F for Fig, J for Jig Lyrics
A tiny alphabet rhyme with a puzzle in the middle: why does I stand for John? The answer is hidden in how the alphabet used to be written.
F for Fig, J for Jig
F for fig, J for jig,
And N for knuckle bones,
I for John the waterman,
And S for sack of stones.
Printed from https://nurseryrhymes.co/f-for-fig-j-for-jig/
- Type
- Mother Goose
- Tune
- Spoken rhyme
- Best for ages
- 4 to 8 years
What Does F for Fig, J for Jig Mean?
Each letter gets a word: F for fig, J for jig (a lively dance), N for knuckle bones (an old game like jacks, played with small bones or stones) and S for a sack of stones. "I for John" looks wrong, but in older alphabets I and J were treated as the same letter, so John could go under I.
History and Origin
James Orchard Halliwell printed the rhyme among the alphabet rhymes in The Nursery Rhymes of England. A waterman was a boatman who carried passengers across rivers like the Thames, a common job in old London.
Learning Activities
- Alphabet game: pick a letter and find a word for it, like F for fig.
- Old letters: explain that I and J were once the same letter.
- Knucklebones: play a simple game of jacks or five stones.