Pop Goes the Weasel: The Secret Meanings of Nursery Rhymes

You get a verse, no tune. You get half the story. It's like watching one of those unsolved mystery shows on History Channel that leaves you frustrated.

I've always thought of nursery rhymes as fun and was surprised that this book isn't. On the other hand, I really learned a lot about the origins of rhymes we take for granted. While I've thought of most rhymes as non-sensical and whimsical, many of them had deep meanings or conveyed messages or had some purpose other than to entertain children. The history behind them was enlightening as was the fact that when various ones first appeared many of the people of the period couldn't read so having a message in verse served a greater purpose than it would to us now. Much of the history occurred during unsettled and difficult times when expressing an opinion contrary to the authorities was dangerous where a supposedly silly rhyme could express frustration or derision safely.Because of the rhyme chosen as the title and the cover art, I really expected a tongue in cheek look at the rhymes' history and more than a little humor. Unfortunately, I found none of that and was a little disappointed that the subject was approached so seriously. The research was prodigious and more than one potential meaning was given if the origin of a rhyme was questionable. I recognized most of the rhymes, probably due to my heritage and age, and enjoyed being reminded of them. I certainly learned a lot and valued the insight, but was hoping for a laugh or two.

What a concept! A book that deconstructs classic nursery rhymes!Some examples to illustrate:"Baa, baa black sheep,Have you any wool?Yes sir, yes sir,Three bags full.One for the master,One for the dame,And one for the little boyWho lives down the lane."Edward Longshanks--Edward I. He taxed wool to fund his campaigns and other foreign adventures. 1/3 of the price of each sack went to the king (master), 1/3 to the church (the dame), and none to the actual shepherd (the little boy).I used to think that "Ring-a-Ring O' Roses" (or, as I learned it, "Ring around the rosey") was about the Black Plague. However, the book notes pretty persuasively that that was unlikely."Three Blind Mice"? A number of hypotheses. One of those is a reference to "Bloody" Mary, Queen of England. The three blind mice represented former leaders whom Mary imprisoned and then executed.Anyhow, a lot of fun exploring the origins of the meaning of many of our favorite nursery tales. . .

My favorite nursery rhyme from earliest childhood memories. As an adult I had taken a class in children's literature, and Mother Goose Nursery Rhymes (and their hidden meanings) was part of the study. It was an eye opening experience to study these nursery rhymes then. Yet there were demands re: research papers, exams, etc to fulfill the requirements of that course so I did not delve into all of the nursery rhymes as I would have liked. I had promised myself to return to these rhymes in depth when I could do so at my leisure. This book is very good for this purpose. There are explanations of historical facts behind these rhymes, humor of the times, as well as indications of man's inhumanity to man during those yesteryear days. (Shudder!) It is really informative, easy to understand, and answers questions that the reader may have had re: Mother Goose Nursery Rhymes. I think I feel a bit more historically informed after having read this book!

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Pop Goes the Weasel: the secret meaning of nursery rhymes. I was aware of some of the references but had an eye-opening time perusing the lesser known references. Teaching nursery rhymes to children enriches their command of the language and encourages new word acquisition through learning a rhyming scheme. The bonus for an adult is to uncover the hidden meanings and innuendoes offered by the writer. Highly recommended.

It was most interesting to discover that the nursery rhymes told to me as a child and which I told to my children when they were children were the way news was spread hundred of years ago. In those days many people could not read and it was often very dangerous to say anything negative about the king or queen. These rhymes spread the news in ways people understood. As a retired librarian I enjoyed this book very much.

This is a fun reference work. Unlike some other books explaining the origins of nursery rhymes, this one does not go into all kinds of Freudian "adult" explanations (or at least, it doesn't in the ones I have read. I admit to have read only the rhymes I am interested in) and is, therefore, useful if you want to explain the source of a favorite to children and young teen-agers. It also provides alternative possibilities. For the rhyme we were immediately interested in because my wife was using it in her grade school classes, "The Cat and the Fiddle", there were three explanations, which was fun for the kids to select a favorite.

The title is misleading as the beginning and underlying meaning of the Nursery Rhymes, many of which started in England and related to historical events in that country were not "Secret Meanings". Coming from London we enjoyed the book as it referred to many places that we know and explained in detail the historical background of many of the common Nursery Rhymes. We enjoyed the book and have ordered a second copy to be passed on to one of our friends who is interested.

Got this as a back up Christmas stocking filler for my son, but decided not to use this one as it’s quite boring. No illustrations and I don’t think I’d want to read it either so it’s going on my out of sight bookshelf

I was intrigued by the description of this book. I’ve only had time to read a few chapters, but it will keep me entertained. A few of the nursery rhymes I’d never heard before.

Great fun for history buffs, poetry and rhyme lovers, and anyone who likes to know about trivia. Its not a huge selection of rhymes in here, but those that are, are very well researched, clearly and amusingly written, and often several competing views are given for you to chose from. If you have never read about the history behind rhymes and childhood chants before, this is a really good book to start with, and even if you do know some, then its a great addition to any collection.

Was so looking forward to reading this.Arrived in good time, well packaged as you'd expect.Such an interesting read. I thought I knew most nursery rhymes but was in.for a surprise! Even the ones I do know have very different meanings to the ones I thought I knew

I love poetry anyway but this caught my eye and i thought it might be worth a look.It has now been 'stolen' by my Mother who is thoroughly engrossed and loving every page !