Tag Archives: Inwood

My older brother (age 84)…

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My older brother (age 84) described ringolerio to me yesterday. Each team had 5 guys. One would place himself with his back against the wall while the other four would hold on to him and each other in a squatting/stooped position. The other team would then run and jump on the backs of the squatting guys with the aim of making them fall to the ground. I vaguely remember playing this but am not sure what we called it. This was in the late 1940s in Inwood Manhattan

I grew up in the Inwood…

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I grew up in the Inwood section of upper Manhattan. One of the things only girls did with spaldeens was to bounce the ball while chanting certain rhymes, turning one leg over the bouncing ball on certain words. One of the rhymes went something like: Oliver Twist, can’t do this, touch his knee, touch his toe, (something something…) and over we go. You turned over on Twist, this and go. You’d touch your knee and toe where indicated. I can’t remember one of the lines. After you did this, you’d start all over, but this time you’d do everything twice: Oliver Twist Twist, etc. You’d go up until you gave up or got bored. Another bouncing game was A My Name Is Alice. You’d go through the alphabet: A my name is Alice, and my husband’s name is Al, and I come from Alabama, and I sell apples. Does anyone remember these games?

This site has brought back…

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This site has brought back so many memories!! I was so happy to find others who remember “the spades go tulips together…” a very complicated hand slapping game. My family is from Inwood but we moved across the river to Hudson county NJ when I was small. Here are some Jersey versions of street game songs: Jump rope chant: Cinderella dressed in yella Went downtown to buy some mustard On the way her girdle busted How many people where disgusted 10-20-30-40, etc. (jumping fast as the rope turns) Does anyone else remember this circe game song? I’m a bowlegged chicken on a knock-kneed fence Never been so happy since I don’t know when And I walk with a wiggle and wobble and a twist Doin the Tennessee Wig-walk. Just doin the Tennesee wig-walk. Terri here are some variations on the “I wish I were” song: I wish I were a little bar of soap, bar of soap I wish I were a little bar of soap I’d slippy and I’d sliddy over everybody’s hiney Oh I wish I were a little bar of soap I wish I were a little bumble bee, bumble bee I wish I were a little bumble bee I’d sit up on the steeple and I’d spit on all the people Oh I wish I were a little bumble bee I also remember many stanzas to the Lulu had a baby she named him Tiny Tim song but they are pretty dirty. Also here is a variation on the “we are the girls of” song: We are the Jersey girls We wear are hair in curls We wear our brothers shirts They call us stupid jerks. Oh, ladies, thank you so much for the memories.

Growing up at Inwood Hill…

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Growing up at Inwood Hill Park, at 204th and Vermylea, the king of all bikes was the Ross Apollo 3 speed; courtesy of Wonderama. We had our share of Stingrays and Crates, but the Ross Apollo had the neat frame, the 3 speed shifter, the slick tires, it was the bike with the mean looks! Add baseball cards to the spokes, the high sissy bar with leather tool pouch, a dogbone wrench,and a Screecher( that thing on the handlebar post with the crank that made that screeching noise;;see Pee Wee’s Big adventure, the bike used there has one!)and you were king of the block!