ID: 651
Date: 1960s-2000
Title: Cross my heart
Gender: Male and Female 
Classification: Oral legislation 
Rhyme: 

Cross my heart and hope to die,
Stick a needle through my eye. 

(Dunedin, 1960s; Gisborne, 1980s)

--

Cross my heart and hope to die.

(Auckland, 1960s; Whangarei, 2000 x 2)

--

Cross my heart 
And hope to die,
Poke a needle.
If I ever tell a lie.

(Timaru, 1990s)

--

Cross my heart and hope to die
Stick a needle in my thigh.

(Wellington, 2000)

--
 
Background Info: Discussion in Opie,1967:124-125 relating to the crossing the heart rituals. Variations include:

Cross my heart,
If I ever tell a lie,
Put a rope round my neck
Then let me die.

Clasp my hands,
Look at the sky,
Cross my heart
And hope to die.

==

Turner, 1969:82, describes how the left breast was crossed with the right fore-finger as the rhyme was spoken as a testimony to the truth of the speaker's statement.

==
 
Keywords: promise 
Location: Various NZ 
Group size: 2 
Incidence: 7