Poptimists Goes The Weasel

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

Yesterday I got sent a CD of nursery rhymes for my kid - it was rub though. But it reminded me to do the much promised NURSERY RHYMES CANON. These selections are from the top ranked nursery rhyme CD at Amazon.co.uk, from "Oxbridge Baby" (ew). Other CDs have about a billion rhymes on but this is a CANON POLL and we frown on such inclusiveness. You get six ticks.

[Poll #1126074]

Bonus task - can we compile a CD of pop records which quote or reference all of these? Adam Ant - "Puss In Boots". Fergie - "London Bridge" - there, 16 to go!

Comments

Re: Cultural Differences?

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

Polly Put The Kettle On is RUB - all that happens is they put a kettle on, make some tea, and take it off.

Pussycat Pussycat involves a cat going to London to look at the Queen, I forget the next bit. It is quite British.

12345 goes as follows:

12345 one I caught a fish alive
6789 10 then I let it go again
Why did you let it go? Because it bit my finger so
Which finger did it bite? This little finger on the right

It's a finger-counting game, obviously.

Re: Cultural Differences?

[justfanoe.livejournal.com]

A similar rhyme in America stars: "1, 2 Buckle My Shoe/3,4 Shut the Door", etc. Does this rhyme also exist in England?

Re: Cultural Differences?

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

Yes! Agatha Christie used it as the basis for a detective novel once.

Re: Cultural Differences?

[justfanoe.livejournal.com]

I must read this novel. Side question: I have never read Agatha, is it worth checking out her work?

Re: Cultural Differences?

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

That is a big question! I like her and suspect that her popularity has obscured her gifts a bit BUT I don't read much crime or detective fiction. She's good enough at puzzles for her solutions to be surprises but not cheats, and good enough at characterisation for you to care while you're reading one who did it and why. But once you finish an Agatha they tend to slip from your mind pretty quickly, and for psychological depth or insight into crime or criminals she is useless. (For social observation she's pretty good though!)