Definition

Noun: A children's singing game in which players hold hands and move in a circle, then all crouch or squat down together at a specific point in the song.

Usage

This word refers specifically to the traditional children's circle game. It is used as the name of the activity. * The kindergarten class played ring-around-a-rosy during recess. * Do you remember the lyrics to ring-around-a-rosy?

Examples

• The sound of children laughing filled the park as they played ring-around-a-rosy.
• "Ring Around the Rosie" is another common name for the game ring-around-a-rosy.

Advanced Usage

The game is often associated with nursery rhymes and childhood tradition. The phrase itself can be used metaphorically to describe a situation where people are engaged in a futile or circular activity. * The committee's discussions felt like a pointless ring-around-a-rosy, with no real progress.

Variants and Related Words

• Ring-a-ring o' roses: A common British English name for the same game.
• Ring Around the Rosie: The most common alternative name in American English.

Synonyms

• Circle game
• Children's singing game

Related Idioms

• (All) fall down: This phrase from the game's lyrics ("ashes, ashes, we all fall down") is sometimes used idiomatically to signify a collective failure or collapse.
  • When the scandal broke, it was like the final line of the song—the entire executive team all fell down.

Noun

1. a children's game in which the players dance around in a circle and at a given signal all squat