Little Nancy Etticoat Lyrics
She wears a white petticoat, has a red nose, and the longer she stands, the shorter she grows. Who is Little Nancy Etticoat? This old rhyme is a riddle, and the answer is below.
Little Nancy Etticoat
Little Nancy Etticoat,
In a white petticoat,
And a red nose;
The longer she stands,
The shorter she grows.
Printed from https://nurseryrhymes.co/little-nancy-etticoat/
- Type
- Mother Goose
- Tune
- Spoken riddle
- Best for ages
- 4 to 9 years
What Does Little Nancy Etticoat Mean?
The answer is a candle. The white petticoat is the wax, the red nose is the flame, and a candle gets shorter the longer it burns. Old riddles like this describe an everyday object as if it were a person, and children love working out each clue.
History and Origin
The riddle was collected by James Orchard Halliwell in the 1840s, in a section of his book devoted to riddle rhymes. Before electric light, every home was full of candles, so children would have guessed it quickly.
Learning Activities
- Guess first: read the rhyme and let your child guess before you reveal the answer.
- Make a riddle: describe an object as a person, for example a pencil or a snowman.
- Candle watch: with an adult, watch a candle burn for ten minutes and see how much shorter it gets.