This old man, he played two, He played knick-knack on my shoe, With a knick-knack paddywhack, Give the dog a bone, This old man came rolling home. This old man, he played three, He played knick-knack on my knee, With a knick-knack paddywhack, Give the dog a bone, This old man came rolling home. This old man, he played four, He played knick-knack on my door, With a knick-knack paddywhack, Give the dog a bone, This old man came rolling home. This old man, he played five, He played knick-knack on my hive, With a knick-knack paddywhack, Give the dog a bone, This old man came rolling home.
This old man, he played six, He played knick-knack on my sticks, With a knick-knack paddywhack, Give the dog a bone, This old man came rolling home. This old man, he played seven, He played knick-knack up in heaven, With a knick-knack paddywhack, Give the dog a bone, This old man came rolling home.
Each verse refers to the common practice in Ireland of of after a feast of lamb or swine, taking the rib bones and fashioning them into a musical instrument, using it as a rhythmic instrument of an impromptu band that might also include a lute and singers. Paddywhack has several meaning and it is unclear which meaning the nursery rhyme intended. One definition is the tough elastic ligament found in many four legged animals such as a lamb that holds the head up.
Active Oldest Votes. Improve this answer. Sign up or log in Sign up using Google. Sign up using Facebook. Sign up using Email and Password. Post as a guest Name. Email Required, but never shown. Featured on Meta. Now live: A fully responsive profile. Related 6. I thought the original topic was well and truly in the knacker's yard! I have had a look round a few other forums, but there doesn't seem to be anything conclusive.
The ideas are very similar to those presented here without the archaeology but no clear answers or sources. Keep looking! English-Ireland top end. While on the subject of the spoons and the bones, it seems pretty clear to me that the original percussion instrument consisted of two cow-ribs. It is possible to create a poor substitute by using spoons, or an excellent substitute by using hardwood of your choice.
My personal choice, attested and approved by an Irish percussionist of my acquaintance, being Irish Cherrywood orders for matched pairs are accepted if accompanied by a sufficiently large bribe. Observing the scene objectively, the English regard "playing the spoons" as a comedy act. The Irish esteem a good bones-player in the same category as a good bodhran-player, and often they are one and the same for the sense of rhythm is essential to both.
Good bones-players get free drink. So did you all come up with a "valid" meaning for "paddy whack? I'd like to have something more interesting than the neck tendon of a cow. Any suggestions? Is it possible that 'paddy whack' is an Irish tune or jig played on the bones or spoons? In American English, we called the game "knock knock run away". Whack: A share of a booty obtained by fraud. A paddy whack ; a stout brawney Irishman.
Little John New Member English. Consider this: the 'Knacker', a man called to look after dead horses, to flay and dispose of the carcass; additionally called when a horse had to be killed; of the lowest class of society, generally avoided as unclean.
Perhaps our children's song refers to an Irishman, a brawler, a 'paddywack', who is, by profession, a knacker, and by rhyme, knick, knacks a horse and gives the dog a bone from the carcass. The text continues into a fanciful absurdity by knacking many other objects
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