<p>Regarding "The point won't hold after translation", maybe the words in this poem are relevant:</p>

<p>See you later, alligator!</p>

<p>After while, crocodile!</p>

<p>In an hour, sunflower!</p>

<p>Maybe two, kangaroo!</p>

<p>Gotta go, buffalo!</p>

<p>Adios, hippos!</p>

<p>Chow, chow, brown cow!</p>

<p>See you soon, baboon!</p>

<p>Adieu, cockatoo!</p>

<p>Better swish, jellyfish.</p>

<p>Chop chop, lollipop.</p>

<p>Gotta run, skeleton!</p>

<p>Bye-bye, butterfly!</p>

<p>Better shake, rattle snake.</p>

<p>Our school day now ends.</p>

<p>So, good-bye, good friends!</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-05-10T18:38:00.010Z
Interesting. Also reminds me of the lyrics of _Twelve Days of Christmas_.
NS.X.
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-05-10T09:12:15.833Z
2013-05-10T09:12:15.833Z
Lu Wang
<p>There are no meaning of these words,just to make them sounds better.There are no rules of adding words to make sentences more beautiful or poem more rhyming,as I know, just depends the need.sometimes the word doesn't read as it's original pronunciation,to make doggerel or song sound better,This can find in JINGJU：Beijing Opera.</p>

<p>淮河营</p>

<p>此时间不可闹笑话，胡言乱语怎瞒咱</p>

<p>“咱“should read as "zán".but in the Opera it read as "zá",with melody.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-11-22T07:43:24.523Z
2012-11-22T07:43:24.523Z
Winnie
<p>在打油诗、顺口溜、儿歌里经常有纯粹是为了押韵或节拍而插入的和文意无关的词汇。在北方话、传统北京/天津评书相声里尤甚。我想知道在语言学专业里这种情况是怎么解释的，有没有术语或相关资料。</p>

<p>例如北京顺口溜：</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>嗝屁着凉大海棠，脚不丫子蘸白糖。</p>
</blockquote>

<p>里“大海棠”完全是为押韵，无意义；蘸白糖虽然略有意义，但选词十分随机，更多是为了一种插科打诨的效果。</p>

<p>Brief translation:</p>

<p>It's common to hear rhyming filler words without a relevant meaning being used in doggerel/jingles, especially in Northern China dialects and traditional Beijing/Tianjin storytelling and cross talk performances. I am wondering if there are linguistic terminologies, theories or reading materials around this.</p>

<p>(The example is a Beijing doggerel. The point won't hold after translation.)</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-11-02T03:57:42.360Z
This sounds very similar to a rhyming slang, in which a word or phrase is replaced with another nonsensical and totally unrelated phrase that rhymes with it. It is different from what you described in that words from a rhyming slang **replace** their original counterparts instead of acting as filler words. For example, in Cockney rhyming slang of East London, **I'm going up the apples and pears** = I'm going up the stairs.
deutschZuid
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-11-02T15:44:17.047Z
@JamesJiao didn't know that, very interesting. Even more interesting is they then omit the rhyming part to encrypt the message, like Pig Latin but much more advanced.
NS.X.
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-11-02T16:17:42.943Z
For the syllable filling part, 衬词 `inserted words` in most folk songs is worth discussion, too.
Nihil
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-11-02T16:47:44.340Z
@JamesJiao In Cockney rhyming slang, AFAIU, the **apples and pears** that you mention will even drop out in favor of the *non-rhyming word*, to become "I'm going up the **apples**"!
Kang Ming
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-11-05T17:33:21.540Z
Yes, @KangMing, a well-known example is blowing a raspberry. I recently learned the origin of that term is "raspberry tart", which rhymes with "fart".
Don Kirkby
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-11-05T17:44:39.290Z
@DonKirkby Whoa! You blew my mind!  Also money => "bread and honey" => bread.  I'm wondering if this question (which is awesome) should be cleaned up and migrated to linguistics.SE
Kang Ming
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-11-08T20:21:50.293Z
@KangMing Absolutely correct. Another good example is 'china' to mean 'mate' (from china plate).
deutschZuid
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-01-14T03:13:58.550Z
In Northeast, we also say 嗝屁朝阳见（现）太阳, which makes more sense than Beijing dialect.
tomriddle_1234
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-01-14T08:27:14.607Z
@tomriddle_1234 senseless words are quite common in doggerel verses in Beijing, not only in this example. Is it the same in northeast?
NS.X.
<mandarin><academic>
Academic explanation for rhyming fillers with irrelevant meaning in doggerel
# Academic explanation for rhyming fillers with irrelevant meaning in doggerel

(Asked by: username_0 on 2012-11-02)

在打油诗、顺口溜、儿歌里经常有纯粹是为了押韵或节拍而插入的和文意无关的词汇。在北方话、传统北京/天津评书相声里尤甚。我想知道在语言学专业里这种情况是怎么解释的，有没有术语或相关资料。

例如北京顺口溜：

> 嗝屁着凉大海棠，脚不丫子蘸白糖。

里“大海棠”完全是为押韵，无意义；蘸白糖虽然略有意义，但选词十分随机，更多是为了一种插科打诨的效果。

Brief translation:

It's common to hear rhyming filler words without a relevant meaning being used in doggerel/jingles, especially in Northern China dialects and traditional Beijing/Tianjin storytelling and cross talk performances. I am wondering if there are linguistic terminologies, theories or reading materials around this.

(The example is a Beijing doggerel. The point won't hold after translation.)

**Tags:** mandarin, academic

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: This sounds very similar to a rhyming slang, in which a word or phrase is replaced with another nonsensical and totally unrelated phrase that rhymes with it. It is different from what you described in that words from a rhyming slang **replace** their original counterparts instead of acting as filler words. For example, in Cockney rhyming slang of East London, **I'm going up the apples and pears** = I'm going up the stairs.  
> **username_0**: @JamesJiao didn't know that, very interesting. Even more interesting is they then omit the rhyming part to encrypt the message, like Pig Latin but much more advanced.  
> **username_2**: For the syllable filling part, 衬词 `inserted words` in most folk songs is worth discussion, too.  
> **username_3**: @JamesJiao In Cockney rhyming slang, AFAIU, the **apples and pears** that you mention will even drop out in favor of the *non-rhyming word*, to become "I'm going up the **apples**"!  
> **username_4**: Yes, @username_3, a well-known example is blowing a raspberry. I recently learned the origin of that term is "raspberry tart", which rhymes with "fart".  
> **username_3**: @username_4 Whoa! You blew my mind!  Also money => "bread and honey" => bread.  I'm wondering if this question (which is awesome) should be cleaned up and migrated to linguistics.SE  
> **username_1**: @username_3 Absolutely correct. Another good example is 'china' to mean 'mate' (from china plate).  
> **username_5**: In Northeast, we also say 嗝屁朝阳见（现）太阳, which makes more sense than Beijing dialect.  
> **username_0**: @username_5 senseless words are quite common in doggerel verses in Beijing, not only in this example. Is it the same in northeast?  

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## 2 answers

### Answer by username_6 on 2013-05-10. Score: 1

Regarding "The point won't hold after translation", maybe the words in this poem are relevant:

See you later, alligator!

After while, crocodile!

In an hour, sunflower!

Maybe two, kangaroo!

Gotta go, buffalo!

Adios, hippos!

Chow, chow, brown cow!

See you soon, baboon!

Adieu, cockatoo!

Better swish, jellyfish.

Chop chop, lollipop.

Gotta run, skeleton!

Bye-bye, butterfly!

Better shake, rattle snake.

Our school day now ends.

So, good-bye, good friends!

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Interesting. Also reminds me of the lyrics of _Twelve Days of Christmas_.  

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### Answer by username_7 on 2012-11-22. Score: -1

There are no meaning of these words,just to make them sounds better.There are no rules of adding words to make sentences more beautiful or poem more rhyming,as I know, just depends the need.sometimes the word doesn't read as it's original pronunciation,to make doggerel or song sound better,This can find in JINGJU：Beijing Opera.

淮河营

此时间不可闹笑话，胡言乱语怎瞒咱

“咱“should read as "zán".but in the Opera it read as "zá",with melody.


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