Big booty

Big Booty is a verbal tag game, similar to Who Took the Cookie From the Cookie Jar, Zoom Schwartz Profigliano and (most particularly) Numbers. Chanted phrases and rhythm in 4/4 time are important components of the game. Players are arranged in a circle and have a ranking determined by position. The goal is to increase one's rank by not making mistakes and hold the highest ranking for as long as possible.

Players are referred to by their rank. The highest ranking player is designated "Big Booty". In some variants, the lowest ranking player is designated "Little Booty". Everyone else has a numerical designation based on position in the circle, such as "Number 1", "Number 2" &c. One player is "it" at any particular moment. The active player passes the "it" status to another player ("tags" the other player) by calling their own designation followed by the other player's designation.

Rules

Preparation
The players arrange themselves in a circle, usually standing. One person is picked as "Big Booty". From Big Booty's left, the players count off until reaching the person to the Big Booty's right, who is named "Little Booty".

Gameplay
At the start of each round, all the players chant the phrase "Big Booty, Big Booty, Big Booty, Awww yeah" while clapping on the back beats for four measures to establish the rhythm. "Big" is chanted on the odd beats, "Booty" on the even. "Awww" starts on the first back beat (the "2") of the third measure and is stretched for 4 beats.

Big Booty, Big Booty, Big Booty, Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww, yeah


Once the initial chant is complete, Big Booty immediately starts the tagging (e.g. calls out "Big Booty, Number 5"). When calling out, the words "big", "little" and "number" are said on the odd beats and numbers and the word "booty" are said on even beats.

Big Booty, Number Five


Number Five, Little Booty



Play passes around the circle until someone makes a mistake, such as:
*answering the call for someone else (e.g. a player passes to number 5, but number 4 responds "Number 5, Little Booty"),
*calling out the wrong designation (e.g. player 10 is it and calls out "10" rather than "Number 10")
*responding too late or not at all, where the 3rd beat is too late. In other words, if the circle claps and "it" doesn't say anything, the round ends.
*passing to themself

Players are usually given a little leeway if they're off rhythm.

End of round
When someone makes a mistake, everyone chants "Aww, no", "Aww, snap" or something similar, immediately followed by the round-beginning chant of "Big Booty, Big Booty, Big Booty, Awww yeah". While this is chanted, the player who made a mistake become the new Little Booty and moves to Big Booty's right. Everyone of lower rank (higher number) than the player who made a mistake goes up in rank and moves 1 spot to their right. Each player mentally adjusts his or her designation accordingly; the players do not normally count off again. The most common reason for making a mistake is the failure to correctly figure one's new rank. If a player doesn't believe they have made a mistake of ranking, or if confusion in ranking results in a mistake, everyone counts off to determine who is mistaken.

If more than one player make a mistake, Big Booty decides who made the first mistake. If mistakes are simultaneous, the players move to the lowest ranking positions, respecting their original rankings. For example, in a game of 20 player, if numbers 3, 8 and 11 simultaneously make mistakes, number 11 becomes Little Booty, number 8 becomes number 18, and number 3 becomes number 17.

Alternate Rules


Origins


Popularity

Big Booty is sometimes played as a warm-up exercise by actors.
 
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