Knock, Knock, Ginger

Knock, Knock, Ginger or Knocky Door Ginger were the names for the game dating back to 19th century England or possibly before to the Cornish traditional holiday of Nickanan Night. This game or prank is played by children in many cultures. It involves knocking on the front door (or ringing the doorbell) of a victim, then running away before the door can be answered. The game has been played since the 19th century.^[1]

Victims of this prank are not likely to call the police, but if they decide to, the "doorbell ditcher" can face charges of trespassing and disturbing the peace, though in the United Kingdom trespass is a civil matter and not a criminal matter so the police will not compile a case for a victim.^[2]

This prank goes by many names in different countries. The name Knock, Knock, Ginger or Knocky Door Ginger, used in Britain, comes from a piece of British doggerel:

Ginger, Ginger broke a winder

Hit the winda - Crack!

The baker came out to give 'im a clout.

And landed on his back

Name variations

The game in various forms is known by different names geographically, including the following:

• Bell Bajake Bhago (India)
• Belletje Trekken (Flanders, the Netherlands^{[citation needed]})
• Belletje trekken/Belletje lellen (The Netherlands)
• Bellfast Sweden
• Bjölluat (Iceland)
• Chappy (Scotland)
• Cherry Door Knocking
• Chicky Melly,^[3] Chickenelly (Scotland)
• Ding dong dash Italy
• Ding dong ditch (Midwest United States) - this variation was used in a Beavis and Butt-head episode of the same name, where the titular characters kept on incorrectly performing the trick.
• Dong and Dash (Michigan)
• Doorbell Ditch (Western United States)
• Doorbell Dixie (Delaware)
• Dyraat (Iceland)
• Dørfis (Denmark)
• Ginger knocking
• J-Mac Ginger Knock (Milwaukee)
• Klingelputzen, Klingelstreich, Schellekloppe, Schellemännchen, Klingelmännchen (Germany)
• Knick Knacks or Knock-a-Dolly (Republic of Ireland))
• Knick-knocking
• Knick-Knocking (Australia)
• Knicky Knicky Nine Doors
• Knicky, Knocky, Hide Door (North-east England)
• Knock and Knash (North-west England)
• Knock and run^[4]
• Knock Door Bunk
• Knock Down Ginger (London)
• Knock Knock Run (Georgia)
• Knock Knock, Zoom Zoom (Southern United States)^{[citation needed]}
• Knock Off Ginger
• Knock Out Ginger
• Knock, knock Ginger
• Knock-a-door bye-bye
• Knock-a-door-dash (North-west England)
• Knock-a-door-run (North-east England)
• Knock-down Ginger
• Knocker Knocker (Wales)
• Knocking days
• Knock'n'Bomb (Northern England)
• Knock-up Ginger
• Knocky Door Ginger (United Kingdom)
• Knocky Neighbours Napper
• Knocky Nine Doors
• Knocky-nine-doors (England - North East)
• Nicky Nicky Nine Door (Southern Ontario & Eastern Ontario)
• Paddy Knick Knock (N Ireland)
• Piggy Knock and Run (The United Kingdom)
• Pinpon Dash (Japan)
• Rat a tat Ginger (Wales)
• Rib Door Run Lochee/Hilltown
• Ring and Run (Poland/Germany/Canada)
• Ring Raje (Argentina)^[5]
• Ring the Bell and Run like Hell (New York)
• Ringa—bang-scush (Barbados)
• Ring-a-door Ginger
• Ringepigg, Ring På Spring (Norway)
• Ring-Ring, Corre Corre (Ring-Ring, Run Run) (Ecuador)
• Rin-Rin Raja (Chile)
• Tap on the door and run (Ukraine)
• Thunder and Lightning (Northern Ireland) - "knock like thunder and run like lightning"
• Tok Tokkie (South Africa)^[6]
• Tommy Knockers (Texas)

Variations

Knicky, knicky, nine door

"Run By" Running down a street knocking on as many doors as possible and waiting to see all the neighbors come out at one time.

• knicky, knocky, nine door
• knicky, knicky, nine door (Canada)
• knocky nine door (North East England)
• knocky nine doors
• knicky, knocky, nino
• Boby Knocking (Swansea)

Controversies

Michael Bishop, a 56-year-old man in Louisville, Kentucky shot at a group of kids playing Ding Dong Ditch at his house on 13 June 2011. A 12-year-old boy was hit in the back with a shotgun blast and was hospitalized in the intensive care unit with two collapsed lungs.^[7]

References

1. ^ The Lore and Language of Schoolchildren
2. ^ Forsyth County, Georgia, USA is very strict on Trespassing, and Disturbing the Peace and "Ding Dong Ditch" (their version of this) is considered a crime in that county, and the fine is $100.
3. ^ Black, Claire. "Interview: Sue Lawrence, home cook". The Scotsman. http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/interviews/Interview-Sue-Lawrence-home-cook.6817095.jp?articlepage=3. Retrieved 31 August 2011. 
4. ^ [1] Knock and Run, BBC
5. ^ "Terminó preso porque encerró a un chico que le hizo ring raje", Clarin.com (Buenos Aires, Argentina), 2007-07-14, http://www.clarin.com/diario/2007/07/14/sociedad/s-05801.htm, retrieved 2009-09-11 
6. ^ [2] Tok Tokkie, Encarta
7. ^ Police: Boy Playing Ding-Dong Ditch Shot In Back