Counting-out game
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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.
- 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." This is often accepted as a random selection because the number of words has not been calculated beforehand, so the result is unknown right up until someone is selected. Common rhymes are:
- Eeny, meeny, miny, moe,
- Catch a tiger by his toe
- If he hollers, let him go
- Eeny, meeny, miny, moe.
(Variations can include "catch a monkey", "catch a tinker", "catch a turkey", depending on where you're from.)
- One potato, two potato - players may start with both fists (to resemble potatoes) in, so have to be got twice to be out.
- One potato, two potato
- Three potato, four,
- Five potato, six potato,
- Seven potato, more,
- One big bad spud.
- Ink-a-bink (Last two lines added if the chooser happens to like the person singled out by the "stink")
- Ink-a-bink
- 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
- Tinker, Tailor - Traditionally played in England.
- Tinker, Tailor,
- Soldier, Sailor,
- Rich man, Poor man,
- Beggar Man, Thief.
Another way goes:
- Rich man, poor man,
- Beggar man, thief.
- Doctor, lawyer,
- Indian chief!