"Stella Ella Ola" (Stella Stella Ola), also known as "Quack Dilly Oso", is a
clapping game
A clapping game (or hand game) is a type of usually cooperative (i.e., non- competitive) game which is generally played by two players and involves clapping as a rhythmic accompaniment to a singing game or reciting of a rhyme, often nursery r ...
where players stand or sit in a circle placing one hand over their neighbour's closer hand and sing the song. On every beat, a person claps their higher hand onto the touching person's palm. The cycle continues until the song ends at which point if the person's hand is slapped, they are considered "out" and must stand or sit in the center of the circle, or leave the circle and watch from the edges.
If the player to be slapped pulls their hand away fast enough, the person who attempted to slap the hand is out.
Lyrics
Stella Ella Ola,
Clap, clap, clap
Singing es, chico, chico
Chico, chico, clap, clap
Es chico, chico
Baloney, baloney
Cheese and macaroni
Fire 1, 2, 3, 4, 5!
''Another common version is:''
Stella Ella Ola,
Clap, clap, clap
Singing es, chico, chico
Chico, chico, clap, clap
Say es chico, chico
Below, below
The toilet overflowed
Say 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10!
''A common variant of Stella Ella Ola, Quack Dilly Oso,
follows the same game rules:
Quack dilly oso,
Quack quack quack
Señorita,
rita rita rita,
flora, flora,
flora flora flora,
1, 2, 3, 4!
Canadian regional versions
''
Saskatchewan, Canada
Saskatchewan ( ; ) is a province in western Canada, bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, to the northeast by Nunavut, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dak ...
:''
Stella Ella Ola,
Clap, clap, clap
Singing es, chico, chico
Chico, chico, clap
I said hello, hello
I want to blow your nose
Fire 1, 2, 3, 4!
''
Alberta, Canada
Alberta ( ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is part of Western Canada and is one of the three prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to the west, Saskatchewan to the east, the Northwest Territo ...
(versions differ):''
Stella Ella Ola,
Clap, clap, clap
Singing es, chico, chico
Chico, chico, cracker jacker
Es chico, chico
Baloney, baloney
With cheese and macaroni
Singin' 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10!
''
Toronto, Ontario
Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...
(versions differ):''
Stella Ella Ola,
Quack, quack, quack
Say yes, chico, chico
Chico, chico, quack
Say yes, chico, chico,
Below, below,
The toilet overflows
Say 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10!
''
Elmira, Ontario
Elmira is the largest community in the township of Woolwich, Ontario, Canada. It is north of the city of Waterloo near the Regional Municipality of Waterloo's northern border with Wellington County. The community was listed in the 2016 Canadia ...
(versions do not differ):''
Stella Ella Ola,
Chop, chop, chop
Singin’ es, teego, teego
Teego, teego, chop, chop
Es teego, teego
Blow, blow
The toilet overflowed
Singin’ 1, 2, 3, 4, 5!
''
Vancouver, British Columbia
Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...
(versions differ):''
Stella, Stella, Ola
Clap, clap, clap
Say a yes, chiga, chiga
Chiga, chiga, chap
Say a yes, chiga, chiga
Baloney, baloney
With cheese and macaroni
Fire 1, 2, 3, 4, 5!
''
Winnipeg, Manitoba
Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the province of Manitoba in Canada. It is centred on the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers, near the longitudinal centre of North America. , Winnipeg had a city population of 749 ...
:''
Stella Ella Ola
Clap, clap, clap
Singing es, chico, chico
Chiko, chico, clap, clap
Es chico, chico
Flow, flow
Flow, flow, flow
So, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5!
''
Winnipeg Beach, Manitoba
Winnipeg Beach is a town in the Interlake Region, in the Canadian province of Manitoba. The town was founded in 1900 by Sir William Whyte and is located at the junction of Highway 9 and Highway 229 on the southwestern shore of Lake Winnipeg, abou ...
:''
Stella Ella Ola
Crah, crah, crah, crah
Singing es, chico, chico
Chiko, chico, chack chack
Es chico, chico
Valoh, Valoh,
Valohvahlohvalohvah
1, 2, 3, 4, 5!
''
Prince Edward Island, Canada:''
Stella Ella Ola
Clap, clap, clap
Sayin' yes, chiga chiga
Chiga chiga, chap
Sayin' yes, chiga chiga
Flow, flow
Flow, flow, flow
Sayin' 1, 2, 3, 4, 5!
''
New Brunswick, Canada
New Brunswick (french: Nouveau-Brunswick, , locally ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. It is the only province with both English and ...
:''
Stella Ella Ola
Clap, clap, clap
Sayin' yes, chico chico
Chico chico, chap
Say yes, chico chico
Aloa, aloa
The toilet overflows!
Sayin' 1, 2, 3, 4, 5!
''
Northwest Territories, Canada
The Northwest Territories (abbreviated ''NT'' or ''NWT''; french: Territoires du Nord-Ouest, formerly ''North-Western Territory'' and ''North-West Territories'' and namely shortened as ''Northwest Territory'') is a federal territory of Canada. ...
:''
Stella Ella Ola
Clap, clap, clap
Sayin' S, tiga tiga
Tiga tiga, clap, clap
Baloney, baloney
Cheese and macaroni
Sayin' 1, 2, 3, 4, 5!
''
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
Saskatoon () is the largest city in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It straddles a bend in the South Saskatchewan River in the central region of the province. It is located along the Trans-Canada Yellowhead Highway, and has served as ...
:''
Stella Ella Ola,
Clap, clap, clap
Say yes, chico, chico
Chico, chico, chap
Say yes, chico chico,
Aloa, aloa, aloa-loa-loa!
Say 1, 2, 3, 4, 5!
''
Ottawa, Ontario
Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the core ...
:''
Stella Ella Ola,
Clap, clap, clap
Say yes, chico, chico
Chico, chico, chaw
Say yes, chico chico,
My love, my love, my love my love my love!
Say 1, 2, 3, 4, 5!
American regional versions
Stella Ella ola
Flapjack flapjack
Es chiga chiga
Chiga chiga flapjack
Go slow go slow go slow
1, 2, 3, 4…
Stella Ella ola
Clap clap clap
Saying death to the old ones
Tiga tiga shack shack
Death to the old ones
Valo valo valo valo valo va
1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Stella Ella ola
Clap clap clap
Saying es tiga tiga
Tiga tiga shack shack
Es tiga tiga
Valo valo valo valo valo va
1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Slap dilly oh so,
Slap slap slap
San sandorica
Rica rica rica,
Delores, delor's delor lor lor lor
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, ....
Variations
Two players
* Players slap both hands up and down. In some variations, they continue to alternate until the final count, where the person whose hands are on the bottom is out.
* Players grab each other's right hand just by the fingers and then hold their left hands out to the side. They move their linked right hands from side to side, hitting a left hand on each count. If that child swings her or his hand away on the last count, the other loses.
* Players hold hands and on the last count, they try to pull the other person over a line.
*Players hold hands, with one players arms crossed, and swing their hands side to side so that the player with crossed arms changes. Whoever ends with there arms crossed (or doesn't, depending on where you are) wins. Sometimes you are allowed to pull each other's arms crossed at the end to see who wins.
Three players
* In one three-player version, one player will turn around and the other two players will hold hands and alternate positions. At the end, the person who is turned around will say either top or bottom. The hand who is in that position is champ.
* In another, which can be played with as many people as players wish, but has a minimum of three players, all participants sit in a circle. Their right hand rests on top of the left hand of the player on their right. One person starts, by lifting their right hand, and slapping the right hand of the player on their left. At the end, the person who has the last slap will either slap the hand of the person beside them, or that person will yank their hand away, causing the slapper to hit their own hand. The player that is hit is then out. If no one is hit, the player who was slapping is out.
Appearances in other media
* The lyrics sung in the game make an appearance in track 10 of
Børns' album ''
Blue Madonna
''Blue Madonna'' is the second studio album by American musician Børns. It was released on January 12, 2018 through Interscope Records.
Background
On July 28, 2017, Børns released the single "Faded Heart" on Interscope Records. On September ...
'' "Supernatural".
* The game also makes an appearance in season 6 episode 3 of the CBC show ''
Mr. D
''Mr. D'' is a Canadian television series starring comedian Gerry Dee. The series follows the misadventures of an underqualified schoolteacher named Gerry Duncan, nicknamed Mr. D. It debuted on CBC on January 9, 2012 and concluded after eight s ...
''.
References
*
{{refend
English children's songs
American folk songs
Canadian folk songs
Traditional children's songs
Clapping games