Taffy was a Welshman

"Taffy was a Welshman" is an anti-Welsh nursery rhyme, formerly popular in England. "Taffy" (a merging of the common Welsh name "Dafydd" and the Welsh river "Taff") has since become a derogatory term for a Welsh person.

Taffy was a Welshman,

Taffy was a thief;

Taffy came to my house

And stole a piece of beef.

I went to Taffy's house,

Taffy was not home;

Taffy came to my house

And stole a marrow bone.

I went to Taffy's house,

Taffy was not in;

Taffy came to my house

And stole a silver pin.

I went to Taffy's house,

Taffy was in bed;

I took up a poker

And threw it at his head.

Another version of the old anti-Welsh English nursery rhyme begins:

Taffy was a Welshman, Taffy was a thief,

Taffy came to my house and stole a leg of beef.

I went to Taffy's house, Taffy wasn't in,

I jumped upon his Sunday hat and poked it with a pin.

Another version runs:

Taffy was a Welshman, Taffy was a thief,

Taffy came to my house and stole a leg of beef.

I went to Taffy's house, Taffy wasn't home,

Taffy was at my house and stole a knuckle bone.

Yet another version runs:

Taffy was a Welshman, Taffy was a thief,

Taffy came to my house and stole a leg of beef.

I went to Taffy's house, Taffy was in bed,

I took a marrow bone and hit him on the head.

Another :

Taffy was a Welshman, and Taffy was a thief,

Taffy came to my house and stole a bit of beef;

I went to Taffy's house, Taffy wasn't at home;

Taffy came to my house and stole a marrow bone.

I went to Taffy's house; Taffy was in bed;

I took up the marrow bone and beat about his head

A slightly ruder version goes:

Taffy was a Welshman, Taffy was a cheat,

Taffy came to my house, and pissed upon the seat,

I went to Taffy's house, Taffy was in bed,

So I climbed in through the window, and kicked him in the head.

Another colourful version goes:

Taffy was a Welshman, Taffy was a thief,

Taffy came to my house and stole a leg of beef.

I went to Taffy's house, Taffy was in bed,

So I picked up the piss-pot and smashed it on his head.

The rhyme was parodied by Alun Rhys.

References

• Henricus Drury, Arundines Cami (1841)