ID: 28
Date: 1980 - 2006
Title: What's the time?
Gender: Male and Female 
Classification: Bawdy, skipping 
Rhyme: 

What's the time? 
Half past nine, 
Hang your breeches (knickers) on the line. 
Where's the line? 
On the grass. 
Where's the grass? 
Up your ass.

(Blenheim, 1980s)

--

What's the time?
Half past nine, (ten to nine)
Hang your knickers on the line.
When they're dry, bring them in.
Put them in the biscuit tin.
Eat a biscuit, eat a cake,
Eat your knickers by mistake!

(Owaka, 1960s; Te Aroha, 1990s; Hamilton, 1998; Rotorua, 2002; Blenheim, 2004;  Ashburton, 2006)

--

What's the time?
Half past nine,
Hang your britches on the line.
When they're dry, bring them in.
Stuff them in the rubbish bin.

(Wellington, 1960s)

--

What's the time?
Half past nine,
Hang yer britches on the line.
What's the time?
Half past ten.
Time to bring them in again.

(Christchurch, 1970s)

--
 
Background Info: Opie, 1967:44 records these variations:

What's the time?
Half past nine, 
Put the napkins on the line. 
When they're dry, bring them in. 
Don't forget the safety pin.

What's the time? 
Half past nine, 
Hang your breeches on the line. 
When the copper comes along. 
Pull them off and put them on.

==

Sutton-Smith, 1959:102 records the version:

What's the time? 
Half past nine, 
Hang your breeches on the line.
What's the time?
Ten to ten,
Time to bring them in again.

(NZ, c.1950s)

==

From Rowan,2005:

What's the time?
Half past nine.
Phone your uncle on the line.
If he falls,
Break his balls,
Take them up to Santa Claus.

(East London, c. 2005)

==
 
Keywords: bawdy, ball bouncing game 
Location: Various NZ 
Group size: 2 
Incidence: 9