Help about a child song

Question

Hello Can anybody help me about the song "This Old Man (Knick-Knack, Patty-Whack)" What is "Knick-Knack, Patty-Whack"? Can anybody explain to me?

Ahava_yin · Accepted Answer

Hi, this won't be much help. I just found Knick-Knack means "A small ornamental article; a trinket". Hope to hear other explaination. Thanks.

Hoca · Answer

Thanks a lot. I know this explanation but this is not enough for me. When the children ask "Sir what do these words mean?" I will have difficulty to expain...

Nona the brit · Answer

Sang it as a child and haven't a clue. The usual version is nick-nack-paddy-wack.

Although, now I'm thinking about it, perhaps it is meant to be an onomatopoeic phrase for drumming. Just a guess from the verses, playing nick-nack-paddy-wack on things, I can imagine tapping out that ryhthmn.

Perhaps it's some obscure dialect/slang from long ago. And of course 'nick' is slang for police station, jail, or getting arrested, which also seems to fit with the theme of an old man rolling (drunk?) home.

I don't know if this true for other countries, but British nursery rhymes can be a bit twisted when you know the background to them, often having a dark side. Quite often used to take the sting out of scary contemporary events or even to make political comment in a safe way.

Soxmonkies · Answer

Nick British slang term for police--already stated, but i'll be glad to clearify "Paddy-Whack" "Paddy" was a derogatory slang term for an Irishmen back in the 1860's Whack is obvious enough if your into mafia flicks. The "Old Man Rolling Home". Rolled back to heaven. It's just like every other nursery rhym it's lost it's true meaning over time, let we not forget enni mini minie moe catch a tiger by the toe. Change the t in tiger with a -- well you get the point. Oh for clarification of "Give a dog a bone" look up "No corpus delicti".

Lil~jess · Answer

DUDE ITS A KIDS SONG! DO U RLY NEED TO XPLAIN IT THRU! JST LET THEM FINK WOT DAY WANT! AND IF THEY ASJ U SUMAT U DOW NO ADMITT U DONT NO! AND SET IT AS H/W TO FIND OUT!

Guest · Answer

0 Im gonna ignore lil jess' comment and just say that soxmonkies response is very deep and I like the analogy wondering where you got all that from? personal analogy ? cause i got to the paddy whack part on my own but you wnet of throwing out corpus celecti 0-

Guest · Answer

0 Right on the money you bloke. Now you have the IRA 0-

Bronco · Answer

0 Paddywhacks are a set of rubbery tendons in a cows neck that helps the cow with up and down movement while grazing. You can boil, broil, BBQ, or fry the paddywhacks and they still stay rubbery. They are unable to be eaten. Hence, "give a dog a bone". 0-

Anonymous · Answer

THIS OLD MAN

This old man, he played one. He played knick-knack on my thumb

With a knick knack, paddy-whack. Give the dog a bone; This old man came rolling home.
This old man, he played two. He played knick-knack on my shoe

With a knick knack, paddy-whack. Give the dog a bone; This old man came rolling home.
This old man, he played three. He played knick-knack on my knee

With a knick knack, paddy-whack. Give the dog a bone; This old man came rolling home.

This old man, he played four. He played knick-knack on my floor (or door)

With a knick knack, paddy-whack. Give the dog a bone; This old man came rolling home.

This old man, he played five. He played knick-knack on my hive

With a knick knack, paddy-whack. Give the dog a bone; This old man came rolling home.
This old man, he played six. He played knick-knack on my sticks

With a knick knack, paddy-whack. Give the dog a bone; This old man came rolling home.
This old man, he played seven. He played knick-knack up in heaven

With a knick knack, paddy-whack. Give the dog a bone; This old man came rolling home.

This old man, he played eight. He played knick-knack on my gate

With a knick knack, paddy-whack. Give the dog a bone; This old man came rolling home.
This old man, he played nine. He played knick-knack on my vine

With a knick knack, paddy-whack. Give the dog a bone; This old man came rolling home.

This old man, he played ten. He played knick-knack all over again

With a knick knack, paddy-whack. Give the dog a bone; This old man came rolling home.

Anonymous · Answer

Actually, the line is "Seven...up to Heaven,"  "Nine...all the time,"  and "Ten...once again."

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