Knock, knock, ginger

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Knock, Knock, Ginger or Knocky Door Ginger were the original names for the game dating back to 19th century England, (see name variations for other names) 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 form is known by different names geographically, including the following:

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)

Popular culture

  • In the novel and film of the same name To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, the 2 main characters, Scout and Jem Finch, played knock-down ginger on the "devil's" door - the devil being Boo Radley.
  • In the movie Monster House, one of the kids ding dong ditches the house to see if it was really alive.
  • In Lady Sovereign's song "Fiddle With the Volume" she sings "He gets knock-down ginger on his lawn from nine to 5
  • The comedian Ross Noble tells of an experience when during a visit to 11 Downing Street he knocked on the door of 10 Downing Street then ran away, only then realising there is a security fence with armed police at the end of the street.
  • In Maniac Mansion this is used as a means to distract Weird Ed while a second member of your party sneaks into his bedroom to get the important items in it.
  • In a segment of the Australian TV show Rove '99 ca.lled 'Pranking Australia' they did a session on knick-knocking which ends in Pete getting arrested
  • Ding Dong Ditch is also used in a Windex commercial where one of the crows plays the prank on a man sitting on his patio. While he is answering the door, another crow closes the sliding glass door leading to the patio. The man walks back to the patio, and he walks into the door, because Windex "leaves a streak-free shine."
  • In the cartoon Rocko's Modern Life, the characters Heffer Wolfe and Filburt repeatedly pull this prank in one episode until they finally send a victim into a rage and pay the price for their actions.
  • In the Pingu episode "Pingu's Lavatory Story", Pingu plays ding dong ditch at his house in order to get his father out of the bathroom so he can use the toilet.
  • In the Ed, Edd n Eddy episode "The Ed Touchables", Eddy plays ding dong ditch with Edd. When Edd answers the door the first time, no one is there. The second time, Edd pushes the doorbell button to make sure he is not hearing things. The third time, Edd gets hit with a bucket of water. The fourth time, Edd gets a fish thrown in his face. Finally, Eddy appears at the door the fifth time. Edd asks Eddy if he was the one ringing his doorbell, to which Eddy replies, "Who, me? Nah!"
  • In the Beavis and Butt-head episode Ding Dong Ditch, Beavis and Butt-head attempt this prank with various results. They run away after the person answers the door and even run and hide when not ringing the doorbell.
  • Another example of this prank can also be seen in the movie Dennis The Menace. The movie also showed a method of retaliation to deter pranksters (taping a thumbtack to the doorbell).
  • There are two Canadian indie-pop bands whose names involve this game. Knock-Down-Ginger out of Vancouver, BC who first formed in 1995 had released a couple indie albums and subsequently broke up two years after their formation and all members went on to form other bands. Knock Knock Ginger, a pop quintet out of Waterloo, Ontario have been together since 2004 and have two self-produced EPs in their discography that have reached the top 10 on campus radio. KKG's music is also played frequently on CBC Radio 3. They currently perform in local venues across Southern Ontario and have also performed at Waterloo's Canada Day celebration hosted by the University of Waterloo and have also played the Halifax Pop Explosion. Upcoming projects as of Sept 2007 include a full length LP.
  • In 2006, the American Pop music band Matt & Figgy released a song entitled "Ding Dong Ditch" on their debut album, "Hey Man, How's it Goin'?".
  • In 2004, The Scottish band J. Vorhees Goes to the Post Office released a song entitled "knock a door ninja". It charted poorly, but remains a fan favourite, being performed regularly live.
  • In one episode of Balls of Steel, Neg Dupree plays Knock and Don't Run, a variation in which he remains by the door and aims to keep the victim standing there for as long as possible.
  • In one episode of Dexter's Laboratory, Dexter was clad in pink clothes that he had worn before when he was a baby now it was tight for him, so he attempts to do a ding dong ditch at a mansion but was unable to run away.
  • In the movie Billy Madison, Billy and his friends Ding Dong Dung the guy who calls dung poo. They use the "Flaming Bag Of Poo" method.
  • In the Gene Kemp book, Gowie Corby Plays Chicken, the characters engage in the game of playing chicken during a Halloween night.
  • In 2010 the band "Missing Andy" released a single titled (The Way We're Made)In England. It featured the line, "Knock down ginger is what we played, just to pass the time"

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. ^ [1] Tok Tokkie, Encarta
  4. ^ [2] 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, retrieved 2009-09-11
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