Folklore: Listen, Listen the Cat is Pissing (poem)

Subject: RE: Folklore: Listen, Listen the Cat is Pissing (poem)
From: Joe_F
Date: 01 Mar 24 - 05:48 PM

Silence in the courtroom! The monkey wants to speak.
Whoever speaks now is the monkey for a week.
The monkey's in the courtroom, eating a mess of beans,
While ----'s on the toilet, sinking submarines.

-- remembered from California, 1940s

Subject: RE: Folklore: Listen, Listen the Cat is Pissing (poem)
From: and e
Date: 29 Feb 24 - 08:36 PM

SILENCE. To silence a man; to knock him down, or stun
him. Silence in the court, the cat is pissing; a gird upon [[phrase making fun of]]
any one requiring silence unnecessarily.

From Gross' 1811 edition of Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue. Italics and explanatory brackets mine.

Subject: RE: Folklore: Listen, Listen the Cat is Pissing (poem)
From: and e
Date: 29 Feb 24 - 08:34 PM

He [Bernard S "Joe" Bushey] taught my kids their first swear words!

    Anyone that knew my Dad knew that he had the best jokes.
Some were dirty some were not. But he sure could make you laugh!
And he taught my kids their very first swear words with this
harmless joke:

Sshh
Listen Listen, the cat's pissin, where where?
Under the chair!
Johnny Johnny get your gun!
Ah shit! He's all done!!!!

Posted by Jaime Backes on Feb. 13, 2017 to the Bernard S "Joe" Bushey obituary guestbook online here:

https://www.brownfuneralhomeinc.com/guestbook/bernard-bushey

De-expurgated and formatted for readability. Retrieved February 29, 2024.

Subject: RE: Folklore: Listen, Listen the Cat is Pissing (poem)
From: and e
Date: 29 Feb 24 - 08:32 PM

Listen, Listen...Cat Pissin'...
Where? Where? Under the Chair...
Johnny, Johnny, get the gun...
Awww....she's done.

Posted to Facebook by Frank Rungo on May 9, 2012

Link to post: https://www.facebook.com/FrankRungo/posts/pfbid02w4QeVgoRc3fuFmec1GMUPX4g6y7bqQHW4qqeCoZdaapWCEzS5Y4WDbcXvJjPpQB9l

Retrieved February 29, 2024.

Subject: RE: Folklore: Listen, Listen the Cat is Pissing (poem)
From: and e
Date: 29 Feb 24 - 08:31 PM

Listen, listen the cat's pissin!
Where? Where? Under the chair!
Get a gun! Oh, it's done!

Current Birtley, 1930s.

All the way to Pennywell: children's rhymes of the North East, by Frank Rutherford. 1971. Pg 118

Preview only:

https://www.google.com/books/edition/All_the_Way_to_Pennywell_Children_s_Rhym/YlyuAAAAIAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&bsq=%22listen+listen%22+%22where+where%22+%22pissing%22+OR+%22pissin%22&dq=%22listen+listen%22+%22where+where%22+%22pissing%22+OR+%22pissin%22&printsec=frontcover

Subject: RE: Folklore: Listen, Listen the Cat is Pissing (poem)
From: and e
Date: 29 Feb 24 - 08:30 PM

Quick, quick,
The cat's been sick.
Where? Where?
Under the chair.
Hasten, hasten,
Fetch the basin.
No. no
Fetch the po.
Kate, Kate, you're fare to late,
The carpet's in a dreadful state.

Boy, 11, London

The Lore and Language of Schoolchildren by Iona Archibald Opie. 1977. pg 39.

See online here: https://archive.org/details/lorelanguageofsc0000opie/page/38/mode/2up?q=quick%2C+quick

Subject: RE: Folklore: Listen, Listen the Cat is Pissing (poem)
From: and e
Date: 29 Feb 24 - 08:29 PM

not a song as far as I know but this was a schoolboy ditty I learned.

Quick, quick, the cats been sick.
Where? Where? Under the chair.
Fuck it, Fuck it, fetch a bucket.
All in vain, all in vain, the cat has licked it up again.
** HAND **

Posted by Mr Red to the Lyr/Chords Req: Songs about cats mudcat thread on September 1, 2006. De-expurgated.

Original post here:

https://mudcat.org/detail_pf.cfm?messages__Message_ID=543668

Subject: RE: Folklore: Listen, Listen the Cat is Pissing (poem)
From: and e
Date: 29 Feb 24 - 08:28 PM

... Quick, quick, the cat's been sick./ Where ? Where ?
Under the chair ' are not those printed on page 150. The correct
and only continuation is ' Hasten, hasten, fetch a basin, / Hurry,
hurry, I think it's curry'. He can't bear ...

Snippet only. Australian Book Review - Issues 1-27 - Page 20.

See here: https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-1-m&sca_esv=bd6b57e9623f4453&tbm=bks&q=%22quick+quick%22+cat+sick+curry&oq=%22quick+quick%22+cat+sick+curry&aqs=heirloom-srp.

Subject: Folklore: Quick, Quick the Cat's been Sick (poem)
From: and e
Date: 29 Feb 24 - 08:26 PM

'Quick, quick! The cat's being sick.'
'where? Where?'
'Under the chair.'
'Hasten, hasten! Fetch a basin.'
'Too late, too late -
'He's gone and done it in the grate!'

From A Load of Old Bones by Suzette Hill. 2011.

https://www.google.com/books/edition/A_Load_of_Old_Bones/AWPBBAAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=%22quick+quick%22+cat+sick&pg=PT164&printsec=frontcover

Subject: RE: Folklore: Listen, Listen the Cat is Pissing (poem)
From: and e
Date: 29 Feb 24 - 08:25 PM

Quick, Quick

Quick, quick
The cat's been sick
where, where?
Under the chair.
Hastin, hastin
Fetch a basin.
Too late, too late,
It's all in vain.
The cat has licked it
Up again

Anonymous

From Classic Treasury: First Poems compiled by Tig Thomas. Miles Kelly [publisher]. Unpaginated.

Youtube video which reads from the book:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WuFRy80taCw

Subject: RE: Folklore: Listen, Listen the Cat is Pissing (poem)
From: and e
Date: 29 Feb 24 - 08:24 PM

06:16 Jun 29, 2004        
English to Italian translations [Non-PRO]
Art/Literary - Music / Song/casual

English term or phrase: Cats are pissing.

I'm trying to get the words to a song that my Grandma sang in Italian.
The words to the song are: Listen! Listen! Cats are pissing. Where,
where? Under the chair. Quick Pop, get the gun. Ah, shucks! Too late.
They're all done.

Please note: The word Pop means father or dad. I would love to have
the words to this song in Italian but on-line translators gave me a
translation that made no sense. The wording must be a little tricky
because the translators/dictionaries seemed to take the words in the
wrong context. This is a very silly song that I would love to have
the words to so that I could keep my Grandmother's memory alive. If
you could translate the entire song into Italian, I would really
appreciate it. Thanks for your help.
        
Jill

[Response by lina_maria from Italy]

v.s.
Explanation:

Senti, senti!
I gatti stanno facendo la pipì.
Dove, dove?
Sotto la sedia.
Presto papà, prendi il fucile.
Ah! Dannazione!
Troppo tardi.
L'hanno fatta tutti.

Posted by Jill on June 29, 2004 to the proz.com website. Retrieved Library 28, 2024.

See here: https://www.proz.com/kudoz/english-to-italian/music/750293-cats-are-pissing.html
Text above retrieved February 28, 2024.

The poster says this was being SUNG in Italian by their grandmother.

Questions: Does anyone know this rhyme sung? Does anyone know of an Italian version or any other non-english versions?

Subject: RE: Folklore: Listen, Listen the Cat is Pissing (poem)
From: and e
Date: 29 Feb 24 - 08:20 PM

LISTEN, LISTEN, THE CAT'S PISSING.
WHERE? WHERE?
UNDER THE CHAIR.
RUN, RUN, GET YOUR GUN.
AWH SHIT, SHE'S ALL DONE.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; UNIVERSITY OF DETROIT ; DETROIT ; RESIDENCE HALLS

James Callow Keyword(s): SCATALOGICAL SLANG
Subject headings:         Ballad Song Dance Game Music Verse -- Narrative Verse
Filter - Mature Content

Date learned: 1950s AND 1960s

Text retrieved from the James Callow Folklore Archive on February 28, 2024 online here:

https://libraries.udmercy.edu/archives/special-collections/cfa/index.php?field=keyword&term=LOGIC

Subject: RE: Folklore: Listen, Listen the Cat is Pissing (poem)
From: and e
Date: 29 Feb 24 - 08:19 PM

Listen Listen
The cat is pissing
Where where
Under the stairs
Quick quick
Before it's done
Get a cloth
And wipe it's bum

Irish variant forms the title of a covid "Lockdown Podcast". Transcribed from the youtube video located here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDwKueOLfzY&t=98s

Subject: Folklore: Quick, quick the Cat's been Sick (poem)
From: and e
Date: 29 Feb 24 - 08:18 PM

Just a little Poem we thought all cat lovers would appreciate!

"Quick! quick! ..."
BY ANONYMOUS

Quick! quick!
The cat's been sick.

Where? where?
Under the chair.

Hasten! hasten!
Fetch the basin.

Alack! alack!
It is too late,
The carpet's in
An awful state.

No! no!
It's all in vain,
For she has licked it
Up again.

Posted by The Economic Veterinary Initiative
September 15, 2021 on facebook. Retrieved February 29, 2024 from

https://www.facebook.com/evicincinnati/photos/a.100378378735369/222690756504130/?type=3

Subject: RE: Folklore: Listen, Listen the Cat is Pissing (poem)
From: and e
Date: 29 Feb 24 - 08:16 PM

Listen. listen. the
cats a pissin. Where.
where. under the
chair. Quick. quick.
get a stick.

O wait he's done!

From the text of a GIF image retrieved on February 28, 2024 from here:

https://whisper.sh/whisper/051e9089a83b38529be405bfa198c0866faf09/Listen-listen-the-cats-a-pissin-Where-where-under-the-chair-Quick

.

Subject: RE: Folklore: Quick, Quick the Cat is Sick (poem)
From: and e
Date: 29 Feb 24 - 08:14 PM

Quick quick
the cat's been sick.
Where? Where?
Under the Chair.
Hasten, hasten
Fetch the basin.
Kate, Kate,
You're far too late,
The rug is in a dreadful state.

Listen! Listen.
The Cat is pissin.
Where? Where?
Under the chair.
Run! Run!
Get the gun.
Too late, she'll
soon be done.

These two examples illustrate -- perhaps inelegantly -- both the conservative retention of phrases, words, and sound, and the dynamic invention of variation....

From Dynamics of Folklore by Barre Toelken


https://www.google.com/books/edition/Dynamics_Of_Folklore/i2XgCwAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=%22listen+listen%22+%22where+where%22+%22pissing%22+OR+%22pissin%22&pg=PT61&printsec=frontcover

Subject: RE: Folklore: Listen, Listen the Cat is Pissing (poem)
From: and e
Date: 29 Feb 24 - 08:12 PM

51. LISTEN, LISTEN

Listen, listen, the cat's a-pissin'.
Where, where, under the chair.
Run, run, get the gun.---
Ain't no use, the bastard's done.

A. Recited by Mr. G.P., Reeds Spring, Missoouri, March 4, 1947. He learned it from Mr. R.W., Garber, Missouri.


B. Text from Mr. R.P., Granby, Missouri, January 8, 1948. He learned it about 1900. The powder, in line 1 is that of old-fashioned shotguns, kept in a powder horn at the hunter's belt.

Listen, listen, the cat's a-pissin' powder!
Where? Where? Under granny's chair.
Get the gun, get the gun!--
Aw, pussy's done.

C. Here's on from Mr. C.W., New York, November 7,, 1948. He got it in Wheatland, Missouri, about 1940:

Listen, listen, the cat's a-pissin'.
.....................
Run, run, get the gun.--
Shit, fart, now it's done.

D. Randolph notes that Ray Wood, in What Happened to Mother Goose (1946) p. 34, "prints a defecated version." Like Hamel's "the mobled Queen," deficated is good:

Listen, listen, the cat's a-hissin'
Where, where, under the chair.
Run, run get the gun.--
Aw, 'tain't no use, he's gone.

Note that "The cat's pissin'," is commonly used by children as a smart retort or interruption to anyone saying prefatorily, "Listen..."

Texts above from Blow the Candle Out, rhyme 51, pages 706-707.


See online here: https://www.google.com/books/edition/Blow_the_Candle_Out_c/S93LdPw2KP0C?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=%22listen+listen%22+%22where+where%22+%22pissing%22+OR+%22pissin%22&pg=PA706&printsec=frontcover

Subject: RE: Folklore: Listen, Listen the Cat is Pissing (poem)
From: and e
Date: 29 Feb 24 - 08:11 PM

Listen listen
the cat's a pissin'
where where
under the chair
where's the chair
in the barn
where's the barn
in the grass
where's the grass
up your
ask me no questions
and i'll tell you no lies
if you ever get hit
with a bucket of shit
be sure to close your eyes.

Posted by GUEST,Anje on February 2, 2009 to the Naughty kids' greatest hits II thread.   De-expurgated.

See original post here:

https://mudcat.org/detail_pf.cfm?messages__Message_ID=2555038

Subject: RE: Folklore: Listen, Listen the Cat is Pissing (poem)
From: and e
Date: 29 Feb 24 - 08:09 PM

[The sound of someone saying "Shhh, shhh"]

Girl: Listed, listen.
Boy: About what?
Girl: Cat's pissing
Boy: Where? Where?
Girl: Behind the chair
Boy: Where's the chair?
Girl: On the grass.
Boy: Where's the grass?
Girl: Up your aaaaaaaah!

Two Australian children about 5 or 6.

Text transcribed from this youtube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QlCSI7Ti6g8

Subject: RE: Folklore: Listen, Listen the Cat is Pissing (poem)
From: and e
Date: 29 Feb 24 - 08:08 PM

This's something my grandpa used to tell me:

Listen, listen
The cat's pissing
Where? Where?
Under the chair
Run, run
Get the gun
Awwwww
He's done

Transcribed from this youtube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tF1j1ViDoog

Subject: Folklore: Listen, Listen the Cat is Pissing (poem)
From: and e
Date: 29 Feb 24 - 08:07 PM

Below is a scatological poem "Listen Listen the Cat is Pissing" / "Quick Quick the Cat is Sick".

Listen, listen
Cats are pissing
Where? Where?
Under the chair
Run, run
Get the gun
Oh shucks
He's all done.

Transcribed from the field recording recorded November 10, 2005 as recited by Patrice G.

Recording available online here:

https://archive.org/download/jack_horntip_collection_field_recordings/0372%20Listen%2C%20Listen%20Cats%20Are%20Pissing%20%5BRecitation%5D.mp3