Johnny Whoop

Johnny Whoop, also called Johnny Johnny, is a children's hand trick game played between two or more people. The player who knows the trick holds out one hand and touches each finger in turn with the index finger of the other hand, moving from the little finger to the index finger while saying Johnny, Johnny, Johnny, Johnny, then slides the other index finger down between the index finger and thumb while saying Whoop, repeating variations of the sequence Johnny, Whoop, Johnny, Johnny, Johnny, Johnny. After finishing, the player folds their hands or crosses their arms without announcing that step, and challenges onlookers to repeat the whole sequence exactly, including the hidden final gesture. Because some players already know the trick and others do not, the game works as a running practical joke passed on by demonstration. The earliest known written reference to the game dates to 1966, though the trick likely circulated earlier among children.