Schoolyard Taunts, Rhymes, and Songs 3 Quiz

Answer: Their feet

"Trick or treat/smell my feet/give me something good to eat."

At the beginning of the twentieth century, many American farm children would celebrate October 31st by knocking over their neighbors' outhouses. When confronted by angry parents or police, the children would insist that their feet be smelled, to prove that they hadn't been anywhere near a stinking outhouse. Of course, some wise kids would keep an extra pair of boots handy. Fed up with this autumn shenanigans, local churches and schools began handing out candy to kids so they wouldn't go out and cause trouble, and trick or treating was born.

Answer: egg

This odd expression dates from 1880, when Spanish inventor Antonio Zaragoza y Moniz invented a railroad engine that ran on sulphur, of all things. While it was a bit more efficient than the coal powered trains, the reeking sulphur stank like anything. Engineers soon dubbed the train 'El huevo pudrido', or 'the rotten egg'. Brakemen would often race to claim their train assignments early, the last ones to sign in getting stuck on the rotten egg.

The train only ran from 1880-1882 between Madrid and Barcelona, until it derailed and was not recovered.

Answer: They may not speak again until someone says their name.

This odd concept dates from the days of the Crusades, when the Knights Templar swore unbreakable vows of secrecy. If two men spoke the same words at once, the knights took it as a sign that they were being too verbose, and would not speak again for the rest of the day.

Answer: a steamboat

"Miss Lucy had a steamboat/ the steamboat had a bell/ Miss Lucy went to heaven/ the steamboat went to hell-o operator, please give me number nine/ if you should disconnect it/ I'll kick you in the...behind the refrigerator/there was a piece of glass/ Miss Lucy sat upon it/ and cut her little asssk me no more questions/tell me no more lies/ Miss Lucy's in the bathtub/ with forty naked guys!"

About a zillion versions of this exist, but they are all based on the same event. In 1903, Miss Lucy Sanderson and her lover, wrestler Steven 'Steamboat' Williams, were arrested for killing Lucy's wealthy husband. While historical evidence seems to indicate that Lucy was not only the brains behind the crime, but probably pulled the trigger herself, she managed to place the blame on Steamboat. The Kansas jury sentenced him to be hanged, while Lucy only got three months. She later moved to California and ran a brothel.

Answer: Dude

I have no idea who came up with this rumor, but they'll be happy to know it's lasted over twenty years.

Answer: A Volkswagen Beetle

Shout 'slugbug' (or punchbuggy) and sock whoever's sitting next to you. I still carry scars from playing this with my sister.

Answer: A watermelon will grow in your stomach

In the nineteenth century, people believed that watermelon caused malaria, which no doubt led to this distrustful rumor (see 'Little House on the Prairie' by Laura Ingalls Wilder for more details on this).

Answer: France

'There's a place in France where the naked ladies dance' (sometimes 'where the ladies wear no pants').

During the two world wars, farm boys from the Midwestern United States would find themselves on the wild streets of Paris. To someone who'd never been outside of Nebraska or Oklahoma, it may have seemed like the lovely French women were running around almost naked.

Answer: Marco Polo

Famed Italian explorer would keep in contact with his men by shouting out his first name. His fellow explorers would answer with his last name.

Answer: I barbecued her head!

'Joy to the world, the teacher's dead/ I barbecued her head!'

Thanks for playing. I hope you enjoyed learning about the Knight Templar, the prototype Sulphur engine, the Steamboat murders, and all the rest. Of course I made all that stuff up, it never happened, but still, it's interesting, isn't it?