# nana nana na - Are children's taunting songs Universal?



## Tabac

This may be somewhat difficult to ask in writing, but I'll try.

In US English, there is a phrase ("na-na na-na na-na"), sung to _sol-sol mi-la_ _sol-mi_.  It is used as a sort of ridicule "see, I told you so", "ha ha, I got more ice cream than you did", etc.

1)  Is this common in  the English-speaking world?
2)  Is the same phrase/music used in other languages?

Thanks!!


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## kertek

Here's a thread about it in French: nananananère!


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## badgrammar

In French, yes. It's nananananère!

Exactly the same rhythm and can be followed up by something catchy like

"Nananananère, pouette pouette camembert!"

Down in Texas our version was "nanny nanny poo poo!  Stick your head in doo doo!"

Classy huh?


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## Gato_Gordo

Hi Tabac:

Ha, ha, you actually had me singing the notes and yes!, they are correct!

In Mexico we know the tune from the USA, but here we use another one:

*Lero lero candilero* maybe just _sol-la-sol-mi, sol-la-sol-mi_

Sometimes lero lero is enough, sometimes it goes as far as to say lero lero candilero, tienes cara de.... (anything you want to rhyme with -o)

Saludos ^_^


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## Krümelmonster

In Germany you have the same "na-na na-na na-na"-song as in England...


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## maxiogee

In Ireland we are obviously more succinct!
We can convey in five *na*s what it takes the rest of you six to express.

We say Na-na na-na nah!


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## Krümelmonster

In Germany there's also the version of NA nana na na (so the first two nas which have the same tone are just one)


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## ewhite

maxiogee said:
			
		

> In Ireland we are obviously more succinct!
> We can convey in five *na*s what it takes the rest of you six to express.
> 
> We say Na-na na-na nah!



Same here in New York City, although we put a y into int:

nyah-nyah nyah-nyah-nyah.


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## belén

Same in Spain, durations: "na na na naaaaa na"


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## maxiogee

So, is this an inherited, genetic taunt - innate in children, or has it spread from some particularly vicious and nasty village somewhere in central Europe?


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## mytwolangs

badgrammar said:
			
		

> In French, yes. It's nananananère!
> Exactly the same rhythm and can be followed up by something catchy like
> "Nananananère, pouette pouette camembert!"
> Down in Texas our version was "nanny nanny poo poo! Stick your head in doo doo!"
> Classy huh?


I remember when those were fighting words!

From fine grammar points to children's taunts. Learn it all at wordreference.com.
More important that the WORDS, is the annoying chant that they go with.


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## cyanista

Tabac said:
			
		

> This may be somewhat difficult to ask in writing, but I'll try.
> 
> In US English, there is a phrase ("na-na na-na na-na"), sung to _sol-sol mi-la_ _sol-mi_.  It is used as a sort of ridicule "see, I told you so", "ha ha, I got more ice cream than you did", etc.
> 
> 1)  Is this common in  the English-speaking world?
> 2)  Is the same phrase/music used in other languages?
> 
> Thanks!!



Russian expresses it differently: "бе бе бе" (beh beh beh).  It is not sung but it certainly has a teasing intonation.


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## panjabigator

I have said neener neener neeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeener before...


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## Pivra

Somehow, I don´t remember growing up taunting. Neither do I remember my siblings growing up taunting. Must be something wrong with us.



			
				Gato_Gordo said:
			
		

> Hi Tabac:
> 
> Sometimes lero lero is enough, sometimes it goes as far as to say lero lero candilero, tienes cara de.... (anything you want to rhyme with -o)
> 
> Saludos ^_^


 
alguien me dijo ... "tienes la cara de caca" antes ... jejejeje.... is that part of the taunting song?? (estoy bromeando)


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## Gato_Gordo

Pivra said:
			
		

> alguien me dijo ... "tienes la cara de caca" antes ... jejejeje.... is that part of the taunting song?? (estoy bromeando)



No, because it doesn't rhyme with *lero* 

*But it can be lero lero, tienes cara de-e pedo *(fart face)


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## Pivra

Gato_Gordo said:
			
		

> No, because it doesn't rhyme with *lero*
> 
> *But it can be lero lero, tienes cara de-e pedo *(fart face)


 
Yo estraño el español mucho, hace tiempo que no lo hablo. Estoy oxidadísimo. 

¿y los niños mexicanos dicen eso? lero lero, tienes cara de pedo... lol??


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## Gato_Gordo

Pivra said:
			
		

> Yo estraño el español mucho, hace tiempo que no lo hablo. Estoy oxidadísimo.
> 
> ¿y los niños mexicanos dicen eso?  lero lero, tienes cara de pedo... lol??



Claro Pivra, lo dicen los chicos de unos seis años para arriba, cara de pedo es aquella persona que hace menos a los demás y los ve con desdén mientras frunce la nariz, como si hubiera olido una flatulencia


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## ukuca

Tabac said:
			
		

> This may be somewhat difficult to ask in writing, but I'll try.
> 
> In US English, there is a phrase ("na-na na-na na-na"), sung to _sol-sol mi-la_ _sol-mi_. It is used as a sort of ridicule "see, I told you so", "ha ha, I got more ice cream than you did", etc.


 
I guess you're talking about the "Na-na na-na nah" which is said in *Simpsons *(the bully kid says)


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## unefemme1

1) Yes it's common, but obviously only in the children world, and usually used between children, rather than adults lol. 

The tune is correct, but just with one less _sol- _in the beginning. I'm not sure if other countries use the same verse, but just know that its derived from USA. There are other versions to this tune as well, depending on where you are.


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## Outsider

Tabac said:
			
		

> 2)  Is the same phrase/music used in other languages?


Children say it in Portuguese, too. I guess this type of thing spreads quickly around the world.


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## estrella de mar

ukuca said:
			
		

> I guess you're talking about the "Na-na na-na nah" which is said in *Simpsons *(the bully kid says)


 
I used this once in an English class to explain to the kids the meaning of "to make fun of"!


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## maxiogee

ukuca said:
			
		

> I guess you're talking about the "Na-na na-na nah" which is said in *Simpsons *(the bully kid says)



In the version of the Simpsons shown here in Ireland and in the UK, Nelson Muntz just says "Ha-ha". This is from a wikipedia site
The Simpsons has perhaps most entered the public consciousness 
in the form of the numerous catch phrases of its characters. 
Such catch phrases include Homer's famous annoyed grunt "D'oh!", 
Mr. Burns' "Excellent..." and Nelson Muntz's "Ha-ha!"

Maybe you get a dubbed version.


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## estrella de mar

You're all quite right. I apologise. It was the correct version I used! Apologies to all!


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## emma42

Na na nana na was definitely used in Corby, central England in the 1960s and so today.  We also used to say, "I'm telling, you're smelling".  It was a sophisticated and deeply compassionate time.


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## ewhite

When called an insulting name, or perhaps upon being "nyah nyahed", the children of Queens, New York, would wittily reply, "I'm rubber, you're glue. It  bounces off me, sticks to you".

Ah, we were all poets then.


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## panjabigator

There was also one with one person being a mirror....I remember that from when I lived in Long Island....man kids can be horrible!


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## danielfranco

Children are the masters of cruelty. I love that one about glue and rubber, or as it is known in the TV show "Scrubs":
"Boing! Fweeep!"

In Mexico we did say "Lero, lero, candilero, tienes cara de [any insult, doesn't have to rhyme, but it's much cooler if it does]".
The taunt about the mirror goes like this in Spanish:
"Soy espejo y te reflejo, tienes cara de... [silencio]"
"I'm a mirror and I reflect you, you have the face of a... [pause here, to dare the other guy to say any insult]"

HAA-ha...


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