toes sounded like this, starting with the thumb; toa, todilla, tonoosa, crooknoosa, lil tipa. I had fun reading all the rest of these, some were very similar.