Eatum, Peatum, Potum, Pie Lyrics
A counting-out rhyme full of made-up words that ends with a dog's tail, a hog's snout and a clear result: I'm in, you're out.
Eatum, Peatum, Potum, Pie
Eatum, peatum, potum, pie,
Babylonie, stickum, stie,
Dog's tail, hog's snout,
I'm in, you're out.
Printed from https://nurseryrhymes.co/eatum-peatum-potum-pie/
- Type
- Counting Rhymes
- Tune
- Chanted counting-out rhyme
- Best for ages
- 3 to 9 years
Hand Motions and Actions
| When you sing | Do this |
|---|---|
| Eatum, peatum, potum, pie | Point to a different player on each word. |
| Dog's tail, hog's snout | Wag a hand behind you, then push up your nose like a snout. |
| I'm in, you're out | Point to yourself, then to the player who is out. |
What Does Eatum, Peatum, Potum, Pie Mean?
Most of the words are nonsense picked for their bounce: eatum, peatum and potum rhyme with each other, and Babylonie may be a playful twist on the name Babylon. A stie is a sty, where pigs live, which leads neatly to the hog's snout. The last line settles who is out.
History and Origin
Robert Ford prints it in Children's Rhymes, Children's Games, Children's Songs, Children's Stories (1904), noting that it was said elsewhere in Scotland as well. Rhymes like this were used to pick who would be It before a game of tig or hide-and-seek.
Learning Activities
- Count out: stand in a circle and use it to choose who is It.
- Animal actions: act out the dog's tail and the hog's snout.
- Rhyme hunt: find the words that rhyme: pie and stie, snout and out.