Stella Ella Ola

"Stella Ella Ola" (Stella Stella Ola), also known as "Quack Dilly Oso", is a clapping game where players stand or sit in a circle placing one hand over their neighbour's closer hand and sing the song. On every beat, a person claps their higher hand onto the touching person's palm. The cycle continues until the song ends at which point if the person's hand is slapped, they are considered "out" and must stand or sit in the center of the circle, or leave the circle and watch this from the edges.

Lyrics

Stella Ella Ola,
Clap, clap, clap
Singing es, chico, chico
Chico, chico, clap, clap
Es chico, chico
Bologna, bologna
Cheese and macaroni
So 1, 2, 3, 4, 5!

Another common version is:

Stella Ella Ola,
Clap, clap, clap
Singing es, chico, chico
Chico, chico, clap, clap
Say es chico, chico
Aloha, Aloha
The toilet's overflowing
Say a 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10!

Yet another common version is:

Stella Ella Ola,
Clap, clap, clap
Taiga yes, taiga no, taiga taiga taiga!
Baloney, baloney
Cheesy macaroni
Fire 1, 2, 3, 4, 5!

A common variant of Stella Ella Ola, Quack Dilly Oso, follows the same game rules:

Quack dilly oso,
Quack quack quack
Señorita,
rita rita rita,
flora, flora,
flora flora flora,
1, 2, 3, 4!

This is another, but very different,

Quack diddly ack,
goes quack, quack, quack,
senorita Rita Rita Rita,
galore galore,
I threw up on the kitchen floor,
1, 2, 3, 4!

Canadian regional versions

Newfoundland, Canada (versions differ):

Stella Ella Ola
Clap, clap, clap
Singin' S tiga, tiga
Tiga, tiga, chat, chat (shat, shat)
S tiga, tiga
Belowa, belowa
The toilet's overflowing
1, 2, 3, 4, 5!

Oakville, Canada:

Stella Ella Ola,
Clap, clap, clap
Say yes, chico, chico
Chico, chico, chap
Say yes, chico, chico
Below, below
The toilet overflows!
Say 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10!

Burlington, Canada (versions differ):

Stella Ella Ola,
Clap, clap, clap
Say yes, chico, chico
Chico, chico, monkey-clap
Say yes, chico, chico
Blow, blow,
Blow your dirty nose!
Say 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10!

Northern Ontario, Canada:

Stella, Ella, Ola
Clap, clap, clap
Singing es Tigo, Tigo
Tigo, tigo, tap, tap
Es tigo, tigo
Blow, blow
Blow your dirty nose,
Singing 1, 2, 3, 4, 5!

Saskatchewan, Canada:

Stella Ella Ola,
Clap, clap, clap
Singing es, chico, chico
Chico, chico, clap
I said hello, hello
I want to blow your nose
Fire 1, 2, 3, 4!

Hamilton, Ontario (versions differ):

Stella Ella Ola,
Clap, clap, clap
Singing es, Chico, Chico
Chico, Chico, chum
Say yes, Chico, Chico
Blow, blow,
Blow your dirty nose
Say 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10!

Alberta, Canada (versions differ):

Stella Ella Ola,
Clap, clap, clap
Singing es, chico, chico
Chico, chico, cracker jacker
Es chico, chico
Baloney, baloney
With cheese and macaroni
Singin' 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10!

Calgary|Alberta, Canada (versions differ):

Stella Ella Ola,
tap, tap, tap
Singing es, tigo, tigo
Tigo, Tigo, tap, tap
Es Tigo, Tigo
Baloney, baloney
cheese and macaroni
1, 2, 3, 4, 5!

Toronto, Ontario (versions differ):

Stella Ella Ola,
Quack, quack, quack
Say yes, chico, chico
Chico, chico, quack
Say yes, chico, chico,
Below, below,
The toilet overflows
Say 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10!

Elmira, Ontario (versions do not differ):

Stella Ella Ola,
Chop, chop, chop
Singin’ es, teego, teego
Teego, teego, chop, chop
Es teego, teego
Blow, blow
The toilet overflowed
Singin’ 1, 2, 3, 4, 5!

London, Ontario (versions differ):

Stella Ella Ola,
Clap, clap, clap
Say' es, Chico, Chico
Chico, Chico, chap, chap
Es, Chico, Chico
Blow, blow
Blow your nose with cheerios!
1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10!

Vancouver, British Columbia (versions differ):

Stella, Stella, Ola
Clap, clap, clap
Singing yes, chica, chica
Chica Chica, cha
Singing yes, chica, chica
bologna, bologna,
with cheesey macaroni
Fire 1, 2, 3, 4, 5!

Winnipeg, Manitoba:

Stella Ella Ola
Clap, clap, clap
Singing es, chico, chico
Chiko, chico, clap, clap
Es chico, chico
Flow, flow
Flow, flow, flow
So, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5!

Winnipeg Beach, Manitoba:

Stella Ella Ola
Crah, crah, crah, crah
Singing es, chico, chico
Chiko, chico, chack chack
Es chico, chico
Valoh, Valoh,
Valohvahlohvalohvah
1, 2, 3, 4, 5!

Prince Edward Island, Canada:

Stella Ella Ola
Clap, clap, clap
Sayin' yes, chiga chiga
Chiga chiga, chap
Sayin' yes, chiga chiga
Flow, flow
Flow, flow, flow
Sayin' 1, 2, 3, 4, 5!

New Brunswick, Canada:

Stella Ella Ola
Clap, clap, clap
Sayin' yes, chico chico
Chico chico, chap
Say yes, chico chico
Aloa, aloa
The toilet overflows!
Sayin' 1, 2, 3, 4, 5!

Northwest Territories, Canada:

Stella Ella Ola
Clap, clap, clap
Sayin' S, tiga tiga
Tiga tiga, clap, clap
Baloney, baloney
Cheese and macaroni
Sayin' 1, 2, 3, 4, 5!

Saskatoon, Saskatchewan:

Stella Ella Ola,
Clap, clap, clap
Say yes, chico, chico
Chico, chico, chap
Say yes, chico chico,
Aloa, aloa, aloa-loa-loa!
Say 1, 2, 3, 4, 5!

Ottawa, Ontario:

Stella Ella Ola,
Clap, clap, clap
Say yes, chico, chico
Chico, chico, chaw
Say yes, chico chico,
My love, my love, my love my love my love!
Say 1, 2, 3, 4, 5!

Oshawa, Canada:

Stella Ella Ola,
Clap, clap, clap
Sayin' es, chico, chico
Chico, chico, chap chap
Es, chico, chico
Blow, blow
Blow your nose!
So 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10!

Orleans, Ontario (versions differ):

Stella Ella Ola
Clap, clap, clap
Say yes Chico Chico
Chico, Chico, Chop,
Say yes Chico Chico
Malo-o, Malo-o,
malo, malo malo
Say 1, 2, 3, 4, 5!

American regional versions

Stella Ella ola
Flapjack flapjack
Es chiga chiga
Chiga chiga flapjack
Go slow go slow go slow
1, 2, 3, 4…

Stella Ella ola
Clap clap clap
Saying death to the old ones
Tiga tiga shack shack
Death to the old ones
Valo valo valo valo valo va
1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Stella Ella ola
Clap clap clap
Saying es tiga tiga
Tiga tiga shack shack
Es tiga tiga
Valo valo valo valo valo va
1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Slap dilly oh so,
Slap slap slap
San sandorica
Rica rica rica,
Delores, delor's delor lor lor lor
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, ....

Croc a dilly oh my,
Croc Croc Croc
Say cinco cinco
Cinco Cinco Sacka Lacka
Fall-ow Fall-ow
Stick your head in jello
Your face is turning yellow
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, …

Pass it to my old man
Pass pass pass
I said it to my chica
Chica chica cha
Melon melon melon melon melon
5,4,3,2,1

Quack diddly ack dack
Quack Quack Quack
Singin'santa Rica
Rica Rica Rica
Flores Flores
Flores Flores Flores
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

Quack a dilly oma
Quack Quack Quack
Hey Chico Chico,
Chico Chico chat
Say hello hello
Stick your butt in yellow jello
1, 2, 3, 4...

Washington State/West Coast

Quack diddly oso
Quack Quack Quack
Singin' Samorico,
Rico Rico Rico
Flora Flora,
Flora Flora Flora,
1, 2, 3, 4

Quack a dilla oma,
Quack Quack Quack,
Sing and Say
Chico Chico,
Chico Chico Cha,
Follow Follow,
Follow Follow Follow Follah,
1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Western New York State

Quack a dilly oh my,
Quack Quack Quack,
Dancing Katrina,
Trickle trickle track,
Fellow fellow,
Stick your head in jello,
J-E-L-L-O

Stella Ella Ola,
Clap, clap, clap
Es, chica, chica
Chica, chica, flapjack
Go! Slow!
Go slow, go slow
1, 2, 3, 4!

Variations

Two players

• Players slap both hands up and down. In some variations, they continue to alternate until the final count, where the person whose hands are on the bottom is out.
• Players grab each other's right hand just by the fingers and then hold their left hands out to the side. They move their linked right hands from side to side, hitting a left hand on each count. If that child swings her or his hand away on the last count, the other loses.
• Players hold hands and on the last count, they try to pull the other person over a line.
• Players hold hands, with one players arms crossed, and swing their hands side to side so that the player with crossed arms changes. Whoever ends with their arms crossed (or doesn't, depending on where you are) wins. Sometimes you are allowed to pull each other's arms crossed at the end to see who wins.

Three players

• In one three-player version, one player will turn around and the other two players will hold hands and alternate positions. At the end, the person who is turned around will say either top or bottom. The hand who is in that position is champ.
• In another, which can be played with as many people as players wish, but has a minimum of three players, all participants sit in a circle. Their right hand rests on top of the left hand of the player on their right. One person starts, by lifting their right hand, and slapping the right hand of the player on their left. At the end, the person who has the last slap will either slap the hand of the person beside them, or that person will yank their hand away, causing the slapper to hit their own hand. The player that is hit is then out. If no one is hit, the player who was slapping is out.

Appearances in other media

• The lyrics sung in the game make an appearance in track 10 of Børns' album Blue Madonna "Supernatural".
• The game also makes an appearance in season 6 episode 3 of the CBC show Mr. D.
• A variant was sung on Sesame Street to demonstrate the letter Q.
• The game was played on an episode of Zoom (1999 TV series).

References

• "Stella Ella Ola".