“No more pencils, no more books; no more teacher’s dirty looks”
“No more pencils, no more books, no more teacher’s/teachers’ dirty looks” is a song on many children’s lips on the last day of school, just as school will end for the summer. Alice Cooper‘s song “School’s Out for Summer” (1972) contained these old lyrics.
The Evening World (New York, NY) published this on July 1892:
One more day and we’ll be free
From the house of misery;
No more pencils, no more books,
No more boys to play the hooks—
Ta-ra-ra boom de-ay, &c.
“No more pencils, no more books, no more teacher’s sober looks” was cited in print 1899. “No more teacher’s cross-eyed looks” was cited in 1901, “no more teachers and sassy looks” was cited in 1905 and “no more teachers’ saucy looks” in 1906. “No more teachers’ dirty looks” was published in 1927.
Wikipedia: School’s Out (song)
“School’s Out”, also known as “School’s Out for Summer” is a 1972 title track single released on Alice Cooper’s fifth album.
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The lyrics of “School’s Out” indicate that not only is the school year ended for summer vacation, but ended forever, and that the school itself has been blown up. It incorporates the childhood rhyme, “No more pencils, no more books, no more teachers’ dirty looks” into its lyrics.
Chronicling America
2 July 1892, The Evening World (New York, NY), “The Gleaner,” pg. 4, col. 3:
That terribly opular ditty that comes from the London concert halls was sung by New York school-boys this week, as follows:
One more week and we’ll be free
From the house of misery;
No more grammar, no more French,
No more sitting on a hard school bench—
Ta-ra-ra boom de-ay, &c.
Yesterday they varied it like this:
One more day and we’ll be free
From the house of misery;
No more pencils, no more books,
No more boys to play the hooks—
Ta-ra-ra boom de-ay, &c.
8 June 1899, Woodbury (NJ) Daily Times, pg. 3, col. 1:
“No more pencils,
No more books;
No more teacher’s
Sober looks.”
Such was the salutation which greeted the public this morning, and of course all knew that school had closed. It was simply too warm to study.
24 June 1901, Boston (MA) Herald, pg. 11, col. 3:
These young students, the oldest not over 8 years of age, were promenading the school yard and yelling—they thought it was singing—at the top of their voices.
“No more pencils,
No more books,
No more teacher’s cross-eyed looks.”
17 April 1905, The Post (Cincinnati, OH), pg. 7, col. 5:
“Eleven more weeks and then we’ll be free
From this house of miser-ee;
No more pencils and no more books,
And no more teachers and sassy looks.”
9 June 1906, Kendallville (IN) Daily Sun, pg. 2, col. 8:
The School Boy’s Song Today.
No more pencils, no more books,
No more teachers’ saucy looks.
Today I left those cares behind,
Now greater things are on my mind.
27 May 1911, Miami (FL) Herald, “News Notes From West Palm Beach,” pg. 4, col. 6:
As to how some of the children feel about the school closing may be judged by the following which one of the kids was heard singing this afternoon:
“No more pencils, no more books,
No more teachers’ crosseyed looks,
No more lessons, no more French,
No more sitting on a hard wood bench.”
5 June 1924, Decatur (IL) Daily Review, pg. 16, col. 3:
“No more pencils; no more books; no more teachers’ saucy looks,” is the cry heard today from the school children. Why? Because the last day of school, that day so welcome to boys and girls from six to eighteen, has arrived.
8 June 1924, Los Angeles (CA) Times, “Jackie Crams on Knowledge of Holy Land,” pg. 39:
Soon the boys and girls of Jackie Coogan’s age will be singing the annual vacation anthem—“No more history, no more books, no more teachers’ sassy looks.”
7 June 1927, Augusta (GA) Chronicle, “Her Day of Work and Play” by Amy Abbott, pg. 7, col. 1:
Absent Treatment Pedagogy.
“No more teachers’ dirty looks.”
10 June 1930, Illinois State Jurnal (Springfield, IL), pg. 6, col. 1:
Years ago we were shouting at this season of the year: No more lessons, no more books, no more teachers’ dirty looks!
Rimbles:
A Book of Children’s Classic Games, Rhymes, Songs and Sayings
by Patricia Evans
Garden City, NY: Doubleday & Company, Inc.
1961
Pg. 135:
No more pencils, no more books,
No more teachers’ dirty looks.
OCLC WorldCat record
No more pencils, no more books, no more teacher’s dirty looks!
Author: Diane De Groat
Publisher: New York : HarperCollins, ©2006.
Edition/Format: Book : Fiction : Primary school : English : 1st ed
Database: WorldCat
Summary:
Gilbert and his first-grade classmates are nervous about their performance on the last day of school, curious about the awards they will receive, sad to be leaving their teacher, and excited about summer vacation.