The title of the book / play / movie comes from a children's folk rhyme. It is a counting rhyme; akin to One potato, two potato or Dip, dip, dip my little ship. Like most oral folk verses, changes have happened over time and the origins are difficult to determine. There are two distinct versions that I have found, and not knowing which is the original, I've decided to list them both.
Chief Broom mentioned this in the book; he comments that it was a game he would play with his grandmother when he was a child:
Tingle, tingle, tremble toes
She's a good fisherman
Catches hens
Puts 'em in pens
Some lay eggs.
Some lay none.
Wire, blier, limer lock
Three geese inna flock
One flew east,
One flew west,
One flew over the cuckoo's nest
O-U-T spells out
Goose swoops down and plucks you out
This is variant of the William Matrimmatoe chant:
William Matrimmatoe
He's a good fisherman.
He catches hens,
Puts them in pens.
Some lay eggs.
Some lay none.
William Matrimmatoe
He's a good fisherman.
Wire, briar, limber, lock.
Three geese in a flock.
One flew east.
One flew west.
One flew over the cuckoo's nest.
Wire, briar, limber, lock.
Out goes you, old dirty dish rag, you.
The William Matrimmatoe chant has several alternatives. "William Matrimmatoe" is sometimes replaced with "William, William Tremble Toe," "William a Trimmy Toe" or "William Trimble Trow Tran." Also, it sometimes ends with "But O-U-T spells out. So begone You dirty trout. You."
This rhyme is commonly credited with the origin of the title:
Vintery, mintery, cutery, corn,
Apple seed and apple thorn;
Wire, briar, limber lock,
Three geese in a flock.
One flew east,
And one flew west,
And one flew over the cuckoo's nest.
It is a variant of this Mother Goose rhyme that was printed in 1814:
Intery, Mintery, cutery corn,
Apple seed and briar thorn:
Wire, briar, limber lock,
Five Geese in a flock,
Sit and sing by a spring,
O-U-T and in again.
These two verses have some similarities and probably have common roots. However, I cannot find any information that links to the two. If anyone out there has any more insight, please let me know or node it yourself.
Sources:
http://www.gloriahouston.com/folkgame.html
http://teachers.net/lessons/posts/2555.html
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~ewyatt/_borders/Texas%20Slave%20Narratives/Texas%20M/Maddox,%20Jack%20and%20Rosa.html
http://www.zelo.com/family/nursery/vintery.asp
http://www.pinkmonkey.com/booknotes/barrons/oneflew51.asp
http://www.thecolefamily.com/mellie/5801.htm