Buff Says Buff to All His Men Lyrics
A straight-face game. Buff holds out a stick, pulls silly faces and must not laugh, and anyone who giggles pays a forfeit.
Buff Says Buff to All His Men
Buff says Buff to all his men,
And I say Buff to you again;
Buff neither laughs nor smiles,
But carries his face
With a very good grace,
And passes the stick to the very next place!
Printed from https://nurseryrhymes.co/buff-says-buff/
- Type
- Action Songs, Mother Goose
- Tune
- Spoken game rhyme
- Best for ages
- 4 to 10 years
Hand Motions and Actions
| When you sing | Do this |
|---|---|
| Buff says Buff to all his men | Hold a stick or spoon out to the next player. |
| Buff neither laughs nor smiles | Keep a perfectly straight face. |
| And passes the stick to the very next place! | Hand the stick on to the next player. |
What Does Buff Says Buff to All His Men Mean?
Buff is the name of the stern character in the game. The point is that Buff never laughs or smiles, but carries his face "with a very good grace", meaning calmly and politely. Everyone else tries to make him crack, and the stick shows whose turn it is.
History and Origin
James Orchard Halliwell describes the game in The Nursery Rhymes of England: one child holds a wand to the face of another, says the lines and makes faces to cause the other to laugh, and so on round the circle. Those who laugh pay a forfeit, a small silly task to win back their place.
Learning Activities
- Play it: sit in a circle and pass a wooden spoon with the rhyme.
- Silly forfeits: hop on one foot, sing a song or say a tongue twister.
- Straight face record: time who can keep a straight face the longest.