Have you seen the common phrase 'eeny meeny miny moe' somewhere and want to know more about where this common saying comes from? 'Eeny meeny miny moe' is a common counting rhyme, mostly used by children, with unfortunate origins that you would not expect. This post unpacks the meaning and origin of this phrase.
Meaning
The phrase 'eeny meeny miny moe' is a common phrase in the English language that is known as a counting rhyme.
Someone who says 'eeny meeny miny moe' is usually trying to choose one option between several, and uses the phrase while they select one 'at random' from what is in front of them.
The phrase is a popular rhyme that is commonly used by children, but can also be used by adults for random selection, sometimes just for humorous reasons to a group of people.
The phrase 'eeny meeny miny moe' is the first line of a popular children's rhyme of which there are several variations. Some variations carry little resemblance to the original children's rhyme, and some are only used for comedic or inappropriate effect.
The phrase can be said on its own with the meaning assumed to be understood by the rest of the group in the discussion.
The phrase is not normally written with commas, but can be. Both usages of the term are considered valid, as a list (of things) is being recited by the speaker.
For written use, it can be preceded by a colon.
Example Usage
“Since I don't know which one of these burgers to choose off the menu, I'm going to go with a time-tested means of careful selection: eeny, meeny, miny, moe.”
“I swear the woman chose her husbands like most children choose out their candy. Eeny, meeny, miny, moe, and she just married whoever came last on that list.”
“If you don't know which kid to leave at home when you go on holiday, just point at them and go: eeny meeny miny moe. The universe will give you the answer that you need.”
“There are three to choose from, so here we go. Eeny, meeny, miny, moe.”
Origin
The phrase 'eeny meeny miny moe' is said to originate from an English children's rhyme that became popular in the 1800s: the children's rhyme is a typical nonsensical children's rhyme, and the counting phrase that is used in the first line stuck with children (and adults) as a popular phrase.
The origin of the phrase can be taken even further back, where it dates back to a corruption of rhymes in African languages with a similar sound.
While the phrase is agreed to have potentially racist origins, the phrase used by most schoolchildren in the 1800s did not attribute this to the rhyme – and most who use it today are simply not aware of the earliest origin of the phrase as a corruption of a mistranslated, similar phrase.
Many similar counting rhymes developed independently from 'eeny meeny miny moe', and can be found in several languages that include Swahili and German.
Phrases Similar to Eeny Meeny Miny Moe
- One, two, three, four
Phrases Opposite to Eeny Meeny Miny Moe
- N/a
What is the Correct Saying?
- Eeny meeny miny moe
- Eeny, meeny, miny, moe
Ways People May Say Eeny Meeny Miny Moe Incorrectly
There are several ways in which someone can use the term 'eeny meeny miny moe' in the wrong way, or misunderstand the meaning of the phrase.
It is used as a common counting rhyme, which can be used by children or sometimes by adults for comedic effect.
It is unnecessary to repeat the entire rhyme for the meaning to be apparent, the first phrase of the rhyme ('eeny meeny miny moe') is enough.