Scottish Poetry Selection
- Hipperty Skipperty

Here is a children's rhyme by an anonymous author which may well have been recited in the school playground when girls were playing with skipping ropes.


Hipperty Skipperty

Hipperty Skipperty,
Sadie McGraw
Wis dressed for the Sabbath
Sae trig an' sae braw.

Sadie McGraw wis
Sae snod an' sae trig.
Stopped tae play peevers
An' jinkie an' tig.

Hipperty Skipperty,
Fliskmahoy!
Sadie is ivver
A lass for a ploy.

At loupin' the cuddie
An' catchin' a ba'
Sadie is certie
The best o' them a'.

But eh! she is ramstam.
She loupit ower faur.
She tripped an' she tummelt
An' fell i' the glaur.

Hipperty Skipperty,
Wait till her maw
Sees whit a sicht
Is pair Sadie McGraw.

Meaning of unusual words:
Hipperty Skipperty=in a frisking, skipping fashion
Sae trig an' sae braw=so smartly dressed and so handsomely dressed
Sae snod an' sae trig=so trim and so smartly dressed
peevers=the game of hopscotch
jinkie=swift turn, in order to dodge someone
tig=a children's game where one player chases and tries to "tig" or touch the others.
loupin' the cuddie=leap frog (literally, jumping the donkey)
ramstam=headstrong, impetuous
loupit=jumped
tummelt=tumble
glaur=mud

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