Can you pick the correct word for the following? “Peter, Peter __ eater, had a wife but couldn’t keep her”.

“Peter Peter Pumpkin Eater” is a well-known nursery rhyme in the USA and more recently in the UK.

This strange nursery rhyme about Peter keeping his wife in a pumpkin has been a longtime favorite in the U.S., dating back to 1825 in Boston. It was first published in “Mother Goose’s Quarto,” but its origins are unclear. Some researchers point to a 19th-century Scottish song that was later adapted in the U.S. to use pumpkins in the lyrics (pumpkins were not popular in Scotland).

Peter, Peter pumpkin eater,

Had a wife but couldn’t keep her;

He put her in a pumpkin shell

And there he kept her very well.

Peter, Peter pumpkin eater,

Had another and didn’t love her;

Peter learned to read and spell,

And then he loved her very well.

More Info: en.wikipedia.org

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30 Comments

Micheline Ratcliffe

The nursery rhyme Peter, Peter Pumpkin Eater, is originally from England. It was published in Great Britain in the late 18th century. Then, in 1825 the verse was published in Boston, Massachusetts.(Wikipedia) I am almost 80yo ... born in England and grew up in Australia. I have always known this nursery rhyme. Most nursery rhymes have an historical meaning like Ring-a-ring a Rosie (the plague) Humpty Dumpty (Richard lll) etc ... etc ... I really don't know where these quiz setters get their information !!! Do your research people and don't assume that everything originated in the USA.

earlepg

Going back aways for this one. I certainly recall the first half, but the second half is lost in the mists of time.

marian

Alan B Mitchell, Oh yes you must be younger than me then! I grew up in UK and this was right up there with hickory dickory dock.

Irene Townsend

Peter, Peter pumpkin eater has been around England for at least 70/80 years, so don't know what you mean by recently, guess your definition. Pumpkins and Squash were used as food for cows when I was a kid, Here in NZ we roast it, boil it, makes a terrific soup. Can't imagine it as a desert.

Phil Kennelty

The correct answer to this questions is "yes".

Julie Allen

Knew this when I was a small child in Australia.

John W Shreve

I recall someone reciting this with off-color words.

Janice Bell Ridgley

I absolutely love pumpkin or squash pieI. I used to both in the store. In Florida one sees very few pumpkin pies and no squash pies.

Ian Thomson

Micheline Ratcliffe, I have always thought that Humpty Dumpty referred to Cardinal Wolesey who had a great fall in Henry V111 time. I was born and raised in the village in Yorkshire where he had his palace in the north and we were told that

Judi Hanan

earlepg, the 2nd half I didn't remember either. Have fond memories of those nursery rhymes.❤️

Kath Thomson

I heard this often growing up in New Zealand and knew it had it's origins in England, not the USA. One probability of the meaning of this nursery rhyme is that Peter was married to a woman who was unfaithful to him so he forced her to wear a chastity belt. This iron underwear was often called a pumpkin and was locked, the key being kept in the husband's pocket. Another explanation refers to murder; Peter killed his unfaithful wife and hid the body inside a pumpkin.

Joanne Serin

earlepg, I never knew the second part.

Denise Currie

Alan B Mitchell, You are probably too young

Leader PM Imran Khan 🇵🇰

I like this rhyme PETER PETER PUMPKIN EATER

Steve Tingle

When my daughter was young I got her a video of nursery rhymes there were 75 on it and much to my surprise I knew 70 of them, if anyone had asked how many I knew before then I would have said a couple of dozen. This one was one of those I knew, though not the second verse.

Irene Townsend

dinieiler, I have had Pumpkin soup but never made it but will try and ask my friend she makes a delicious one.

dinieiler

Irene Townsend, pumpkin pie is delicious, never had it as a soup before, but would love a recipe for it ..

Julie Domaille

Sounds like a story of a control freak man with a root vegetable fetish. We prefer stories about eggs falling off walls and armies being unable to do shell case jigsaws. But that's Britain for you...