As I Was Going O'er Westminster Bridge Lyrics
A riddle with its answer hiding in plain sight. A schoolboy on Westminster Bridge lifts his cap and draws off his glove. What is his name?
As I Was Going O'er Westminster Bridge
As I was going o'er Westminster Bridge,
I met with a Westminster scholar;
He pulled off his cap, an' drew off his glove,
And wished me a very good morrow.
What is his name?
Printed from https://nurseryrhymes.co/as-i-was-going-oer-westminster-bridge/
- Type
- Mother Goose
- Tune
- Spoken riddle
- Best for ages
- 4 to 9 years
What Does As I Was Going O'er Westminster Bridge Mean?
The answer is Andrew. Read the third line again: he pulled off his cap, "an' drew" off his glove. Say "an' drew" quickly and you hear the name. A Westminster scholar is a pupil at Westminster School, an old school in London close to Westminster Bridge. Good morrow is an old way of saying good morning.
History and Origin
The riddle is printed as "Andrew" in Walter Jerrold's The Big Book of Nursery Rhymes (1903). Name riddles that hide the answer in the words are an old trick; As I Was Going to St. Ives is another rhyme that tricks the listener with its own wording.
Learning Activities
- Spot the name: read the rhyme aloud slowly and see who hears Andrew first.
- Hidden names: make up a sentence that hides a name, such as "I'll pat Rick on the back" for Patrick.
- Polite greetings: act out lifting a cap and saying good morrow.