Red Hot Pepper
Policeman, policeman, stop that thief! / Make him jump without relief…
Policeman, policeman, stop that thief!
Make him jump without relief.
Make him jump and kick his feet,
Make him jump till he is beat.
Make him jump and tap his nose,
Make him jump and click his toes,
And when it’s almost time for supper,
Make him jump like a red hot pepper!
How to play
Do the actions as they are sung. On "red hot pepper" the turners turn the rope as fast as they can.
Where this rhyme comes from
- Sung in
- US, UK
'Pepper' means turning the rope as fast as possible. That idea is old: an 1881 American newspaper describes a jump-rope chant that speeds up on its last word. The 'Policeman, policeman, stop that thief' wording itself is not dated.
Sources: Reno Evening Gazette, 1 April 1881, p.1 (reprinted from the New York Sun), via ADS-L list post 2004.
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