"Rub-a-dub-dub" is an English languagenursery rhyme first published at the end of the 18th century in volume two of Hook's Christmas Box[1] under the title "Dub a dub dub" rather than "Rub a dub dub". It has a Roud Folk Song Index number of 3101.
This rhyme exists in many variations. Among those current today is:
Rub-a-dub-dub, Three men in a tub, And who do you think they be? The butcher, the baker, the candlestick maker, And all of them out to sea.
Origins and meaningedit
The earliest versions of this rhyme published differ significantly in their wording. Dating back to the 14th century,[2] the original rhyme makes reference to maids in a "tub" – a fairground attraction similar to a modern peep show.[3] The rhyme is of a type calling out otherwise respectable people for disrespectable actions, in this case, ogling naked ladies – the maids. The nonsense "rub-a-dub-dub" develops a phonetic association of social disapprobation, analogous to "tsk-tsk", albeit of a more lascivious variety. The nursery rhyme is a form of teaching such associations in folklore: for individuals raised with such social codes, the phrase "rub-a-dub-dub" alone could stand in for gossip or innuendo without communicating all of the details.
One early recorded version in Christmas Box, published in London in 1798, has wording similar to that in Mother Goose's Quarto or Melodies Complete, published in Boston, Massachusetts around 1825. The latter ran:
Hey! rub-a-dub, ho! rub-a-dub, three maids in a tub, And who do you think were there? The butcher, the baker, the candlestick-maker, And all of them gone to the fair.[4]
In the original version as it appeared both in England and in the United States (Boston) the song was talking about three maids instead of three men. Later research, according to The Oxford Dictionary of Nursery Rhymes (1951), suggests that the lyrics are illustrating a scene of three respectable townsfolk "watching a dubious sideshow at a local fair".[4]
By around 1830 the reference to maids was being removed from the versions printed in nursery books. In 1842 James Orchard Halliwell collected the following version:
Rub a dub dub, Three fools in a tub, And who do you think they be? The butcher, the baker, The candlestick maker. Turn them out, knaves all three.[4]
On a 1958 vinyl album of Mother Goose Nursery Rhymes [by Caedmon] with Boris Karloff, he sings a different version of the song that goes like this:
Rub a dub dub, Three men in a tub, And how do you think they got there? The butcher, the baker, The candlestick maker. They all jumped out of a rotten potato, Was enough to make a man stare.
There are several variants of the following story:
A pilot returning from a mission could not locate his aircraft carrier and in addition failed to establish secure communication. So he circled around the formation and radioed: "Rub a dub dub, where is my tub?" And received: "Hey Diddle Diddle! Right here in the middle!"
^"Hook, James. (1746 - 1827) Second Volume of Christmas Box...For Juvenile Amusement...Set to music by Mr. Hook". Schubertiade Music & Arts.
^Chris Roberts, Librarian at Lambeth College, London; interviewed on NPR in 2005
^Roberts, Chris (2003). Heavy Words Lightly Thrown. Gotham. ISBN1592402178.
^ abcI. Opie and P. Opie, The Oxford Dictionary of Nursery Rhymes (Oxford University Press, 1951, 2nd edn., 1997), p. 447.
^The Escort Carriers In Action: The Story, In Pictures, Of The Escort Carrier Force, US Pacific Fleet, 1945 (Atlanta, Ruralist Press, 1946) p.95. (public domain archive)
^"Cockney Rhyming Slang | Languages of London | Rose of York". 4 December 2017.
^"Rub-a-Dub-Dub – Nostalgia Central". nostalgiacentral.com. 14 August 2014.
^"Two Men in a Tub: A Sudsy Interview with Humorist Robert Wringham". PopMatters. 19 September 2023.
January 01, 1970
other, uses, disambiguation, this, article, needs, additional, citations, verification, please, help, improve, this, article, adding, citations, reliable, sources, unsourced, material, challenged, removed, find, sources, news, newspapers, books, scholar, jstor. For other uses see Rub a dub dub disambiguation This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources Rub a dub dub news newspapers books scholar JSTOR November 2015 Learn how and when to remove this message Rub a dub dub is an English language nursery rhyme first published at the end of the 18th century in volume two of Hook s Christmas Box 1 under the title Dub a dub dub rather than Rub a dub dub It has a Roud Folk Song Index number of 3101 Rub a dub dub Nursery rhymePublished1798 Contents 1 Lyrics 2 Origins and meaning 3 In popular culture 4 ReferencesLyrics editThis rhyme exists in many variations Among those current today is Rub a dub dub Three men in a tub And who do you think they be The butcher the baker the candlestick maker And all of them out to sea Origins and meaning editThe earliest versions of this rhyme published differ significantly in their wording Dating back to the 14th century 2 the original rhyme makes reference to maids in a tub a fairground attraction similar to a modern peep show 3 The rhyme is of a type calling out otherwise respectable people for disrespectable actions in this case ogling naked ladies the maids The nonsense rub a dub dub develops a phonetic association of social disapprobation analogous to tsk tsk albeit of a more lascivious variety The nursery rhyme is a form of teaching such associations in folklore for individuals raised with such social codes the phrase rub a dub dub alone could stand in for gossip or innuendo without communicating all of the details One early recorded version in Christmas Box published in London in 1798 has wording similar to that in Mother Goose s Quarto or Melodies Complete published in Boston Massachusetts around 1825 The latter ran Hey rub a dub ho rub a dub three maids in a tub And who do you think were there The butcher the baker the candlestick maker And all of them gone to the fair 4 In the original version as it appeared both in England and in the United States Boston the song was talking about three maids instead of three men Later research according to The Oxford Dictionary of Nursery Rhymes 1951 suggests that the lyrics are illustrating a scene of three respectable townsfolk watching a dubious sideshow at a local fair 4 By around 1830 the reference to maids was being removed from the versions printed in nursery books In 1842 James Orchard Halliwell collected the following version Rub a dub dub Three fools in a tub And who do you think they be The butcher the baker The candlestick maker Turn them out knaves all three 4 On a 1958 vinyl album of Mother Goose Nursery Rhymes by Caedmon with Boris Karloff he sings a different version of the song that goes like this Rub a dub dub Three men in a tub And how do you think they got there The butcher the baker The candlestick maker They all jumped out of a rotten potato Was enough to make a man stare There are several variants of the following story A pilot returning from a mission could not locate his aircraft carrier and in addition failed to establish secure communication So he circled around the formation and radioed Rub a dub dub where is my tub And received Hey Diddle Diddle Right here in the middle Some memoirs claim it was a real incident 5 In popular culture edit Rub a dub dub or sometimes just rub a dub is Cockney rhyming slang for pub 6 7 Rub A Dub Dub is the title of a 1953 country music song by Hank Thompson a 1984 animated television series by Peter Lang and Alan Rogers 8 and a 2023 novel by Robert Wringham 9 References edit Hook James 1746 1827 Second Volume of Christmas Box For Juvenile Amusement Set to music by Mr Hook Schubertiade Music amp Arts Chris Roberts Librarian at Lambeth College London interviewed on NPR in 2005 Roberts Chris 2003 Heavy Words Lightly Thrown Gotham ISBN 1592402178 a b c I Opie and P Opie The Oxford Dictionary of Nursery Rhymes Oxford University Press 1951 2nd edn 1997 p 447 The Escort Carriers In Action The Story In Pictures Of The Escort Carrier Force US Pacific Fleet 1945 Atlanta Ruralist Press 1946 p 95 public domain archive Cockney Rhyming Slang Languages of London Rose of York 4 December 2017 Rub A Dub is Cockney Rhyming Slang for Pub Rub a Dub Dub Nostalgia Central nostalgiacentral com 14 August 2014 Two Men in a Tub A Sudsy Interview with Humorist Robert Wringham PopMatters 19 September 2023 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Rub a dub dub amp oldid 1224332241, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
