Wednesday 29 August 2018

Rub A Dub Dub



The earliest versions of this rhyme published differ significantly in their wording. Dating back to the 14th century,the original rhyme makes reference to maids in a "tub" – a fairground attraction similar to a modern peep show.

The rhyme is of a type calling out otherwise respectable people for disrespectable actions, in this case, ogling naked ladies – the maids. 

The nonsense "Rub-a-dub-dub" develops an phonetic association of social disapprobation, analogous to "tsk-tsk," albeit of a more lascivious variety. 

The nursery rhyme is a form of teaching such associations in folklore: for individuals raised with such social codes, the phrase 

"Rub-a-dub-dub" alone could stand in for gossip or innuendo without communicating all of the details.

                                                  Nursery Rhyme To Popular Culture

                                                      Popular Culture: Reggae

The term "Rub-a-Dub" comes from a dance style where the man and woman rub up very close together and grind their hips to the beat.



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