"While researching for a series of lectures on nursery rhymes, Nicholas Tucker uncovered many rhymes which for one reason or another did not share universal popularity in their day [and thus were not passed down in early collections], sometimes because of social taboos, sometimes because they gently satirized popular figures of the day. ..." I think it would have been more fun for the grown-ups if there was a bit of information on the satirical implications of the rhymes, but the "dirty" rhymes ("Father and Mother were dirty before me, Hot or cold water has never come o'er me") and other odd topics are easy to recognize and all are great fun. ( )