Talk:Hickory Dickory Dock

Richard Cromwell

Could someone link or at least mention the source of this rhyme to Richard Cromwell? Thank you — Preceding unsigned comment added by 185.182.71.135 (talk) 12:25, 14 March 2018 (UTC)

Limerick

Isn't this rhyme a limerick? The meter certainly matches. Meeve 09:17, 13 January 2007 (UTC)

WHO is the Author

Any one knows the author of "hickory dickory dock" nursery rhymes —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 203.78.217.176 (talk) 06:50, 14 May 2007 (UTC).

Exeter clock.

I've been to Exeter, England, and the old clock in the Exeter town square was claimed to be the original Hickory Dickory dock clock (I think it said it next to the clock). Does anyone have proof of this, at least the claim of it? I have a picture of the clock, but not the plaque or anything. -IG-64 08:10, 7 November 2007 (UTC)

Two different melodies??

I always knew this song as having the following melody:

E-F-G-F-E-D-E

E-E-G-F-D-E

E-E-E-G

G-F-F-A

G-A-G-F-E-D-C

What is the other melody?? Georgia guy (talk) 23:58, 11 August 2009 (UTC)

The Delacorte Clock at the Central Park Zoo in New York, plays this tune (except, if memory serves, that there is a C instead of an E at the end of the first line. (Not sure if it has the tune in C. Whatever the key, it would be the tonic note.)) Kostaki mou (talk) 17:24, 11 September 2020 (UTC)

A Leeds, West Yorkshire, England 4th line rhyming variant

"And down the mouse run", except we pronounce the "and" more like a brief "un". See line here: http://www.archive.org/stream/mothergooseschim00philiala#page/26/mode/2up 14 November 2009 —Preceding unsigned comment added by 89.241.242.215 (talk) 14:29, 14 November 2009 (UTC)

Added and sourced. Thanks. --McGeddon (talk) 14:36, 14 November 2009 (UTC)

Yep, it looks good. Obviously there is a limit to the number of these we can have at some point.--SabreBD (talk) 14:45, 14 November 2009 (UTC)

Sure. I can't imagine there are that many out there, though, for such a short rhyme, let alone many that are adequately sourced. --McGeddon (talk) 14:58, 14 November 2009 (UTC)

I doubt it, as it seems that Wikipedia has updated its website quite a bit since 2009 ~~ Unknown 8:36, 29 March 2021 — Preceding unsigned comment added by 168.10.27.156 (talk)

Semi-protected edit request on 1 November 2014

Add to Contents New lyrics: Hickory, dickory, dock. The mouse ran up the clock. The clock struck one, and down it come, Hickory, dickory, dock New meaning: The mouse in this version represents the computer input device and the clock represents time. Mindy Scott is currently writing The New Babel as a free e-book called “Suddenly in Sanity” on the MINDOLOGY LIVE web site (WWW.MINDOLOGY.US). In it she suggests that the entire universe was created with virtual reality technology and that a huge transformation for the better is about to occur. The words “and down it come” refer to the lies and misinformation we have been living with for the past 44 years. Mindy Scott (talk) 13:22, 1 November 2014 (UTC) Mindy Scott

Not done: as you have not cited reliable sources to back up your request, without which no information should be added to, or changed in, any article.
Please stop trying to promote your own, unpublished, book - Arjayay (talk) 14:19, 1 November 2014 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 2 November 2014

104.2.25.79 (talk) 00:58, 2 November 2014 (UTC)

Not done: it's not clear what changes you want to be made. Please mention the specific changes in a "change X to Y" format. The request you have made is blank. Stickee (talk) 01:14, 2 November 2014 (UTC)

The Octagon Ran Down?

I am skeptical that "the octagon ran down" and "the clock struck zero" appear in any version of the rhyme, let alone the most common modern version. Did I have a very deprived childhood, or is that something that needs to be fixed? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 165.123.239.12 (talk) 15:21, 3 November 2014 (UTC)

Its just vandalism.--SabreBD (talk) 19:40, 3 November 2014 (UTC)

Second verse/ Cromwell?

Is there any reliable evidence for a reputed second verse: "Dickory, dickory, dare, The pig flew up in the air. The man in brown, Soon brought him down, Dickory, dickory, dare" and for the reputed connection with Richard Cromwell? See, for example, this blog. Martinevans123 (talk) 14:50, 7 August 2015 (UTC)

I have never heard of this verse or its alleged connection. I will see what I can find.--SabreBD (talk) 16:20, 7 August 2015 (UTC)

So far I have traced the verse to the US in 1914 and the UK in 1858. I think it will be worth including this verse as it has been around for some time and turns up in quite a lot of modern collections. However, the earliest source I can find for the theory is Albert Jacks' Pop Goes the Weasel: The Secret Meanings of Nursery Rhymes from 2008, which is a good example of an unreliable source or less politely a pile of crap. I will have a further look and see if I can trace the earliest version of the verse and whether there is some earlier version of the theory, but if the verse is only 19thC it is a pretty unlikely connection.--SabreBD (talk) 16:43, 7 August 2015 (UTC)

That's very interesting. And I quite agree. Martinevans123 (talk) 17:51, 7 August 2015 (UTC)

I learned a variant from a 33rpm record I had as a child, circa 1963. After each "The clock rung 'x'", the recording paused long enough for a cuckoo clock to sound the appropriate number of "cuckoos". The second verse, "The clock rung two, The mouse said 'Whoo!'". The third verse, "The clock rung three, The mouse cried 'Whee!'". The fourth and final verse: "The clock rung four, And closed the door. Now the mouse can say no more! Hickory Dickory Dock!" — Preceding unsigned comment added by 73.160.151.162 (talk) 18:08, 15 December 2023 (UTC)

Andrew Dice Clay version

@Rusf10: the Andrew Dice Clay version is insignificant to this article. Verifiability is the threshold for inclusion, but it does not guarantee inclusion. This article is about the centuries-old English nursery rhyme, not every variant of it you can find on youtube. And not censored means that material should not be deleted for the sole offense of being vulgar or offensive, but that does not mean that vulgar or offensive material gets a pass on every other standard. Someguy1221 (talk) 22:19, 24 March 2019 (UTC)

Well, the reason that was being given to me until you posted here was that it was offensive to children, that's not a valid reason. nursery rhymes were a major part of Dice Clay's act and he even got banned from MTV because of them. I say that makes it notable enough to mention in the article.--Rusf10 (talk) 22:57, 24 March 2019 (UTC)

That sounds like something worth mentioning in Clay's article. I would not consider that to make it relevant to this article. Someguy1221 (talk) 00:21, 25 March 2019 (UTC)

• Do we have secondary-source coverage that meets our WP:WEIGHT requirements? –dlthewave ☎ 23:28, 24 March 2019 (UTC)

Dlthewave I checked. Short answer: No. Long answer: If we search online, we can only find examples for each individual of Clay's variations of nursery rhymes either in youtube videos or as user-submitted content. As such, I feel that each individual of these nursery rhymes is insignificant to the subject of their respective nursery rhymes. After all, if we compiled all the variations of Roses are red, Violets are blue found on the internet on its Wikipedia page, it would be the longest article on Wikipedia.

That being said, Rusf10, the subject of Clay's nursery rhymes seems notable on its own [1], as it seems to be the thing people associate most to his comedy. They all] might, therefore, merit inclusion in a separate section of Andrew Dice Clay's article, possibly in table form, with a link to that section in the See also section of this article. Emass100 (talk) 00:29, 29 March 2019 (UTC)

Slimming it down

Is it really necessary to have all the lyrics on this article when only one line changes each time? Feels like a waste of space if you ask me. 2A02:C7C:E174:2300:B568:9C89:DC32:D9DE (talk) 01:15, 2 October 2024 (UTC)