"Sticks and Stones" is an English-language children's rhyme. The rhyme is used as a defense against name-calling and verbal bullying, intended to increase resiliency, avoid physical retaliation and to remain calm and good-living. The full rhyme is usually a variant of: Sticks and stones may break my bonesBut words shall never hurt me. The first three words of the rhyme are an example of an irreversible binomial.