Meanings
nouneeny, meeny, miny, moe (uncountable)
alternative eeni meeni mina mo · alternative eeny-meeny-miney-mo
- uncountableplayground gamesA method of choosing between two or more people or things, used by children. A child points to each item in turn (or alternately), while saying a rhyme starting "Eeny, meeny, miney, moe", moving to the next item after each word. The item pointed to on the last word of the rhyme is the one chosen.
“Well”, said Lord Galen in some dismay, “I suppose we shall have to cast lots or play at Eeni Meeni Mina Mo?”
1985, Lawrence Durrell, Quinx, Faber & Faber; (Avignon Quintet), published 2004, page 12522 more examples
“...As for this thing”, ... he held up the shuttlecock, contaminated, in his outstretched right [hand], “this idiot tickler, the only thing it's good for is eeny-meeny-miney-mo”.
1959, John Knowles, chapter 3, in A Separate Peace"Graham's quick reminder was crucial because I couldn't remember what anyone said. It was eeny-meany-miney-moe. Sue was miney."
2024 May 22, The Guardian, London, page 8, column 4
Origin
Compare Dutch iene miene mutte, German ene mene mu.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Arabic حكرة بكرة
- حكرة بكرةsimilar children's counting-out games in other languages
Bulgarian а́ла ба́ла ни́ца ту́рска пани́ца, ой ги́ди Ва́нчо наш капита́нчо
- а́ла ба́ла ни́ца ту́рска пани́ца, ой ги́ди Ва́нчо наш капита́нчо (ála bála níca túrska paníca, oj gídi Vánčo naš kapitánčo)similar children's counting-out games in other languages
Chinese Cantonese 點指兵兵 /点指兵兵, 點指兵兵
- 點指兵兵 /点指兵兵 (dim² zi² bing¹ bing¹)similar children's counting-out games in other languages
- 點指兵兵similar children's counting-out games in other languages
- 點著誰人做大兵 /点指兵兵similar children's counting-out games in other languages
- 点着谁人做大兵 (dim² zi² bing¹ bing¹, dim² zoek⁶ seoi⁴ jan⁴ zou⁶ daai⁶ bing¹)similar children's counting-out games in other languages
Chinese Mandarin 你拍一，我拍一，一隻小貓坐飛機 /你拍一, 我拍一
- 你拍一，我拍一，一隻小貓坐飛機 /你拍一similar children's counting-out games in other languages
- 我拍一similar children's counting-out games in other languages
- 一只小猫坐飞机 (nǐ pāiyī, wǒ pāiyī, yī zhī xiǎomāo zuò fēijī)similar children's counting-out games in other languages
Danish ælle bælle mig fortælle
- ælle bælle mig fortællesimilar children's counting-out games in other languages
Dutch iene miene mutte
- iene miene muttesimilar children's counting-out games in other languages
Finnish entten-tentten-teelika-mentten
- entten-tentten-teelika-menttensimilar children's counting-out games in other languages
French ams tram gram
- ams tram gramsimilar children's counting-out games in other languages
German ene mene miste, ene mene mu
- ene mene mistesimilar children's counting-out games in other languages
- ene mene musimilar children's counting-out games in other languages
Greek α μπε μπα μπλομ
- α μπε μπα μπλομ (a be ba blom)similar children's counting-out games in other languages
Hebrew אן דן דינו
- אן דן דינוsimilar children's counting-out games in other languages
Hindi अक्कड़ बक्कड़ बम्बे बो, ईना मीना डीका
- अक्कड़ बक्कड़ बम्बे बो (akkaṛ bakkaṛ bambe bo)similar children's counting-out games in other languages
- ईना मीना डीका (īnā mīnā ḍīkā)similar children's counting-out games in other languages
Icelandic úllen dúllen doff
- úllen dúllen doffsimilar children's counting-out games in other languages
Indonesian cap cip cup kembang kuncup, kuda lari kejepit pintu
- cap cip cup kembang kuncup, kuda lari kejepit pintusimilar children's counting-out games in other languages
Italian ambarabà ciccì coccò, (Liguria) igne migne magna mo
- ambarabà ciccì coccòsimilar children's counting-out games in other languages
- (Liguria) igne migne magna mosimilar children's counting-out games in other languages
Japanese どちらにしようかな
- どちらにしようかな (dochira ni shiyō kana)similar children's counting-out games in other languages
Norwegian elle melle deg fortelle, akka bakka bonka rakka
- elle melle deg fortellesimilar children's counting-out games in other languages
- akka bakka bonka rakkasimilar children's counting-out games in other languages
- enike penikesimilar children's counting-out games in other languages
Persian آن مان نواران
- آن مان نوارانsimilar children's counting-out games in other languages
Polish entliczek pentliczek czerwony stoliczek na kogo wypadnie na tego bec, ene due rike fake
- entliczek pentliczek czerwony stoliczek na kogo wypadnie na tego becsimilar children's counting-out games in other languages
- ene due rike fakesimilar children's counting-out games in other languages
Portuguese uni-duni-tê
- uni-duni-têsimilar children's counting-out games in other languages
Romanian an-tan-te, ala-bala portocala
- an-tan-tesimilar children's counting-out games in other languages
- ala-bala portocalasimilar children's counting-out games in other languages
Russian э́ники бе́ники, э́ни бе́ни
- э́ники бе́ники (éniki béniki)similar children's counting-out games in other languages
- э́ни бе́ни (éni béni)similar children's counting-out games in other languages
Spanish detín dedón, marín pingüé, cucara macara, piquere fue, una, dole, tele, catole
- detín dedón, marín pingüé, cucara macara, piquere fuesimilar children's counting-out games in other languages
- una, dole, tele, catolesimilar children's counting-out games in other languages
- pito, pito, gorgoritosimilar children's counting-out games in other languages
Swedish ole, dole, doff
- ole, dole, doffsimilar children's counting-out games in other languages
Cite this entry
APA
eeny, meeny, miny, moe. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/eeny%2C%20meeny%2C%20miny%2C%20moe
MLA
“eeny, meeny, miny, moe.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/eeny%2C%20meeny%2C%20miny%2C%20moe. Accessed November 5, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “eeny, meeny, miny, moe,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/eeny%2C%20meeny%2C%20miny%2C%20moe.
Source: eeny, meeny, miny, moe on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.