ID: 992
Date: 1960s-2006
Title: Have you ever
Gender: Female 
Classification: Clapping 
Rhyme: 

Have you ever, ever, ever,
In your long-legged life,
Seen a long-legged sailor,
With a long-legged wife?
No I've never, never, never,
In my long-legged life,
Seen a long-legged sailor,
With a long-legged wife.

(NZ, 1960s; Te Awamutu, 1990s)

--

Have you ever, ever, ever,
In your leef, live, life,
Seen divel, deivel, devil,
Kiss his weef, wif, wife?

(Ashburton, 2006)

--
 
Background Info: Turner,1978:35 describes alternative verses including:
short legged life, cross-eyed life, elbow life, knee cap life, ankle life.

==

Onwuchekwa, 2003:119 records from black urban America:

Have you ever, ever, ever,
In your whole darn life,
Seen a farmer, farmer, farmer,
Kiss his wife, wife, wife?
No I've never, never, never,
In my whole darn life,
Seen a farmer, farmer, farmer,
Kiss his wife, wife, wife.

==

Knapp, 1976:129 records the version with a 'spider' replacing the long-legged sailor.  Also includes the traits of short-legged, bow-legged, pigeon-toed, bald-headed, pot-bellied.

==
 
Keywords: nonsense, word play 
Location: Various NZ 
Group size: 6 
Incidence: 3