I've wonder if there's any connection between Gigalo and this English folk song:


GENTLY JOHNNY MY JINGALO

I put my hand all in her own
Fair maid is a lily oh
She said, "If you love me alone
Come to me quietly
Do me no injury
Gently, Johnny, my Jingalo"

I said, "You know I love you, dear"
Fair...
She whispered softly in my ear
Come...

I placed my arm around her waist
She laughed and turned away her face

I kissed her lips like roses red
She blushed, then tenderly she said
I slipped a ring all in her hand
She said, "The parson's near at hand"

I took her to the church next day
The birds did sing and she did say

See also AROVIN
@courtship
rewritten by Cecil Sharp, who objected to the original anatomical
progression. Printed in Cole
http://www.mudcat.org/@displaysong.cfm?SongID=2203

**

I remember reading-on Mudcat?-that the word "Jingalo" was a referent for "Gypsy". Do I remember correctly?

Could "Jingalo" be the source of the word "Jackalo"? Could it also be possible that some American child heard the English children's handclap rhyme that originally came from the "Gentle Johnnie, My Jingalo" song, and, through a further use of folk etymology, changed "Jackolo" to the more familiar word "jigalo"/"gigalo"?

I suppose anything is possible. But this seems to me to be a reasonable explanation of how this rhyme/cheer could have been created.

Of course, that doesn't mean that this is how it happened. I'm open to any other opinions about the meaning of Jackalo, Jingalo, Jigalo {Gigalo}, and how this rhyme/cheer was created.