What do people across the country call the childhood prank where you knock on a door and run away?
Many misbegotten childhoods have seen kids playing pranks on their neighbours by knocking on the door and running off.
While Britons may be united in their annoyance at answering a door to thin air, they are divided in what they call this phenomenon. A new YouGov survey of more than 12,000 Britons shows that, among those with a name for the prank, two names come top of the list: “knock down ginger”, given by 25%, and “knock a door run”, the label for 21%.
Also relatively common are “knock and run”, at 13%, and “ding dong ditch” (6%), followed by a long tail of less common titles.
The name people have for the game is highly dependent on where in the country they are. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the North East of England, where 56% call the prank “knocking nine doors” – a moniker given by just 3% of the overall public.
Knock down ginger is most common in London (63%), the East of England (56%) and the South East (55%). This is technically true in the South West, although at the far reduced rate of 21% - unlike the rest of the South, many in the West Country use the alternative “knock knock ginger”, at 16%.
When it comes to the Midlands, Yorkshire, and North West, “knock a door run” is the main preference in each region (38-53%), with “knock and run” also seeing a strong showing in the North West (31%) and West Midlands.
The term “cherry knocking” is also favoured by noticeable minorities of 13% in both the South West and the East Midlands.
Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland all prove to have their own distinct cultural alternatives. Half of Scots use either “chap door run” (27%), or the shortened version “chappie” (23%). Less common, but notable for appearing nowhere else in the wider UK, is the term “chicken mellie”, which 7% of Scots gave as their answer.
Wales is notable for its lack of unity. The most common answer in the principality is knock knock ginger, but at a mere 16%. Unique to Wales are the names “bobby knocking” and “rat a tat ginger”, which were both given by 11% of Welsh respondents.
No name gathers significant use in Northern Ireland either. Topping the list across the Irish Sea is the regional speciality “knick knock” (14%), with the more obviously local name “Belfast” also seeing use (11%). “Thunder and lightning” is also given by 9% of Northern Irish respondents.
Is “knock down ginger” giving way to “ding dong ditch”?
Terms for the prank differ not just by region but also by age. Among the oldest Britons – those aged 70 and above – “knock down ginger” is the clear favourite, with 41% giving this term, far ahead of second placed “knock and run” on 12%. This figure diminishes with each age group, however, and the term is used by just 15% of the under-thirties.
“Ding dong ditch” appears to be a more recent rebranding of the classic game, with 25% of 18-29 year olds giving it as their answer, a figure which immediately falls to 5% among those in their thirties and lower still in older age groups.
“Knock a door run” also finds favour among the younger portion of the population. This term is the most common among those in their thirties (30%), with around a quarter of the under-thirties and people in their forties also using it.
What do you call "knock down ginger", and what other local terms does your area have compared to other places in the country? Have your say, join the YouGov panel, and get paid to share your thoughts. Sign up here.
Photo: Getty
