Whimmy-Diddle [1]

Whimmy-Diddle

by Elia Bizzarri, 2006

A whimmy-diddle, also known as the Gee-Haw Whimmy-Diddle ("gee" and "haw" are the commands shouted to oxen on a farm), is a toy made out of a stick of mountain [2] [3]laurel that was traditionally made by mountain [4] parents for their children. Notches are cut down the stick and a propeller is put at the end. When another stick is rubbed against the notches exactly right, the propeller spins. With a lot of practice, the user is able to make the propeller go right or left as desired.

References:

Florence H. Pettit, How to Make Whirligigs and Whimmy Diddles and Other American Folkcraft Objects (1972).

Roy Underhill, The Woodwright's Companion: Exploring Traditional Woodcraft (1983).

Image Credit:

Whimmy-Diddle. Image courtesy of the Southern Highland Craft Guild. Available from http://southernhighlandguild.org/pages/posts/heritage-weekend-7.php [3] (accessed June 12, 2012).

Subjects:

Crafts [5]

UNC Press [6]

Art [7]

UNC Press [6]

Authors:

Bizzarri, Elia [8]

Origin - location:

Mountains [9]

From:

Encyclopedia of North Carolina, University of North Carolina Press. [10]

User Tags:

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1 January 2006 | Bizzarri, Elia