A bushel and a peck
By Judy Evans
@JudyEv (382036)
Rockingham, Australia
January 22, 2026 6:07pm CST
Each day four of us play the game, Wordle, and share our results. This is the New York Times version. Whoever gets the game out in the least number of moves gets ‘smirking rights’ for the day.
We’ve now started doing Connections which we all find much harder, especially when the answers refer to US sporting teams or American cities/states. Four of today’s answers were all imperial measures. ‘Bushel’ was one of the words and I suddenly remembered an old song, one couplet of which was ‘I love you a bushel and a peck, a bushel and a peck and a hug around the neck’. You wouldn’t hear of ‘bushel, peck, perch, rood, link, chain’ too often now, at least not in relation to measurements.
I just checked out the song and the title is ‘A Bushel and a Peck’ and it was written by Frank Loesser. It was published in 1950 and appeared in the musical ‘Guys and Dolls’. One popular recording was by Doris Day but it’s been covered by a number of artists.
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18 people like this
19 responses
@MarieCoyle (59192)
•
23 Jan
My special aunt sang that to my sister and I every time she parted from us in her comings and goings. Then I started singing it to my own littles when they were tiny. Good memories.
5 people like this
@MarieCoyle (59192)
•
25 Jan
@JudyEv
Yes, it truly was popular. In our family, my aunt made it very popular with all of us.
2 people like this
@DaddyEvil (174377)
• United States
23 Jan
We can still buy fruit and some veggies by the bushel. But I haven't seen a peck of anything sold here in ages and don't recognize the perch, rood, link or chain as measurements at all.
2 people like this
@Fleura (34989)
• United Kingdom
23 Jan
I actually do remember that song.
Do you know the tongue-twister
'Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled pepper.
A peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked;
If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers,
Where’s the peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked'?
2 people like this
@BarBaraPrz (51819)
• St. Catharines, Ontario
23 Jan
My dear ole, long-gone Aunt Bea would use that expression a lot. And if I remember correctly, there are (or were) 4 pecks to a bushel?
2 people like this
@snowy22315 (208861)
• United States
23 Jan
I had a great aunt who was crazy about that song.
2 people like this
@xFiacre (14805)
• Ireland
23 Jan
@judyev I recall having to learn how many feet were in a furlong and how many furlongs were in a mile etc. Old measurements were distinctly odd and not decimal. Same for money, with 240 pennies in a pound or 20 shillings. And do you remember florins?
2 people like this
@Ineeddentures (34285)
•
23 Jan
Guys and Dolls
I saw that once.
Wordle, I did that once too.
2 people like this
@Ineeddentures (34285)
•
23 Jan
@JudyEv
I thought it was quite difficult lol
It just sort of went out of fashion
1 person likes this
@RasmaSandra (97990)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
23 Jan
I don't know this but a lot of great songs came from musicals,
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (382036)
• Rockingham, Australia
24 Jan
There are four pecks to a bushel. One site says: A peck may be used for either liquid or dry measure and is equal to 8 imperial quarts (2 imperial gallons)
@Traceyjayne (11304)
• United Kingdom
23 Jan
I was singing it as I read your post. Guys and Dolls is one of my most favourite musicals and I love this song.
1 person likes this
@LindaOHio (222314)
• United States
23 Jan
I remember the song very well. Hubby and I used to sing it to each other.
1 person likes this
