Knock, Knock, Ginger

Knock, knock, ginger (also known as knock down ginger, ding dong ditch, chap door run and numerous variants) is a prank or game dating back to 19th-century England, or possibly the earlier Cornish traditional holiday of Nickanan Night. The game 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.[1]

The name knock down ginger or knocky door ginger, used in parts of Southern England, comes from an English poem:

Ginger, Ginger broke a winder
Hit the winda – crack!
The baker came out to give 'im a clout
And landed on his back.[2]

Name variations

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

Legality

Victims of this prank are not likely to call the police, but if they decide to, the prankster can face charges of trespassing and disturbing the peace. In England and Wales, trespassing is a civil matter rather than a criminal one, and the police will not compile a case for a victim. However, under the Town Police Clauses Act 1847, it is a criminal offence to "wilfully and wantonly disturb any inhabitant, by pulling or ringing any door bell, or knocking at any door" punishable with up to 14 days' imprisonment.[24][25] In Scotland, although the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 establishes universal access rights, the so-called "right to roam" is only permitted where the privacy of others is respected. Such errant behaviour could be regarded as the Scottish common law criminal offence of "malicious mischief".

Michael Bishop, a 56-year-old man in Louisville, Kentucky, shot at a group of children 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 "the boy was taken to Kosair Children's Hospital with what police call non-life-threatening injuries". The shooter was charged with attempted murder.[5] On December 8, 2015, his final day in office, outgoing Kentucky governor Steve Beshear issued 197 pardons,[26] including a pardon for Michael Bishop.[27]

A 14-year-old Oklahoma teenager, Cole Peyton, was shot in the back and arm while playing "ding dong ditch" in the early hours of New Year's Day of 2016.[28][29]

See also

References
  1. Opie, Iona Archibald; Opie, Peter (2001). The Lore and Language of Schoolchildren. ISBN 9780940322691. Retrieved 9 September 2012.
  2. John MacKay Shaw (1967). Childhood in poetry. Retrieved 8 December 2016.
  3. "Kevin Brennan MP".
  4. "Prank".
  5. Daniel Kemp (14 June 2011). "Police: Boy Playing Ding-Dong Ditch Shot In Back". Wlky.com. Archived from the original on 23 March 2012. Retrieved 9 September 2012.
  6. Black, Claire. "Interview: Sue Lawrence, home cook". The Scotsman. Retrieved 31 August 2011.
  7. "Dictionary of the Scots Language :: SND :: Chickie-mellie n. comb".
  8. "Dictionary of the Scots Language :: SND :: Chap v.1". www.dsl.ac.uk.
  9. Williams, Craig. "Article: Remembering Two Man Hunt, Chappy and the other games Glasgow kids played on the streets, Glasgow Live". Retrieved 10 June 2019.
  10. Ltd, Not Panicking. "h2g2 - Knocking on Doors - a How-to Guide - Edited Entry".
  11. http://www.dailyedge.ie/dublin-granny-knick-knack-2535061-Jan2016/
  12. "Cherry-knocking turns to theft of OAPs' doorbells". Gloucestershire Echo. 5 June 2012. Archived from the original on 1 July 2013. Retrieved 30 June 2013.
  13. Country Doctor. Constable & Robinson Ltd. 7 February 2013. ISBN 9781472107992. Retrieved 30 June 2013.
  14. "nicky nicky nine doors", Dictionary.com, Oakland, CA, United States, retrieved 16 January 2011
  15. Gary Alan Fine. "Pre-Adolescent Male Slang V". University of Minnesota. Retrieved 20 March 2020.
  16. Clough, Alexandra (23 February 2010). "Family of boy shot and killed during ring-and-run prank near Boca may never see settlement after shooter files bankruptcy". The Palm Beach Post. Retrieved 10 April 2012.
  17. Belletje trekken, Retrieved 2015-11-02
  18. ""Knock and nash" nuisance". Cwherald.com. 29 February 2008. Retrieved 27 March 2016.
  19. Johnstone, Eloise (13 September 2012). "Clowning around can end in tears". Bendigo Advertiser. Retrieved 27 February 2020.
  20. "tok-tokkie | Definition of tok-tokkie in English by Oxford Dictionaries". Oxford Dictionaries | English. Retrieved 16 November 2018.
  21. "Stupidshow.com: on joue à sonne-décriss". La Presse. 2 May 2007. Retrieved 9 July 2019.
  22. "Diccionario Chileno / Definición de: Rin-rin raja". Diccionario Chileno. 4 January 2019. Retrieved 4 January 2019.
  23. "Definition of Bell-Twei in Korean". NAVER Dictionary. 15 April 2019. Retrieved 15 April 2019.
  24. "Town Police Clauses Act 1847". Legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 9 September 2012.
  25. 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.
  26. "Gov. Beshear's 197 pardons include Louisville man charged with shooting 12-year-old boy in 2011". wrdb.com. 8 December 2015. Retrieved 9 December 2015.
  27. "Victim's family 'outraged' after man who shot 12-year-old boy is pardoned". wrdb.com. 8 December 2015. Retrieved 9 December 2015.
  28. Whigham, Nick. "Cole Peyton shooting, Obama forces through gun control". news.com.au. Retrieved 18 December 2018.
  29. Blakinger, Keri (2 January 2016). "Oklahoma honor student, 14, shot in the back while playing 'ding dong ditch' - NY Daily News". nydailynews.com. Retrieved 18 December 2018.
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