Counting-out rhymes

A counting-out game is a simple game intended to select a person to be "it", often for the purpose of playing another game. Some counting-out games are
 * Rock, Paper, Scissors
 * Odd or Even
 * Coin flipping
 * Drawing straws - player with the shortest straw loses.
 * Bizz Buzz

Many such games involve one person pointing at each participant in a circle of players while reciting a rhyme. A new person is pointed at as each word is said. The player who is selected at the conclusion of the rhyme is "it" or "out". In an alternate version, the circle of players may each put two feet in and at the conclusion of the rhyme, that player removes one foot and the rhyme starts over with the next person. In this case, the first player that has both feet removed is "it" or "out". These are often accepted as random selections because the number of words has not been calculated beforehand, so the result is unknown right up until someone is selected.

A variant of counting-out game, known as Josephus problem, represents a famous theoretical problem in mathematics and computer science.

Some common rhymes
(These rhymes may have many local or regional variants.)


 * Eeny, meeny, miny, moe


 * Duck, duck, goose


 * Tinker, Tailor - Traditionally played in England


 * Ip dip


 * Tarzan, Tarzan
 * Tarzan, Tarzan
 * In a tree.
 * How many gallons did he pee?
 * (The counter proceeds counting off the number of 'gallons' the person he landed on says.)


 * Whose shoe is the dirty shoe - everyone stands in a closed circle and stick one foot out in front of them, the shoes are pointed out in turns as the rhyme is sung:
 * Whose shoe is the dirty shoe
 * Please go out and wash your dirty shoe
 * And come back to school
 * By Monday morning


 * One potato, two potato - players may start with both fists (to resemble potatoes) in, so they have to be picked twice to be out.
 * One potato, two potato
 * Three potato, four,
 * Five potato, six potato,
 * Seven potato, more,
 * One big bad spud.


 * Ink-a-Dinkado (Last two lines added if the chooser happens to like the person singled out by the "stink")
 * Ink-a-Dinkado
 * A bottle of ink
 * Cork fell out and you stink
 * My mother told me to pick the very best one and
 * You are not it


 * Bubblegum, Bubblegum
 * Bubblegum, bubblegum,
 * In a dish,
 * How many pieces,
 * Do you wish?
 * (Whomever the rhyme ends with chooses a number, and that many "pieces" are counted. The person on whom the last number falls is out.)


 * Harum, scare'em
 * One spot, two spot, zig-zag, tear.
 * Pop-die, pennygot, tennyum, tear.
 * Harum, scare'em, rip'em, tear'em.
 * Tay, taw, toe.

This was used in the Marx Brothers film Duck Soup.


 * Superman
 * Superman, Superman fly away
 * Superman, Superman save the day


 * Inky Binky Bonky
 * Inky Binky Bonky,
 * Daddy had a donkey,
 * Donkey died, daddy cried,
 * Inky Binky Bonky.


 * Skunk in the barnyard
 * Skunk in the barnyard, PU!
 * He laid a big one, on you!


 * Horses in a Stable
 * [Number] horses in a stable,
 * One jumps out
 * (In place of [Number], the number of players currently in is used, changing as the players are taken out.)


 * My Mother and Your Mother
 * My mother and your mother were washing clothes,
 * My mother punched your mother right in the nose.
 * What color was her blood?
 * (The color chosen is spelled out. Whoever gets the last letter is "it".)


 * Cindereller
 * Cindereller, dressed in yeller
 * Went upstairs to kiss her feller
 * Made a mistake and kissed a snake
 * Came downstairs with a bellyache
 * How many doctors did it take?
 * 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8!
 * (Whoever is #8 is it.)


 * Scout, Scout
 * Scout, Scout
 * You're out


 * Pizza Pie—Players hold their hands out like two slices of pizza, similar to "One Potato, Two Potato":
 * Pizza pizza pizza pie,
 * If you eat it you will die,
 * If you die I will cry,
 * Pizza pizza pizza pie.


 * Engine, engine #9
 * Engine, engine #9
 * Going down Chicago line
 * If the train falls off the track,
 * Do you want your money back?
 * (The person picked chooses yes or no)
 * (The "counter" spells out Y-E-S (or N-O))
 * And you are it!


 * Ink In the bottle
 * Ink in the bottle, you stink!
 * Where did it come from? From you!
 * When did it happen? Last night!
 * How did it feel? Just right!


 * Tea Cup Saucer Out