Half a Pint of Porter

Half a pint of porter, / Penny on the can…

Half a pint of porter,
Penny on the can,
Hop there and back again
If you can.

How to play

Hop out and back in again.

Where this rhyme comes from

Printed: 1916
Where: London

We have copied these words exactly as they were printed in 1916, spelling and all. It is one of the London girls' chants Douglas lists alongside their skipping, clapping and ring games.

Porter is a dark beer. Children were sent to the pub with a can to fetch it.

Source: Norman Douglas, London Street Games (London: The St. Catherine Press, 1916) (public domain).

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