This Old Man, He Played...What?

[Perenelle]

My friend came over today, and out of boredom we decided to look up the meaning of nursery rhymes (well, one in particular). We already know that a lot of children's nursery rhymes and stories often have violent and generally inappropriate subjects (that we grew up with not knowing), but for one nursery rhyme we couldn't find any information.

The nursery rhyme "This Old Man" has very... odd..lyrics. Because my friend thought that they could be "suggestive" at points, we decided to looked them up. Not only did we find almost no information on the history or meaning of it, but we couldn't find anyone that really explored possible metaphorical meanings. The only information we found on it was some stuff about Irishmen and quarreling. :smallconfused:

Here are the lyrics copied from Wikipedia:

"This old man, he played one,
He played knick-knack on my thumb. (on a drum, on my tongue)
With a knick-knack, paddy whack,
Give a dog a bone,
This old man came rolling home.

This old man, he played two,
He played knick-knack on my shoe.
(etc.)

This old man, he played three,
He played knick-knack on my knee. (on my tree)
(etc.)

This old man, he played four,
He played knick-knack on my door. (on the floor)
(etc.)

This old man, he played five,
He played knick-knack on my hive. (on my knife, making a dive, on my thigh, way up high)
(etc.)

This old man, he played six,
He played knick-knack with some sticks.
(etc.)

This old man, he played seven,
He played knick-knack up in heaven. (on my oven, down in Devon)
(etc.)

This old man, he played eight,
He played knick-knack on my gate. (on my plate, on my pate)
(etc.)

This old man, he played nine,
He played knick-knack on my spine. (in a line)
(etc.)

This old man, he played ten,
He played knick-knack once again. (on my pen, on my shin, on my hen, now and then)
(etc.)"

Are they just picking random words that rhyme? or is there something behind it all?


Rather odd thread, but after searching the internet for a while I figured I (my friend isn't a user) might as well see if anyone here had any ideas/information.


My friend Essie appreciates it. :smallsmile:

[Eldan]

Never heard it before, but I agree: that's very, very suggestive from time to time.

See also: knick-knack can mean "sex".

[SurlySeraph]

It looks more like a series of suggestive terms than a deliberately sequenced story told using those suggestive terms, but perhaps there's a pattern I'm missing.

[absolmorph]

Never heard it before, but I agree: that's very, very suggestive from time to time.

See also: knick-knack can mean "sex".
... The mental image won't go away.
Normally, I can get rid of the image.
Why won't the image go away?

[Cealocanth]

It can be suggestive, I'll go with it originated during an Irish anti-poliece rebellion. Playing knick knack probable means doing something illegal, and paddy-wack means rebelling and beating up poliecemen.

[Gwyn chan 'r Gwyll]

It can be suggestive, I'll go with it originated during an Irish anti-poliece rebellion. Playing knick knack probable means doing something illegal, and paddy-wack means rebelling and beating up poliecemen.

You would think that paddy-wack is more police brutality in that situation, 'paddy' being a rude term for Irishmen (as in Patrick).

[Dienekes]

I'm not sure where I heard this, so it's probably wrong.

But I was told that it means the Old Man was drinking, the number of shots or whatever being the "played *insert number*. He then tries to start a fight hitting whatever he knick-knacked. Before being knick-knacked paddy-whacked in return (beat up) and having to be rolled home.

He then repeats this the next night.

[Cealocanth]

I'm not sure where I heard this, so it's probably wrong.

But I was told that it means the Old Man was drinking, the number of shots or whatever being the "played *insert number*. He then tries to start a fight hitting whatever he knick-knacked. Before being knick-knacked paddy-whacked in return (beat up) and having to be rolled home.

He then repeats this the next night.

That makes an aweful lot of sense.

[BlueWizard]

This Old Man (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/This_Old_Man)

[Perenelle]

It looks more like a series of suggestive terms than a deliberately sequenced story told using those suggestive terms, but perhaps there's a pattern I'm missing.

Thats what I think, since they aren't in any order that really makes sense.




I'm not sure where I heard this, so it's probably wrong.

But I was told that it means the Old Man was drinking, the number of shots or whatever being the "played *insert number*. He then tries to start a fight hitting whatever he knick-knacked. Before being knick-knacked paddy-whacked in return (beat up) and having to be rolled home.

He then repeats this the next night.

hmm. That makes more sense than a lot of the explanations i've heard.

I dont understand why there isnt very much out there about it. Pretty much every other Children's Rhyme has the history and meaning behind it, its strange that such a common one would have so little information.