Tinker Tailor

Tinker, Tailor,
Soldier, sailor,
Rich man, poor man,
Beggar man, thief!

Listen as female British:

Listen as male American:

Listen as told in a story:

Alternate (American Version):

Rich man, poor man,
Beggar man, thief,
Doctor, Lawyer
Indian Chief!

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Meaning

“Tinker Tailor” is a classic English counting rhyme and fortune-telling song. Children use it as a “counting out” rhyme to choose who will be “it” in games (similar to “Eeny, meeny, miny, moe”), or recite the professions to foretell the future—in particular, what one’s spouse or destiny might be. Items like buttons, petals, or cherry stones are counted while repeating the rhyme, with the last item or word allegedly predicting the answer to a posed question or the role a child will play in life.

Origin

The rhyme’s earliest documented form appears in William Caxton’s The Game and Playe of the Chesse (c. 1475), listing medieval professions. The most recognizable “Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Sailor” sequence emerged by the late 17th century, with William Congreve’s play Love for Love (1695) referencing a group of professions. In the 19th century the rhyme was formalized in collections as a counting song and fortune-telling tradition.

Time Period

Oral tradition spans from at least the late 1400s, with widespread documented popularity in the 19th and 20th centuries.

Why It Became Popular

The rhyme’s short, rhythmic structure and its versatility for games make it easy to memorize and play. Its use for playful divination and selection in games added to its durability across cultures.

Structure and Style

Meter: Short, regular, rhythmic couplets
Rhyme Scheme: AABB
Line Count: Four (basic version), longer if including American extensions
Style Notes: Counting, occupational listing, mnemonic

Themes

Counting and selection
Fortune telling and destiny
Professions and roles
Games and children’s play

Language Notes

The rhyme recites common professions and social roles. American versions add further categories (doctor, lawyer, Indian chief), and alternative forms appear in different dialects and historical texts.

Tinker: An itinerant mender of pots, pans, and other metal household utensils—a once-common, now archaic, profession.

Tailor: A person whose job is to make and alter clothes.

Beggar Man: Highlights the bottom of the social class structure.

The rhyme explicitly covers the full social spectrum from the military and working classes to the wealthy and the criminal.

Moral or Lesson

Playfully suggests that fate or role can be determined at random; introduces children to the variety of possible life occupations.

Historical or Cultural Notes

Used for selecting “it” in children’s games, predicting destinies in play, and teaching about professions. The rhyme inspired the title for John le Carré’s spy novel “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy,” and appears as an idiom in English for variety and speculation.

Notable Variants

A.A. Milne’s Now We Are Six amplifies professions and possibilities, while traditional variants substitute different roles or add new professions. Some divination versions include categories for marriage, clothing, house type, and more.

Appearances in Media or Literature

Widely referenced in nursery rhyme anthologies, popular literature, and film. John le Carré’s “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy” is the most famous literary reinterpretation.

Suggested Activities

Counting Game: Use buttons or petals and the rhyme for playful prediction.
Role Play: Dress up and act the professions listed in the rhyme.
Creative Expansion: Add modern jobs or future roles to extend the sequence.
Literature Exploration: Discuss connections to novels and idioms using the rhyme.