Children can be bullies, and childhood taunts are often cruel and unkind. Here are a few I remember hearing back in the 1950s:
Fatty, Fatty, two by four,
Can't get through the kitchen door.
Here comes the bride
Short, fat, and wide.
Can't get through the church door
She'll have to stay outside.
Happy birthday to you
You live in a zoo
You stink like a monkey
And you look line one too.
That last one was particularly popular in 4th- and 5th-grade during recess.
Mrs. Rhymeswithplague (the lovely Ellie) remembers choosing team members or "It" during playground games by saying "Ink, skink, sky blue, all out but you." In my part of the world (Texas) we were more crass:
Eeny, meany, miney, moe
Catch a [n-word] by the toe
If he hollers, let him go
Eeny, meany, miney, moe
After my time, the vile n-word was replaced by 'tiger' and God was in His heaven, all was right with the world.
Not.
My theory and observation is that childhood bullies left unconfronted and uncorrected grow up to be adult bullies.
My parents taught me that sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me.
With all due respect, I think they were wrong.
Before endinng this post I want to wish all mothers everywhere a Happy Mother's Day even if it is not Mother's Day where you are, and I also want to tell you that tomorrow, May 12th, is the 119th anniversary of my dad's birth in 1906. Unfortunately, he died in 1967.
The effect of nasty words lasts much longer than a pinch or kick or hair pull. Now, people can continue to bully through their iPhones, tablets, pcs. Things have not improved, and bullies will continue to bully.
ReplyDeleteTechnological advances only make it easier for bad people to spread their venom, it seems. Thank you, Janice.
DeleteWords certainly can hurt and they cause more lasting damage than sticks and stones. I am sad to see that bullies are the norm now.
ReplyDeleteAnd social media helps it not just spread but become acceptable. Thank you, Emma.
DeleteBy the way for us it was:
ReplyDeleteFatty Fatty two by four
Couldn't get through the bathroom door
So he did it on the floor
Fatty Fatty two by four.
I think I heard that too as it is not unfamiliar to me. Thank you, Emma.
DeleteI remember a mean boy in our neighborhood who would make up unkind names for me: "Ellie with the big fat belly." or "Ellen the elephant." You are right about the meanness on social media these days. And our awful leader is leading the mean pack... Ugh!
ReplyDeleteI do not understand people who take pleasure in demeaning others or humiliating others. Haven’t we been told on highest authority to do unto others as we would have them do unto us? Yes, we have. People who ignore that dictum and indulge their worst instincts do so at their peril. Thank you, Ellen.
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