Many thanks. Fascinating stuff all. The union / bathing suit verse is the only on new to me, and is I think American. There is also in a US version I saw Miss McClearie, sitting on a dromedary, eating chocolate babies, and a couple of other verses of the like. Jeannie Robertson's verse turns up a lot in Scotland, as do the 'Dublin' ones. There is also 1 2 3 Gibraltar, my boyfriend's name is Walter - dictionary and 1 2 3, aleerie, hold my top till I spin my peerie Oh, I canny spin my peerie, wish I was a lauddie And various verses for specific ball-bouncing actions. What tune/s was/were used in the US? In Scotland it is a Scots port a bheil Say o alo alachian (phonetic spelling) A tune also used for Hirum ho for Donald Don With all his tanterwallops on. The Piers Plowright reference is to 'sturdy beggers holding their legs alerie', ie ablebodied men pretending their legs are bent - as one bends one leg while lifting it to bounce the ball beneath. There was even a 1960s UK pop hit version sung by either Val Donnican or Matt Munro (I have a copy of the sheet music), but I'm still keen to find what Jimmy Rushing sung.