This rhyme first appeared in print in "The Kentish Coronal" in 1841 with a slight variation to the words now popular today. It has been speculated that the George mentioned in the rhyme referred to a real historical figure but there is no evidence to support this.
"Georgie Porgie, pudding and pie,
Kissed the girls and made them cry;
When the boys came out to play,
Georgie Porgie ran away."
2. Little Jack Horner
Answer: Christmas pie
This rhyme was first published as part of "Mother Goose's Melody" collection in 1765. In some quarters, it was believed that the poem promoted greed and so additional verses were added to show the folly of this behaviour. However, only the original verse is popular now.
"Little Jack Horner
Sat in the corner,
Eating his Christmas pie;
He put in his thumb,
And pulled out a plum,
And said, "What a good boy am I!""
3. Queen of Hearts
Answer: Tarts
The characters of this rhyme are taken from playing cards. The book "The Real Personage of Mother Goose" tries to tie this character with a real historical person - Elizabeth of Bohemia. However, other scholars have refuted this theory.
"The Queen of Hearts
She made some tarts,
All on a summer's day;
The Knave of Hearts
He stole those tarts,
And took them clean away.
The King of Hearts
Called for the tarts,
And beat the knave full sore;
The Knave of Hearts
Brought back the tarts,
And vowed he'd steal no more."
4. Polly
Answer: Tea
The exact origin of this rhyme is unknown, with some sources stating it was written in the 18th century and others placing it in the early 19th century. In Ireland, the rhyme was popular with the name Molly instead of Polly. The rhyme is mentioned in Charles Dickens' novel "Barnaby Rudge".
"Polly put the kettle on,
Polly put the kettle on,
Polly put the kettle on,
We'll all have tea.
Sukey take it off again,
Sukey take it off again,
Sukey take it off again,
They've all gone away"
5. Little Miss Muffet
Answer: Curds and whey
First recorded in 1805, there has been a lot of speculation on what the word tuffet meant. Some claim it could refer to a small grassy hill while others state it was a low seat.
"Little Miss Muffet
Sat on a tuffet,
Eating her curds and whey;
There came a big spider,
Who sat down beside her
And frightened Miss Muffet away."
6. Jack and Jill
Answer: Water
In the original version, Jack's companion was Gill. The pictures accompanying the rhyme also showed two boys. In later versions, this was changed to a girl named Jill. Jack and Jill was used as a generic term to indicate a boy and girl. This is also seen in the common proverb - "Every Jack must have his Jill."
"Jack and Jill went up the hill
To fetch a pail of water;
Jack fell down and broke his crown
And Jill came tumbling after."
7. Peter Piper
Answer: Pickled peppers
"Peter Piper" is a well-known tongue twister. The repetition of similar words and sounds makes it difficult to rattle off the rhyme without stumbling over the lines. The rhyme was included in John Harris' 19th century publication - "Peter Piper's Practical Principles of Plain and Perfect Pronunciation". The book had one tongue twister for each letter of the alphabet.
"Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.
If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers,
How many pickled peppers did Peter Piper pick
if he picked a peck of pickled peppers?"
8. Little Poll Parrot
Answer: Toast and tea
The style of this rhyme is similar to other more popular ones like "Little Miss Muffet" and "Little Jack Horner". The first known written reference is in a collection published in the mid-19th century by James Orchard Halliwell, an English collector of nursery rhymes and fairy tales.
"Little Poll Parrot
Sat in his garret
Eating toast and tea;
A little brown mouse
Jumped into the house,
And stole it all away."
9. Betty Botter
Answer: Butter
"Betty Botter" was written by American author Carolyn Wells and published in her book "The Jingle Book" in 1899. It was originally titled "The Butter Betty Bought" and is popular as a tongue twister.
"Betty Botter bought some butter
But she said the butter's bitter,
'If I put it in my batter
It will make my batter bitter,
But a bit of better butter
Will make my batter better.'"
10. Little Tommy Tucker
Answer: Bread and butter
This rhyme is believed to have originated in the 18th century. To sing for one's supper is an idiom meaning to work for pay. The phrase's origins lie in the wandering minstrels who sang and performed to earn money.
"Little Tommy Tucker
Sings for his supper.
What shall we give him?
White bread and butter.
How shall he cut it
Without a knife?
How will he be married
Without a wife?"
This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor looney_tunes before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.
