Nettle In, Dock Out Lyrics
Stung by a nettle? Country children were told to rub a dock leaf on the spot and say this charm, slowly, until the sting went away.
Nettle In, Dock Out
Nettle in, dock out,
Dock rub nettle out!
Out 'ettle, in dock,
Dock zhall ha' a new smock;
'Ettle zhant ha' narrun!
Printed from https://nurseryrhymes.co/nettle-in-dock-out/
- Type
- Mother Goose
- Tune
- Chanted slowly
- Best for ages
- 3 to 9 years
Hand Motions and Actions
| When you sing | Do this |
|---|---|
| Nettle in, dock out | Hold out the stung hand, then push the air away with the other hand. |
| Dock rub nettle out! | Rub slow circles with your thumb on your palm. |
What Does Nettle In, Dock Out Mean?
This is a folk charm, a short rhyme said along with a country remedy. A nettle is a weed covered in tiny stinging hairs, and a dock is a broad-leaved plant that often grows right beside it. In the Wiltshire version, 'ettle is nettle with its first letter dropped, zhall is shall, and zhant is probably shan't. Narrun is probably "not one", so the dock gets a new smock and the nettle gets nothing. A smock is a loose shirt or dress.
History and Origin
James Orchard Halliwell printed both versions in Popular Rhymes and Nursery Tales (1849), in his chapter of superstition rhymes. He wrote that rubbing dock leaves on a sting while saying the charm very slowly would work as a certain cure, and he credited a Mr. Akerman for the Wiltshire wording. Whether the leaf does more than cool the skin is doubtful, but the slow chant gives a child something to do while the sting fades.
Learning Activities
- Safety first: rinse a sting with cool water. If a child has many stings, swelling or trouble breathing, get medical help without waiting for the rhyme. Only use a dock leaf that an adult has identified, since plenty of plants irritate skin.
- Plant spotting: from a safe distance, compare a nettle's toothed, hairy-looking leaves with a dock's large, smooth-edged ones.
- Slow chant: practice saying it very slowly, as Halliwell advises, and then at normal speed.