…Now You Got The Shiveries???

X Marks The Spot

Last night the love of my life was expressing her opinion about some knots in her shoulders and neck.  (Like that?  Yeah you do.  I completely sidestepped the “complaining” phrase.)  And what comes next, guys?  Yup.  The back rub.  During this amazingly relaxing back rub, my mind started to wander.  Blah, blah, blah.  Jack is doing something odd.  Blah, blah, blah.  Crack an egg on your head; let the yolk flow down!  Woh.  Where did that come from?  That was definitely a grade school thought.  Nice.  So as I entertained myself during the back rub, I started trying to think of the rest of the rhyme.  Unfortunately it has been so long, that my brain was struggling to piece it all together.  So we had a nice little brainstorming/debate over it.  That didn’t solve anything so we decided to call my sisters, Cayce and Reagan.  (Sorry Tate.  You didn’t make the list for top two people to call about grade school rhymes.)

After three phone calls between the two of them we decided that apparently I did the rhyme wrong.  I think it just got changed after my generation because the following generations would rather rhyme than deal with reality.  So instead of what I knew as “10 knives in your back” they knew as “20 pokes” or something equally dumb.  Instead of the chills they said the shiveries.  I don’t know how you played this game when you were little, but prior to our conversation on the 5th of August, 2009 I had never heard that before.  And it wasn’t the first time I had heard the rhyme.  (What boy doesn’t line up for his turn with the girls playing this game on his back?)  So after even more googling and very little discovery (other than apparently there isn’t just one way to say this rhyme) I decided that I needed a blog to hear your versions.  So here is mine (after lots of racking my brain).  Enjoy!  For those of you that have someone nearby, feel free to practice on their backs.  They might return the favor!

————————————————————-

Going on a treasure hunt, X marks the spot.
Dash, dot. Dash, dot. Big question mark.
Spiders crawling up your back, now they’re crawling down.
10 knives in your back. Let the blood flow down.
Crack an egg on your head. Let the yolk flow down.
Feel a cool breeze, tight squeeze…
Now you got the chills!

————————————————————-

That’s my version.  That’s what I will say to my kids one day.  What about you?  What lines do you remember?  Is mine right?  Is it wrong?  How did yours go?

27 People Talking

People Talking...What do you think?

  1. Posted by Kara-Kae 6th August, 2009 at 9:16 am

    NO! You will NOT teach our children wrong. Chills is just dumb and doesn’t rhyme!

  2. Posted by Reagan 6th August, 2009 at 4:44 pm

    Okay, it’s shiveries. Get over it. It rhymes and it’s cute. Teach your children right or I promise I will make them say “Go Texas!!” By the way, who’s Brian? Why is he trying to figure stuff out with you while you give your wife a back rub, that’s just weird. I’m sorry you didn’t pay attention as a child, but chills is dumb. It ends the cute little game on a horrible not. Shiveries keeps the fun atmosphere alive!!

  3. Posted by dmjames 6th August, 2009 at 5:52 pm

    Aaaa as my exact memory has it, your wife and sister are correct. Knives and shiveries it was.

  4. Posted by Jenny Leboffe 10th August, 2009 at 7:14 pm

    Apparently I wasn’t paying attention as a child. I never learned the beginning and ending. I always thought it was: “Ten knives in your back. Feel the blood running down. Ten spiders crawling up. Ten spiders crawling down. Feel the egg on your head. Feel the ooze running down! Cool breeze. Tight squeeze.” All this time, I thought that was the whole thing! Wow, there’s so much I don’t know!

  5. Posted by Steph 21st August, 2009 at 8:46 pm

    As I knew it…

    X marks the spot with a dot dot dot
    three lines across, and a question mark

    crack an egg on your head, let the yolk drip down
    let the yolk drip down, let the yolk drop down (2x)

    spiders crawling up your back, spiders crawling down your back (2x)
    spiders crawling up your arms, spiders crawling down your arms (2x)

    squeeze two oranges on your shoulders let the juice drip down,
    let the juice drip down, let the juice drip down (2x)

    stab a knife in your back, let the blood drip down
    let the blood drip down, let the blood drip down (2x)

    cool breeze… tight squeeze!!

    fun times :) i just taught my boyfriend, he must have been deprived as a child not to have enjoyed this classic – haha.

  6. Posted by Lindsey 28th August, 2009 at 11:11 pm

    Here’s how I remember it:

    Around the world in 80 days, X marks the spot
    Line, Line, Line, Line
    Spiders Crawling up your back
    They BITE you in the neck,
    They BITE you in the neck.
    Cool Breeze,
    Tight Squeeze,
    Now you’ve got the shiveries.

    I vividly remember it working in junior high; however, it failed to work now. I guess once you’re in your late 20’s your back is oversensitized to such games.

  7. Posted by Dominique 26th September, 2009 at 6:56 pm

    I Know One Kinda Like That, It Goes–>

    Around The World In 80 Days
    X Marks The Spot
    Coma, Coma, Coma, Coma Question Mark
    Crack An Egg On Your Head And Let The Yolk Drip Down, Let The Yolk Drip Down, Let The Yolk Drip Down (X2)
    Satb A Knive Through Your Back And Feel The Blood Drip Down, Feel The Blood Drip Down, Feel The Blood Drip Down (X2)
    Spiders Crawling Up Your Back Ready To ATTACK
    Spiders Crawling Up Your Back Ready To ATTACK
    Cool Breeze
    Tight Squeeze
    Now You’ve Got The Shiveries :)

    I Am Currently In 7th Grade, So I Would Know!! ((:

    <3, Dominique

  8. Posted by Angela 3rd October, 2009 at 2:26 pm

    My version is similar – but either I never learned the “around the world in 80 days” or I have since forgotten it. Here it is:

    X marks the spot
    With a dot, dot, dot
    Comma, comma, comma
    And a question mark

    Knife in the back!
    Watch the blood roll down (said slowly)
    Shivers go up and the shivers go down (said 2 or 3 times)
    Got the shivers?

  9. Posted by Niney 11th October, 2009 at 10:02 am

    I must have learned a much abbreviated version. – dot, dot, double dot, circle around. Knife in the back, blood flowing down, spiders crawling up, gotcha!

  10. Posted by Jennifer 15th October, 2009 at 2:22 pm

    I teach middle school & my students were just trying something similar so I set off to find what it was I remembered…I too don’t remember ever learning all the junk @ the beginning, but I’ll have to ask my elementary friends. What I do remember was:

    Ten knives in your back blood dripping down. Spiders crawling up your arms, Spiders crawling down your arms. Cool breeze. Tight squeeze. Whooo (blow on neck) Got the chills.

  11. Posted by Lisa 24th October, 2009 at 9:44 pm

    Going on a treasure hunt, X marks the spot.
    Four big boulders, and one tiny dot.
    Spiders crawling up your back, (Snakes slithering down),
    (Stab a knife) in your back. Let the blood flow down.
    Crack an egg on your head. Let the yolk flow down.
    Feel a cool breeze, tight squeeze…
    Now you got the chills!

    It is for sure CHILLS.

    PS watch the office episode “Lover” Dwight starts doing this to Micheal, hilarious.

  12. Posted by Katie 29th October, 2009 at 7:54 am

    NO!!
    i remember:

    80 days around the world
    X marks the spot
    comma comma comma comma question mark
    stab in the back let the blood run down
    stab in the back let the blood run down
    dog bite cat scratch
    cool breeze tight squeeze
    now you’ve the shiveries!

  13. Posted by Melisa 29th October, 2009 at 7:27 pm

    Um…I remember something like that. My step sister taught it to me years ago, but I can’t remember the whole thing. All I can remember is: “Spiders crawling down your back spiders crawling down your back, thousand needles in your back, spiders crawling down your back. Spiders crawling down your back, spiders crawling down your back, babies crying, people dieing, spiders crawling down your back.” Then it goes on to something like, you’re standing on a cliff, you hear footsteps [clap hands twice], you look down, [push persons head down, make sure they do not get injured] and ask what color did they see? every color has a different meaning of something. Also, the person is supposed to have their eyes closed the entire time that you are doing this to them. Does anyone know what I am talking about? Maybe help me remember the whole thing? haha

  14. Posted by Katie 18th November, 2009 at 11:32 am

    I randomly thought of this rhyme today but couldn’t remember the ending. Google brought me here (as well as yahoo anwsers).

    I remember it as:
    x marks the spot
    with a dot dot dot
    biiiig question mark
    spider finds you!
    spiders crawling up your back
    spiders crawling down your back
    …………….?

    That all I remember. I dont know what the ending was but I think its my grandmother who taught me. Fourtunatly, she is still around for me to ask.

  15. Posted by Katie 18th November, 2009 at 11:35 am

    I tried this on my hubby today. He said his face felt tingly. :) Were in our mid 20’s.

  16. Posted by damarissss. 27th November, 2009 at 6:49 pm

    I know it as….
    X marks the spot
    Circle and a dot.
    Coma coma coma coma question mark
    Spider crawling up your back spiders crawling down 10 needles in your back blood rushing down tight sqeeze cold breeze know you got the shiveries.
    This is right bc this is what everyone is saying today.

  17. Posted by Cathie 12th December, 2009 at 6:30 am

    The way I remember it was:

    Goin’ on a treasure hunt, goin’ on a treasure hunt
    X marks the spot with a dot-dot-dot & a dash-dash-dash
    & a biiiig question mark (& a little question mark)
    crack an egg on your head let the yolk dribble down, spider spins a web goin’ round, & round, & round
    feel a pinch & a squeeze, & a tap on your knees, then a cooool breeze… Now you got the shiveries!!!!

    I have a nineteen yr old daughter & now an 8 mo old son…

    I hope I got it right ;)

  18. Posted by lauren 23rd December, 2009 at 2:34 pm

    Mine was:
    criss-cross applesauce,
    spiders running up your back
    egg splat down your back
    cat scratch
    dog bite
    carpet burn
    tight squeeze
    cool breeze
    now youve got the shiveries

  19. Posted by monica 2nd January, 2010 at 4:10 am

    the one my boyfriend did was:

    were going on a treasure hunt, X marks the spot.
    big circle, little circle, dot dot dot.
    theres spiders crawling up your back, they bite ya, they bite ya.
    the blood runs downnn.
    theres snake slithering up your back, they bite ya, they bite ya.
    the blood runs down.
    cool breeze, tight squeeze, and now you got the chills :)

  20. Posted by Jennifer 7th January, 2010 at 10:39 am

    Mine was:

    Going on a treasure hunt, X marks the spot
    Three big boulders, one tiny dot
    Spiders crawling up your back, bite, blood rushing down (x2)
    Worms crawling up your arms, worms crawling down your arms (x2)
    Knives, knives in your back
    Cool breeze, tight squeeze
    Crack an egg, and let it drip

  21. Posted by lisa 7th January, 2010 at 7:39 pm

    this is the one i remember:
    going on a treasure hunt, X marks the spot
    3 big circles and a question dot
    going up, going down, going all around

    snakes crawl up your back–they nip you, blood rushes down
    tarantulas crawl up your back–they nip you, blood rushes down
    egg on the head, yolk running down
    knife in the back, blood rushes down
    seven arrows all around

    a pinch, a squeeze, and a tropical breeze

  22. Posted by Jennifer Wells 20th January, 2010 at 11:48 am

    I don’t remember all the beginning or ending but I do remember Cold breeze was a WET WILLY in the ear and then blowing to make it even colder! hahaha

  23. Posted by A 28th January, 2010 at 4:59 pm

    I learned it
    Big X
    Little X
    question Mark dot
    Egg crack down your back
    stab in the back
    blood runs down
    spiders crawling up
    spiders crawling down
    spiders crawling all around
    cool breeze tight squeeze
    now you have the chills

    it’s interesting to see all the variations

  24. Posted by Ron 30th January, 2010 at 12:58 pm

    Ten needles in your back feel the blood dripping down, spiders crawling up your arms, spiders crawling down. Crack an egg on your head and feel the yoke coming down. Cool breeze, tight squeeze now you’ve got the shivereese.

  25. Posted by M 1st February, 2010 at 6:41 am

    Going on a treasure hunt
    X marks the spot
    Big circle, little circle
    dot, dot, dot
    Spiders crawling up your back
    Bite, bite, bite
    Blood rushes down your back
    Snakes go up, snakes go down
    Cool breeze
    Tight squeeze
    Now you’ve got the shiveries

  26. Posted by Heather 17th February, 2010 at 8:12 pm

    my school age kids were doing something similar to this just yesterday… now i has to do with standing on the Eiffel tower: (while swaying the person from left to right their eyes are closed)
    you’re on the Eiffel tower, you’re on the Eiffel tower
    knife in your back, and blood drips down
    knife in your back, and blood drips down
    you’re on the Eiffel tower, you’re on the Eiffel tower
    rope around your neck, and you pull pull pull
    rope around your neck, and you pull pull pull
    you’re on the Eiffel tower, you’re on the Eiffel tower
    knife in your back, and blood drips down
    then you get pushed. (while pushing them)
    and which ever color you see is how you die or where you fall..

    and then i began telling them about around the world in 80 days and i could only remember up the the x marks the spot.. and so i told them i would Google it to find the rest..
    and thank you.. because this is how i remember it.. (the way the original write wrote it!! :D )

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