Dating back to the 14th century,[2] the original rhyme makes reference to maids in a "tub" – a fairground attraction similar to a modern peep show.

The nonsense "rub-a-dub-dub" develops a phonetic association of social disapprobation, analogous to "tsk-tsk", albeit of a more lascivious variety.

The nursery rhyme is a form of teaching such associations in folklore: for individuals raised with such social codes, the phrase "rub-a-dub-dub" alone could stand in for gossip or innuendo without communicating all of the details.

Later research, according to The Oxford Dictionary of Nursery Rhymes (1951), suggests that the lyrics are illustrating a scene of three respectable townsfolk "watching a dubious sideshow at a local fair".

There are several variants of the following story: A pilot returning from a mission could not locate his aircraft carrier and in addition failed to establish secure communication.

[6][7] "Rub-A-Dub-Dub" is the title of a 1953 country music song by Hank Thompson, a 1984 animated television series by Peter Lang and Alan Rogers,[8] and a 2023 novel by Robert Wringham.