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.
February 28th, 2017 at 6:00 pm
I am 70 years old an remember my grandfather playing with the babies toes and saying the following, which I always thought was just a limerick.
Little pea
Penalou
Little fossil
Do da whistle
And ending with the little toe with;
Cabba cabba cabba
March 1st, 2017 at 6:21 pm
Little pea, penny roo, rudy whistle, molly wostle, and old Tom Toodle toe!
April 7th, 2017 at 1:40 am
This is crazy!! All these years thinking we were the only ones who knew a song my grandparents made up, lol… This version has gone a min of 5 generations… Grandpa/Nana, mom, me, my kids and now my grandkids. ** my family lines hail from Maine/New Hampshire/Massachusetts 1600’s and forward. My mom has 30% Scandinavian DNA… but I’m still searching from which line it hails from.
Icky Pee
Benny Roo
May Hustle
Blue Whistle
Big Tum Bumbo
April 19th, 2017 at 3:11 pm
I grew up in a Norwegian family. Here is what we learned:
Tee too
Tattoo
Spilarosse
Magafrou
Stodakubelasten
We always started with the big toe and the pinky toe was the “Lasten” one!
April 19th, 2017 at 3:13 pm
It’s fun passing this rhyme on to grandkids!
June 5th, 2017 at 2:28 am
From Grandmother in Black River Falls, WI:
Little Pete
Penny Lou
Looty Whistle
Mary Ossle
And Big Old Hossle Hossle!
June 17th, 2017 at 3:30 pm
Found this page looking for the origins of the one I heard from my mostly German grandmother. Ours went, starting at the pinky toe:
“Little Pete,
Petey Lou,
Loutie whistle,
Nizzle nozzle,
And Great Big Hobble Gobble!(While wiggling the big toe). So fun to read the many variations :)
August 23rd, 2017 at 10:09 pm
From my dad (his dad was raised by a German uncle) – from big toe to pinky toe:
Pea
Penny Roo
Roo Whistle
Mary Rozzle
Gobble gobble gobble gobble gobble
September 5th, 2017 at 12:25 am
Ours came from both sides of the family. Both were dumbfounded that they agreed: Icky pee,
Penny roo,
Roo whistle
Serrah hostle
And Old Tom Baumble.
September 22nd, 2017 at 12:41 am
My Grandma taught me a toe game like these when I was a girl. She grew up in rural Michigan, and her maiden name was Frost.
Little Pete
Pete Root
Root Whistle
Mary Hossle
Old Hobble Gobble
October 3rd, 2017 at 2:04 pm
I am shocked to see so many versions! My family is from Massachusetts (of English decent) and I remember my grandmother playing with my toes and saying the names. I have used these same names with my kids. I had no idea it was not made up by my grandmother. :-)
Our family’s version starts with the little toe and is as follows:
Itty Pea
Peppy Rose
Rody Whistle
Mary Hostle
…and the Great BIG Gubba Gubba (as you shake and wiggle the big toe).
What a great site!! Thanks
November 18th, 2017 at 6:37 pm
This is fantastic. I’ve always wondered where my dad got the names for our toes. I’m not sure whether it was from his Norwegian side or my mom’s Danish/Swedish side, but ours went like this (starting with the pinky toe)…
Ikey Pea
Penny Roo
Rooney Whistle
Mary Hostle
Tom Bumble (said in a deep voice while wiggling the big toe).
What fun to see all the variation and to know that it came from somewhere in our history.
November 26th, 2017 at 7:50 pm
My mother taught us, thanks to her next-door Swedish neighbor, for fingers;
Tomotot
Slick-a-put
Langemon
Hittleyhon
Lillavenigon
December 21st, 2017 at 1:29 am
My Great Aunt used to say this to my brother and me as babies, and I said it to my kids when they were little. We started with the big toe and went to the little one, and it went like this:
Tommy Bumble
Mary Hassle
Robert Whistle
Penny Noodle
And….Queedle-Quaddle!
Looks like this matches up with some of the variations. My Great Aunt was first generation Irish – parents from County Wexford in SE Ireland, though it’s possible it came through her husband. He was from of German / English ancestry, but several generations back. Both of them grew up in Connecticut.
January 6th, 2018 at 3:44 am
No, no, no… you all have it wrong… (kidding)
Growing up as a child I was taught that the rhyme went this way: (starting with the smallest toe)
Eenie Pea
Penny Rue
Rudy Whistle
Mary Rustle
and Old Tommy Thumpydoodle (said while tickling the foot)
My family was of German Irish dissent so I’m sure that had a lot to do with it. We enjoyed reading all of these, brought back great memories.
February 13th, 2018 at 9:06 pm
Im not even sure I can spell the names as my Daddy taught them to me, but I’ll try….he was from Hendersonville, North Carolina and his ancestry was British Isles. His surname was King and other family names include Brown, Drake, Osteen, Ward.
Starting with the little toe…
LITTLE RUDY
PADDA RUDY
RUDY WHISTLE
MODDY OSSLE
BIG TOE, BIG TOE, BIG TOE
He had so many funny sayings, expressions, colliquialisms. Miss him dearly.
March 3rd, 2018 at 9:46 pm
My paternal grandmother, born 1875, taught my older siblings:
Icky Picky
Penny Rooney
Rudy Whistle
Molly Hossle
Big Tom Bumbo
Her ancestors were from Maine, of Scottish/Irish/English decent, and were in North America during colonial times. Some dutch influence as well. My mother’s family of British decent were not in the U.S. until the 1860’s and 1870’s and they did not pass down this rhyme if they ever had it.
Pete in 2007 promised the author’s name from the original poem. Did I miss it? Still interested…
Thanks to everyone! Fun to see all the different versions and how similar many are.
April 8th, 2018 at 12:11 pm
I am not sure which side of the family it came from either Irish/English (father) or German/English Mother. But this is how I learned them:
Little Pete
Penny Root
Root Whistle
Mary Ossle
and Big Old Gobble Gobble Gobble
It has been great reading all of the others.
April 9th, 2018 at 6:21 am
My ex used to play this with our daughter years and years ago. His version went like this, starting with the pinky toe:
Piggy Pea
Penny Roo
Roo Whistle
Mary Ossel
and Old Tom Bubble!
Weird. It’s like singing the wrong words to a song for years.
April 23rd, 2018 at 12:08 am
Wonderful to see all these variations! Like so many others, I found this from a google search. My family is of Italian and Lithuanian decent. This wasn’t a tradition passed down from my grandparents, but instead my mother learned it from a friend whose family had it as a tradition. My mother would do it with myself and my brothers as children as well as other babies in the family. Most recently she’s been doing it with my baby daughter. My family is from Massachusetts. My mother grew up in South Boston.
Ickie Pea
Penny Rou
Rudy Whistle
Mary Ossle
and OLD TOM BUMBLE (Said slowly in a deep voice while shaking the big toe)
August 9th, 2018 at 7:05 pm
I think it came from my great grandmother who was from Scotland.
Little Peed
Peedy Lou
Louie Whistle
Mary Jossle
and BIG TOM BUMPER
October 2nd, 2018 at 8:10 pm
The toe rhyme that my mother taught me as a little girl was:
Little Peter
Peter Woo
Peter Whistle
Mary Wassle
Big Tom Bumbo
Nobody I know ever heard of any such toe rhymes. So I did a Google search and was surprised to have them linked to Scandinavia. My maternal grandmother was from Finland.
October 20th, 2018 at 6:10 am
Icky Pea
Pincy Roo
Reuben Whistle
Mary Hassel
Big John Bumblebee
At least that’s how my wife learned it😋
November 21st, 2018 at 6:52 pm
My grandmother’s (Scots/Irish) version was similar to many of these.
Petey petey
Polly lusty
Lady whistle
Lodey Wossle
Great big money toots!!!!
December 3rd, 2018 at 5:01 am
The one my grandma Bartelson from sweden told us about the fingers went
Tummatut
Slick-a-putt
Longamon
Hullvrahest
Lillaprest
I can’t speak Swedish but that’s as close as I can come to sounding it out.
December 23rd, 2018 at 6:32 pm
Our grandmother said it this way:
Little pea
Pea daloo
Loo da wizzle
Wizzle wizzle
Old gobble gobble gobble (vigorously wiggling the big toe)
Her ethnic origins were English.
May 13th, 2019 at 9:40 pm
A 91 year old man was delighted to share this verse with me today while I was clipping his toenails:
Little Peetie
Pudy Rudy
Rudy Whistle
Mary Ostle
Old Big Tom Bumble
May 27th, 2019 at 5:04 am
I heard it from my grandmother as. Little pea..or pete… Perry rude..ruby whistle..Mary hossle…gobble gobble gobble..my grandmother had mostly Hungarian..a little British too.
August 2nd, 2019 at 6:21 pm
I have played this w/my children and grandchildren for almost 59 years as follows:
Peed
Pennyrood
Roodwhistle
Merrymuscle
& a gobble gobble gobble gobble gobble
Thought it came from my mother cuz I remember her always playing it since I was a child but now realize it must’ve come from my paternal great grandmother who was Norwegian:)
August 2nd, 2019 at 6:22 pm
*almost 50 years;)
November 8th, 2019 at 1:40 am
Wow. This is so interesting.
Our family’s variation is :
Little pea,
Pinnaroo,
Roota-thistle,
Donna- hustle,
Gobble gobble.
Does anyone know the origin of this one :
This little piggy fell and broke his toe,
This little piggy said, oh no!
This little piggy laughed and was glad,
This little piggy cried and was sad,
And this little piggy knew just what to do,
He ran to the doctor as fast as he could.
November 16th, 2019 at 12:58 am
I was just reading this as I remember my mother doing this and I never found anyone that ever heard of it, I thought she made it up! I am teaching my grandson and this is her version
Little pea
Penny roo
Mary whistle
Roddy hostle
and the little turkey that went gobble gobble gobble
November 18th, 2019 at 11:13 pm
My mom always started with the great toe and said:
Biggy toe
Mighty moe
Donna Dissy
Piggy wissy
Pipe-oh!
She said pipe-oh in a high voice and wiggled the toe.
November 23rd, 2019 at 2:29 pm
My Swedish grandfather taught me this rhyme:
Tummetott,
Slickepott,
Långeman,
Yartleehan (phonetic- which is different then the usual Gullebrand–not sure where my version came from???)
Och lille vicke vire.
December 14th, 2019 at 5:15 pm
Our grandmother did it this way:
Liddle pea
Pea daloo
Loo da wizzle
Wizzle wazzle
Old gobble gobble gobble (done at the big toe)
She said her mother did it with them and her mother’s origins are English.
December 18th, 2019 at 4:39 am
Here is what my Mother taught me:
(Spelling phonetically)
Oca peed
Penny rude
Ruda whistle
Mary oskall
Big Tom bubble
December 27th, 2019 at 8:41 pm
My brother can home one day saying this as a kid and taught me..
Studimin
Mellamin
Little penni-unsin
Spellimeni
Grensin
Sound close to the toes/finger rhymes from Scandinavia. And we are German, Danish, etc.
January 2nd, 2020 at 7:04 pm
My grandmother‘s grandfather of Scotch-Irish origin via North Carolina and Tennessee did this with her (little toe to big toe):
icky pee
penny roo
roo whistle
mary hastle
and Tom Bumble (shake big toe)
January 27th, 2020 at 12:49 am
I found this thread while trying to find the origin of a toe rhyme my grandpa used to say when playing with us. He would start w/the big toe & end w/giving the little toe a good wiggle while saying (phonetic spelling):
Tom Tobossle,
Mary Hossle,
Rhoda Whistle,
Petter-oo,
and liiiiittttllllleeee Pete!
Not sure of origin.
January 31st, 2020 at 4:17 pm
Little Pitt
Pitt whissy
May ossall
Low dissall
And Tom bumble
(We say big ol Tom berry bumble)
March 8th, 2020 at 11:33 pm
This is great to see so many different, yet similar, versions of what we grew up with for generations. We have Swedish, German, Scottish, and English ancestry. We never knew where the toe rhyme came from.
(Starting with the little toe).
Peetie
Peetie Lou
Lootie Whistle
Whistle Knoble
And the Great Big Hobble Tobble! (Said in a deep voice while wiggling the big toe).
March 24th, 2020 at 3:19 pm
So fun to find this site!
I’ve always wondered where this rhyme came from. My Dad said this to me all the time growing up, it’s very similar to many above, with a big toe name which I haven’t seen on any of the others:
eckie pea
penny lou
loulie whistle
whistle nustle
and OLD TOM BUSTLE! (said with a big deep voice as he wiggles the big toe)
We’re from Maine, Dad’s family with deep French heritage, his mother was an old Maine family, not as sure of her ancestry.
March 29th, 2020 at 6:48 am
My mother-in-law taught my kids starting from the little toe
Achy P
Penny Rue
Rue Whistle
May Sausol
& Old Tom Buckle Toe
June 20th, 2020 at 4:09 pm
Icky Pea
Penny Rue
Rue Whistle
Mary Hossel
Tom Bumbo
July 11th, 2020 at 6:47 pm
I was so surprised to find this site! Yay!
My father was born in 1898, and I believe his mother (b. 1866) taught him this way of it —
? (can’t remember)
penny roo
rudy whistle
mary tossle
and
Toddus Bum Bum Boo!
I think this was from the big toe to the little one.
So far as I can tell nobody has said it so it all rhymes, which is so much more fun for a wee tot!
July 16th, 2020 at 11:49 am
I grew up in various places, the toe rhyme we had came from my mother’s side of the family, and was reputed to have come from Scotland, possibly from Orkney or the North East of Scotland.
Peedy weedy,
Pally louly
Lady Whistle
Lody Wostle
Great big Oddman Dod.
The rhyme started with the little toe, and then when you get to the Oddman Dod, you give the big toe a massive wiggle.
August 8th, 2020 at 12:04 am
Mom and grandma use to say it this way…
(Starting with the little toe)
Icky Petey
Penny Lootie
Lootie Whistle
Mary Ossle
And TOOOOOOOOMMMMM WOBBLES!!!
August 25th, 2020 at 3:52 pm
Itty pea
Penny too
Mary ossum
Rudy whistle
And
Old tom gobble gobble.
People think I’m crazy when I do this one.
October 3rd, 2020 at 7:14 pm
My grandfather did this toe naming game as well. He would start with the big toe (not sure of the spelling):
Ecky Pee
Penny Rue
Ruey Whistle
Mary Hossle
And Little Tommy Bumblebee.
Love you, Buppa. Miss you.
October 11th, 2020 at 9:02 am
Mum used to say it like this, starting at the little toe:
Icky Pea
Penny Rue
Rue Whistle
Mary Hustle
(In a deep voice) Old Tom Bumble