I asked a patient today what she knew about Lincoln. She is 56 years-old. In answering my question she verbalized what she described as a rhyme. I had never heard it- and I didn't jump rope as a kid. Well, maybe a little.
Here's what she said it was:

Lincoln Lincoln
I've been thinking
What's that stuff you've been drinking?
It's not whiskey
It's not wine
Oh my gosh it's turpentine.

Never heard that before. Have any of you?

When I jumped rope in the 1950s we sang the same rhyme with the name Ruben. "Reuben Rueben I've been thinking" has many variations. Interesting to see the name Lincoln used.

Here's the Song - "Reuben, Reuben, I've Been Thinking"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GFmILYSHvW0

(01-25-2020 02:36 PM)Gene C Wrote:  Here's the Song - "Reuben, Reuben, I've Been Thinking"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GFmILYSHvW0

Patsy Cline!

When I heard the jump rope rhyme as recited by my patient I had two impressions:
1) It was a fascinating instance where Lincoln made it into the culture to the level of children's games and playtime activities, although certainly not applied for such like-activities today (I suppose).
2) Perhaps using the name "Lincoln" had it's roots in the historical fact that he was a teetotaler-and that truth had a collective memory which filtered into the children's activity.

Then the name "Reuben" was shared by Forum members here on this thread. It would be interesting to know where that name entered into it and why.

Well, I did the easy thing- I consulted Wiki. The rhyme apparently started out in 1871 as a song published at that time. See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reuben_and_Rachel

So maybe the "Reuben" name was the first. Maybe.