42:
181:
207:
The term "a-loffeing", they believe, was
Shakespearean, suggesting that the rhyme is considerably older than the first printed versions. They then speculated that if this were true, it might have a folklore meaning and pointed to the connection between shoes and fertility, perhaps exemplified by
41:
215:
Debates over the meaning of the rhyme have largely revolved around matching the old woman with historical figures, as Peter Opie observed "for little reason other than the size of their families". Candidates include Queen
99:
number of 19132. Debates over its meaning and origin have largely centered on attempts to match the old woman with historical female figures who have had large families, although King
343:
Gammer Gurton's garland, or, The nursery
Parnassus: a choice collection of pretty songs and verses for the amusement of all little good children who can neither read nor run
266:
refers to the political office of that name – the MP whose role is to ensure that members of his party vote according to the party line – and the bed is the
254:
Albert Jack has proposed a political origin for the rhyme. George II was nicknamed the "old woman", because it was widely believed that Queen
Caroline was the real
208:
casting a shoe after a bride as she leaves for her honeymoon, or tying shoes to the departing couple's car. Archaeologist Ralph
Merifield has pointed out that in
484:
239:
Irish folklorist Tomás MacCormaic suggests that the rhyme is a celebration of the Land
Goddess (Mother Nature) and is a play on the Old Irish word '
270:, which MPs were required to attend daily. The phrase "gave them some broth without any bread" may refer to George's parsimony in the wake of the
147:
Many other variations were printed in the 18th and 19th centuries. Marjorie
Ainsworth Decker published a Christian version of the rhyme in her
446:
428:
408:
479:
499:
419:
267:
469:
509:
504:
489:
474:
221:
133:
100:
225:
514:
464:
228:, who had six children of her own and ten stepchildren. Some evidence suggests the rhyme refers to the wife of
212:
it was the custom for females who wished to conceive to try on the shoes of a woman who had just given birth.
255:
17:
259:
233:
96:
494:
217:
188:
442:
424:
404:
367:
365:
363:
271:
229:
290:
The idea that George II was dominated by his queen is expressed in this contemporary verse:
263:
458:
128:
92:
59:
47:
51:
236:, Russia, who reportedly birthed 69 children during her lifetime (1707–c.1782).
180:
209:
75:
274:
of 1721, and his attempts to restore his own and the country's finances.
243:', which translates as 'Fairy House'. The Irish word for Fairies is '
179:
325:
323:
321:
319:
103:(1683–1760) has also been proposed as the rhyme's subject.
401:
Pop Goes the Weasel: The Secret
Meanings of Nursery Rhymes
258:. According to this explanation, the children are the
202:
And when she came back, she found 'em all a-loffeing.
118:
She had so many children, she didn't know what to do.
200:
Then out went th' old woman to bespeak 'em a coffin,
122:Then whipped them all soundly and put them to bed.
73:
65:
58:
34:
142:She whipp'd all their bums, and sent them to bed.
197:
153:
139:
113:
262:(MPs) that George was unable to control, the
8:
374:, There Was an Old Woman who Lived in a Shoe
35:"There Was an Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe"
120:She gave them some broth without any bread;
116:There was an old woman who lived in a shoe.
89:There Was an Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe
40:
31:
18:There was an Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe
441:(2nd ed.), Oxford University Press,
251:' translates as both 'House' and 'Shoe'.
224:(1683–1760), who had eight children, and
111:The most common version of the rhyme is:
383:
354:
329:
195:in 1797, which finished with the lines:
439:The Oxford Dictionary of Nursery Rhymes
315:
283:
57:
7:
371:
191:pointed to the version published in
420:The Archaeology of Ritual and Magic
345:(1784, rpt., Glasgow, 1866), p. 27.
137:in 1784 has the coarser last line:
25:
298:We all know it is Queen Caroline
164:She said, "Thank you Lord Jesus,
127:The earliest printed version in
91:" is a popular English language
149:The Christian Mother Goose Book
27:English language nursery rhyme
1:
294:You may strut, dapper George,
485:Traditional children's songs
226:Elizabeth Vergoose of Boston
437:Opie, I.; Opie, P. (1997),
168:Then kissed them all gladly
531:
500:George II of Great Britain
160:She had so many children,
50:, from a 1901 edition of
39:
480:English children's songs
417:Merridew, Ralph (1987),
166:For sending them bread."
162:And loved them all, too.
296:But it will be in vain;
256:power behind the throne
134:Gammer Gurton's Garland
470:English nursery rhymes
355:Opie & Opie (1997)
330:Opie & Opie (1997)
205:
185:
173:
170:and sent them to bed.
156:There was an old woman
145:
125:
510:Quotations from music
399:Jack, Albert (2008),
260:Members of Parliament
183:
505:Songs about children
158:Who lived in a shoe,
97:Roud Folk Song Index
300:Not you that reign.
220:, the wife of King
189:Iona and Peter Opie
176:Origins and meaning
151:published in 1978:
490:Songwriter unknown
475:English folk songs
403:(ebook), Penguin,
186:
184:Folding card, 1883
448:978-0-19-860088-6
430:978-0-7134-4870-2
410:978-0-14-190930-1
357:, pp. 522–24
193:Infant Institutes
85:
84:
16:(Redirected from
522:
515:1790s quotations
465:English folklore
451:
433:
413:
387:
381:
375:
369:
358:
352:
346:
339:
333:
332:, pp. 522–4
327:
304:
301:
288:
272:South Sea Bubble
268:House of Commons
230:Feodor Vassilyev
78:
46:Illustration by
44:
32:
21:
530:
529:
525:
524:
523:
521:
520:
519:
455:
454:
449:
436:
431:
416:
411:
398:
395:
390:
384:Merridew (1987)
382:
378:
370:
361:
353:
349:
340:
336:
328:
317:
313:
308:
307:
303:
299:
297:
295:
293:
289:
285:
280:
204:
201:
178:
172:
169:
167:
165:
163:
161:
159:
157:
144:
124:
121:
119:
117:
109:
74:
54:
28:
23:
22:
15:
12:
11:
5:
528:
526:
518:
517:
512:
507:
502:
497:
492:
487:
482:
477:
472:
467:
457:
456:
453:
452:
447:
434:
429:
414:
409:
394:
391:
389:
388:
376:
359:
347:
334:
314:
312:
309:
306:
305:
291:
282:
281:
279:
276:
198:
177:
174:
154:
140:
114:
108:
105:
83:
82:
79:
71:
70:
67:
63:
62:
56:
55:
45:
37:
36:
26:
24:
14:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
527:
516:
513:
511:
508:
506:
503:
501:
498:
496:
493:
491:
488:
486:
483:
481:
478:
476:
473:
471:
468:
466:
463:
462:
460:
450:
444:
440:
435:
432:
426:
422:
421:
415:
412:
406:
402:
397:
396:
392:
386:, p. 134
385:
380:
377:
373:
368:
366:
364:
360:
356:
351:
348:
344:
338:
335:
331:
326:
324:
322:
320:
316:
310:
302:
287:
284:
277:
275:
273:
269:
265:
261:
257:
252:
250:
246:
242:
237:
235:
231:
227:
223:
219:
213:
211:
203:
196:
194:
190:
182:
175:
171:
152:
150:
143:
138:
136:
135:
130:
129:Joseph Ritson
123:
112:
106:
104:
102:
98:
94:
93:nursery rhyme
90:
80:
77:
76:Songwriter(s)
72:
68:
64:
61:
60:Nursery rhyme
53:
49:
48:W. W. Denslow
43:
38:
33:
30:
19:
438:
423:, Batsford,
418:
400:
379:
350:
342:
337:
292:
286:
253:
248:
244:
240:
238:
214:
206:
199:
192:
187:
155:
148:
146:
141:
132:
126:
115:
110:
88:
86:
52:Mother Goose
29:
372:Jack (2008)
341:J. Ritson,
495:1794 songs
459:Categories
311:References
247:', while '
210:Lancashire
241:Sidhbhrog
222:George II
101:George II
95:, with a
66:Published
218:Caroline
393:Sources
81:Unknown
445:
427:
407:
107:Lyrics
278:Notes
245:Sidhe
234:Shuya
443:ISBN
425:ISBN
405:ISBN
264:whip
249:Brog
69:1794
232:of
131:'s
461::
362:^
318:^
87:"
20:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
