Summary

Game names (and types): 'Tongue Twisters' (language play)
Alternative type: rhymes

Handwritten 'Tongue Twisters' compiled for Dr Dorothy Howard by Patricia Dodd, Jan Overell, Robin Burton and Helen Tait, students at Clayfield College, in October 1954. Patricia Dodd describes 'tongue twisters' as complex sayings designed to be spoken quickly and challenge the speaker. She lists a number of different 'tongue twisters' including the following: 'Five grey geese...', 'She sells sea-shells...', 'Round the rugged rock...', 'Ten tired toads trudged to Tudleesy...'. Dodd states that she played 'tongue twisters' in Brisbane in 1953. Jan Overell lists other 'tongue twisters' including: 'Split Sixpence...', 'She sells sea-shells...', 'A noisy noise annoys an oyster...'. Robin Burton transcribes 'Your brother Bob owes my brother Bob a bob...'. 'Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers...' is copied out by Helen Tait. Section eight is titled charms; however, no examples have been recorded.

One of a collection of letters describing a children's games written to children's Folklorist Dorothy Howard between 1954 and 1955. Dr Howard came to Australia in 1954-55 as an American Fulbright scholar to study Australian children's folklore. She travelled across Australia for 10 months collecting children's playground rhymes, games, play artefacts, etc. This letter, together with the other original fieldwork collected by Dr Howard during this period, is preserved in the Dorothy Howard Collection manuscript files, part of the Australian Children's Folklore Collection (ACFC), Archive Series 3. The ACFC is an extensive collection documenting children's folklore and related research.

Physical Description

Handwritten game descriptions in blue ink on paper. Features text written by four different hands; text printed on both sides of page.

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