حكرة بكرة

• حَگَرة بَگَرة (ḥagara bagara) (alternative spelling)
• شَكَرَة بَكَرَة (šakara bakara), حَدَرَة بَدَرَة (ḥadara badara)

Likely borrowed from a children's rhyme resembling حَقْرَا بَقْرَا (ḥagra bagra, “I will read, I read”) in an Arabic variety with ق (g) and first-person أَ (ʔa-), perhaps a Bedouin or South Levantine Arabic variety.

• IPA^(key): /ħaɡara baɡara/, /ħakara bakara/

حكرة بكرة • (ḥagara bagara, ḥakara bakara)

1. (childish) eeny, meeny, miny, moe

   ما عرفت نقّي بالنّهاية عملت حكرة بكرة واشتريت هادي

   ma ʕrift naʔʔi bin-nihāye ʕmilt ḥagara bagara w štarēt hādi

   I could not make up my mind... in the end I did eeny, meeny, miny, moe and bought this one

• Used by saying one of the following phrases before proceeding to count up from 1 to 10. Each new number in this count is accompanied by pointing to a new option of the ones being chosen between, and the option that falls on the number 10 is the one selected.
  • حكرة بكرة قلي ربي عد للعشرة ― ḥagara bagara ʔalli rabbi ʕidd lal-ʕašra ― ḥagara, bagara, my Lord told me to count to ten
  • حكرة بكرة قلي عمي عد للعشرة ― ḥagara bagara ʔalli ʕammi ʕidd lal-ʕašra ― ḥagara, bagara, my uncle told me to count to ten
  • حكرة بكرة قلي جدي عد للعشرة ― ḥagara bagara ʔalli jiddi ʕidd lal-ʕašra ― ḥagara, bagara, my grandfather told me to count to ten