Eeeny, Meeny, Miney, Moe: The International Edition

A few weeks ago, I was at dinner and was having trouble deciding between the options for dessert.  I decided to handle it like I did when I was a kid, closed my eyes, and did the rhyme for "Inka-binka bottle of ink..." And that made me think of something I had never ever thought about before.  Do other countries/languages have their own forms of "Inka-binka"?  So I asked my Finnish friends at the table if there was a little sing-songy rhyme they used when they were kids, and suddenly the whole table was chanting "Entten tentten teelika mentten..." at me.

After I calmed down and realized it was NOT a Satanic chant, they translated it for me and said that it's just like "Inka-binka" in that it's mostly gibberish and the last line eliminates something. 

This was all so cute and charming and got me very curious about other languages, too, so I surveyed all my bilingual friends and got them to share theirs.  Here they are...


English

Eeeny, meeny, miney, moe Catch a tiger by his toe If he hollers make him pay Fifty dollars every day My mother told me to pick the very best one And you are not it!

Self-explanatory....

Inka-binka bottle of ink Cork fell out and you stink!

Self-explanatory....

Finnish

Entten tentten teelika mentten Hissun kissun vaapula vissun Eelin keelin lot viipula vaapula Vot eskon saun piunpaun Nyt mä lähden tästä pelistä pois Puh pah pelistä pois!

Gibberish gibberish gibberish Gibberish gibberish gibberish Gibberish gibberish gibberish Gibberish gibberish gibberish Now I am going out of this game Puh pah game off!

German

Enemenemiste es rappelt in der kiste Enemenemeck und du bist weg Weg bist du noch lange nicht Sag mir erst wie alt du bist 1 2 3 4 du bist weg

Gibberish shaking in the box Gibberish and you are gone Are you still a long way away? Tell me just how old you are 1 2 3 4 you are gone

Spanish

Pito pito, gorgorito Donde vas tú tan bonito A la era, verdadera, pin, pon, fuera, La vaca lechera, se cagó en la carretera

Whistle whistle, gargle, Where are you going so beautiful, To the thresher, ping pong outside, The milk cow is shitting on the road

French

Am stram gram pic et pic et colegram Bour et bour et ratatam am stram gram. Qui a pété? ca sent les chicorée 1 2 3 ce sera bien toi!

Gibberish gibberish gibberish Gibberish gibberish gibberish Who farted? It smells like andives 1 2 3 it is definitely you!

Dutch

Alle indianen, schieten met bananen Pief poef paf en u broek zakt af!

All the Indians are shooting with bananas Pief poef paf now you lost your trousers!

Swedish

Ällinga, vällinga, vattenspruta. Slog en käring mitt på truta Här ska du få, ditt otäcka troll för att du inte kan räkna till tolv! 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12!

Formula, water injection Slapped an old bitch in her face Here's for you, you nasty troll Because you can't count to twelve! 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12!

Trolls who are bad at math?  Andive farts?  Banana guns??  My stinky ink suddenly doesn't seem so interesting anymore...