[bk1000]

“...calling Minneapolis rioters “thugs” in a tweet, despite the word’s obvious bigoted history...”

Huh? A thug has always been a tough n’er do well, or violent criminal. In comics and movies back in the day they were white. Never was a racial thing until recently when blacks decided it was cool to live the “thug life”. Ernie meanie money mow, catch a tiger by the toe. That’s the way I was taught...in the South in the 60’s. Perhaps the author heard it another way. I don’t hang with blacks, but wish them no harm. Keep this daily nonsense up and I may have to reconsider my position.

[bk1000]

“ Ernie meanie money mow, ”

Jeez phone, stop helping!

[Fiji Hill]

Ernie meanie money mow, catch a tiger by the toe. That’s the way I was taught...in the South in the 60’s.

Chester Hines' novel If He Hollers, Let Him Go (New York: Doubleday, 1945) is about life in the black community in Los Angeles. The title refers to a version of the nursery rhyme in which the subject is something other than a big cat.

[rightwingintelligentsia]

I was raised hearing the “tiger” version of the rhyme as we.

But the other night I was watching a 1930s film on YouTube and heard someone using the offensive version, very casually. Had to say I was shocked.

[hanamizu]

“Ennie meeni miney moe, catch a tiger by the toe...That’s the way I was taught...in the South in the 60’s.

---

I find this fascinating. In SoCal in the early 50s, we learned a slightly different counting rhyme, the original. The next line was, “...if he hollers, make him pay fifty dollars every day” which makes no sense at all if one is dealing with a tiger.

Anyway, in just 10 or so years, the children’s rhyme had been so successfully changed, that you, growing up in the South learned the tiger version. Kindergarten teachers changed the culture!

I’ve read that the original, which is quite old, was referring to runaway slaves being caught and having to buy their freedom.