Bawdy Ballads and Chants

Subject: Bawdy Ballads and Chants
From: ChrisJBrady
Date: 04 Jan 12 - 10:32 AM

Relieving the boredom on a recent train journey a crowd of rugby players were chanting a 'kids' game which was actually quite funny. I've tried to find it on Google but it appears that it may not have been documented. In the below "xyz" is a specific part of male anatomy which also has a male farmyard bird connotation.

The chant goes with everyone doing a clap / clap / click right fingers / click left fingers / clap / clap / etc., etc., repeatedly ...

The game cycles round the alphabet starting at the letter 'a'. Whenever anyone makes a mistake, e.g. at say 'e', the game stops, that person drops out, and the next person starts from that letter.

A typical round would be:

Clap = A miniature - chanted by all
Clap = "xyz" - chanted by all
Right click = is a 'apple' - chanted by first person
Left click = "xyz" - chanted by same person

Clap = A miniature - chanted by all
Clap = "xyz" - chanted by all
Right click = is a 'brown' - chanted by next person
Left click = "xyz" - chanted by same person

Clap = A miniature - chanted by all
Clap = "xyz" - chanted by all
Right click = is a 'cold' - chanted next person
Left click = "xyz" - chanted by same person

etc.

The example words 'apple' 'brown' and 'cold' start with a, b, c - other words could be used.

The first person to make a mistake, usually missing out the next letter in the alphabet, or maybe using a nonsense word, loses his/her turn.

The game starts from the next person with the letter that the mistake was made on.

Typically the game goes like:

All: A miniature "xyz" is a
First person: 'apple' "xyz"

All: A miniature "xyz" is a
Next person: 'brown' "xyz"

All: A miniature "xyz" is a
Next person: 'cold' "xyz"

All: A miniature "xyz" is a
Next person: 'dog' "xyz"

All: A miniature "xyz" is a
Next person: 'frozen' "xyz" - woops 'e' was missed out. This person loses and drops out. The game starts with the next person with 'e'.

The winner is the one still in the game after evryone lese has droped out.

Has this been collected anywhere? I have heard that it is a children's game but - of course - with cleaner words!!

Subject: RE: Bawdy Ballads and Chants
From: Ged Fox
Date: 04 Jan 12 - 02:06 PM

"The minister's cat is a ..."
I think there is a scene in "Muppets' Christmas Carol" where they are playing it.

Subject: RE: Bawdy Ballads and Chants
From: Ged Fox
Date: 04 Jan 12 - 04:07 PM

or "Scrooge," before anyone else corrects me.

Plenty of references available via Google.

Subject: RE: Bawdy Ballads and Chants
From: GUEST,Suibhne Astray
Date: 04 Jan 12 - 04:35 PM

Could a miniature cock be a Mondegreen of the minister's cock? Folk Process? For sure, I've heard kids chanting Mrs Cat in a similar game; cumulative, non-alphabetical.

Subject: RE: Bawdy Ballads and Chants
From: Geoff the Duck
Date: 05 Jan 12 - 03:54 AM

Google brings up dozens of hits for "The minister's cat is a", including descriptions of the game and also the Scrooge clip on Youtube.
Quack!
GtD.

Subject: RE: Bawdy Ballads and Chants
From: GUEST,Suibhne Astray
Date: 05 Jan 12 - 04:14 AM

Seeing it's still Christmas (old Christmas Eve indeed!) let's have a link to that, shall we?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-Nh7tXEX00

Subject: RE: Bawdy Ballads and Chants
From: ChrisJBrady
Date: 05 Jan 12 - 08:40 PM

Great clip - thank you. And thanks for the references. I see by Google that the clean(er) version is recommended for kids. The Rugby players didn't have the same costumes as in the clip, but did have commensurate enthusiasm - the sexually explicit words might have something to do with it, and the beer being consumed by the six-pack load.