Skin Games, those in which a player cannot possibly win. Skunked, whitewashed, schwartz, beaten without having been able to score a single point. Slam, winning all the tricks. Little Slam, winning 12 out of 13 possible. Sleeper, a bet left or placed on a dead card at Faro. Sneak, a singleton which is led for the especial purpose of ruffing the second round of the suit. Snowing the Cards, milking or fuzzing them. Soda, the first card at Faro, exposed face upward in the box before any bets are made. Splits, two cards of the same denomination coming on the same turn at Faro. Spot Stroke, a series of winning hazards with the red ball at English billiards.
The three places drawn on the slate above the diagram are for the players each to put down marks or numbers for the games they win, the centre place being for Old Nick, or Old Tom. The object of the game is for each player to occupy three contiguous places in a row or line with either noughts or crosses, and to prevent his opponent from doing so. The diagram is of course empty when play begins. One player commences by putting his mark into either of the vacant places he prefers, the other player then places his in another, wherever he thinks he has the best opportunity to prevent his opponent getting a three, and at the same time to get a three himself; then the first player plays again, and so on alternately until all the squares are occupied, or until one of the players has a three in line. If neither player gets a three, the game is won by Old Nick, and one is scored to his name. In the diagram the result of the game is shown when won by Old Nick. Whichever player first wins a game adds Old Nick s score to his own. In some games Old Nick keeps all he wins for himself, and then most frequently wins the game.--London (A. B.
The marble should be thrown up about the same height each toss, and there should be little or no interval between the different figures.--Annie Dicker. I saw this game played in Endell Street, London, W.C., by two girls. Their game was not so long nor so complete as the above. They did not throw all four stones down as a preliminary stage, but began with the second figure, the four gobs being placed in a square ::, nor were they particular as to which stones they picked up. They knew nothing of numbering or naming them. Their marble was called a jack. They had places chalked on the pavement where they recorded their successful goes, and the game was played in a ring.
Resting, she said wearily. I just hit town today. And tired already? I was broke, she said. Worked in a hotel laundry till dinner time to get eatin money. Hot work. But I swiped a nice dress to wear when I went looking for you, Billy Joe. Yeah, I said, hiding my snicker over the dress. Say, I wanted to thank you for handling my chips. I d have lost my shirt if I hadn t let you show me how. I wanted to slip you a cut, but you bugged out of there.
If the red is near a bottom pocket, and the player’s ball is in hands, the beginner will invariably leave the red ball in baulk, even if he makes the hazard. The reason is that he strikes with just force enough to reach the red and go into the pocket, and this force is just enough to drive the red about the same distance in the opposite direction, leaving it where the cue ball came from--in baulk. The English do not understand gathering shots, nursing, and cushion carroms so well as the Americans, and play chiefly for the winning and losing hazards. The objective point of the expert is the _=spot stroke=_, which consists in getting exactly behind the red ball when it is on its spot, and then driving it into the corner pocket, returning the cue ball to its position with a light draw shot. If the cue ball fails to come back exactly behind the red the position may be recovered in several ways, some of which are shown in the diagrams. [Illustration] No. 1 is the perfect position for the spot stroke; the dotted lines in the others show the course that must be followed by the cue ball to recover the initial position. _=Man-of-war Game=_ is a variety of English billiards in which there are three white balls, each belonging to different players. The following _=LAWS=_ are taken, by permission, from the rules published by the Brunswick-Balke-Collender Co. ENGLISH BILLIARD LAWS.
This is called the _=short-suit game=_, or _=finesse and tenace=_. Its resources may be added to by finessing against certain cards. For example: Holding A Q 3 of a suit led by the partner, to play Q is a finesse against fourth hand having the King. Each of these systems has its advantages, and almost every hand will offer opportunities for practice in all of them. The most important thing to impress on the beginner is that whist cannot be played by machinery. Some authorities would have us believe that certain theories alone are sound; that certain systems of play alone are good; and that if one will persevere in following certain precepts, in such matters as leading, management of trumps, etc., that the result will be more than average success at the whist table. Nothing can be further from the truth. As in all other matters largely controlled by chance, there is no system, as a system, which will win at whist. One cannot succeed by slavish adherence to either the long or the short-suit game; by the invariable giving of information, or the continual playing of false cards.
Each child as she goes says, Good-bye, mother, good-bye, and pretends to cry. Finally they all cry, and the game ends in a tug of war. This tug is clearly out of place unless only half the children are selected by one side. Miss Thoyts does not say how this is done. (_c_) This game is called School-teacher in Belfast. The corruption of Lady of the Land, to Babyland, Babylon, and Sandiland, is manifest. It appears to be only fragmentary in its present form, but the versions undoubtedly indicate that the origin of the game arises from the practice of hiring servants. Mr. Halliwell has preserved another fragmentary rhyme, which he thinks may belong to this game. I can make diet bread Thick and thin, I can make diet bread Fit for the king; (No.
If a player exposes more than one card, he must cut again. _=DEALING.=_ The cards are thoroughly shuffled, and presented to the pone to be cut. At least five cards must be left in each packet. The dealer then distributes the cards three at a time, first to his adversary and then to himself, for three rounds, so that each player receives nine cards. No trump is turned; but the first marriage declared and scored is the trump suit for that deal. The undealt portion of the pack, called the _=stock=_ or _=talon=_, is slightly spread between the two players, and a little to the left of the dealer. If in spreading the stock any card is found to be exposed, there must be a new deal by the same dealer. _=Misdealing.=_ A misdeal does not lose the deal, but in some cases a new deal is at the option of the pone.
Where do you get them from? Out of your flock. That I m sure you won t. --Derbyshire (_Folk-lore Journal_, i. 386). The game is played in the usual manner of Fox and Goose games. One is chosen to be the Hen, and one to be the Fox. The rest are the Chickens. The Chickens take hold of each other s waists, the first one holding the Hen s waist. At the end of the dialogue the Fox tries to get hold of one of the chickens. If he succeeds in catching them, they all with the Fox try to dodge the Hen, who makes an effort to regain them.
net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive) +-------------------------------------------------------------------+ | TRANSCRIBER S NOTES: | | | | Text printed in italics in the original work is presented here | | between underscores, as in _text_. Similarly, bold face in the | | original is represented as =text=. | | | | Footnotes have been moved to the end of the description of the | | game. | | | | [Illustration] means that there is an illustration present in the | | text; [Music] means a transcription in musical notation. | | | | [Greek: text] represents a transcription of Greek text. [=a] and | | [=e] represent a-macron and e-macron, respectively. The oe- | | ligature is transcribed as [oe]. | | | | More Transcriber s Notes may be found at the end of this text. | +-------------------------------------------------------------------+ A DICTIONARY OF BRITISH FOLK-LORE EDITED BY G. LAURENCE GOMME, ESQ.
D., in his book called _The Benefit of the Auncient Bathes of Buckstones_, 1572, p. 12, as having been played by ladies at Buxton for their amusement in wet weather. See Pegge s _Anonymiana_, 1818, p. 126, and Addy s _Sheffield Glossary_. Cricket A description of this game is not given here; its history and rules and regulations are well known, and many books have been devoted to its study. The word Cricket is given in Lawson s _Upton-on-Severn Words and Phrases_ as a low wooden stool. He continues, The game of Cricket was probably a development of the older game of Stool-ball, a dairymaid s stool being used for the wicket. Wedgwood (_Etym. Dict.
Repr_., ii. 243. This language Lyndsay puts into the mouth of a Popish parson. The game seems to be that of ball played with the hand, as distinguished from Football. --Jamieson. See Ball. Call-the-Guse This game is supposed by Jamieson to be equivalent to Drive the Goose, and the game seems to be the same with one still played by young people in some parts of Angus, in which one of the company, having something that excites ridicule unknowingly pinned behind, is pursued by all the rest, who still cry out, Hunt the Goose! --Jamieson. Camp A game formerly much in use among schoolboys, and occasionally played by men in those parts of Suffolk on the sea coast--more especially in the line of Hollesley Bay between the Rivers Orwell and Alde, sometimes school against school, or parish against parish. It was thus played: Goals were pitched at the distance of 150 or 200 yards from each other; these were generally formed of the thrown-off clothes of the competitors.
If a player removes his adversary’s front peg, the latter may immediately claim the game. If a player displaces his own front peg, he must place it behind the other. If both players displace their front pegs, as by accident, they may agree to replace them where they believe them to have stood; but if they cannot agree they must call the game void. _=Pegging Out.=_ In pegging during the play, the first man to reach his game hole wins, no matter what either may have in hand or crib. If neither can peg out in play, the non-dealer has the first show. If he cannot show out, the dealer proceeds to count his hand and then his crib. If he cannot show out there must be a new deal. _=CHEATING.=_ The greatest advantage at Cribbage is to secure good starters, and for this purpose the greek adopts various methods of trimming and marking the cards so that he may secure a starter exactly suited to his hand.
The trey counts as 2, and the five as 4. Each player has three throws with the three dice, and the highest total wins. VINGT-ET-UN. Any number of persons can play, making up a pool for the winner. A single die is used, and each player in turn throws as often as he pleases. The object is to get as near twenty-one as possible without passing it, and it is usually considered best to stand at 18, but to throw again at 17. If a player goes beyond 21, he is out of it. The one getting nearest 21 takes the pool; ties divide it. CENTENNIAL. Two persons or sides play with three dice.
| | | |27.|Perhaps that man might| -- | -- | | |fall asleep. | | | |28.| -- | -- | -- | |29.| -- | -- |What has this poor | | | | |prisoner done? | |30.| -- | -- |Stole my watch and | | | | |lost my key. | |31.| -- | -- | -- | |32.| -- | -- | -- | |33.| -- | -- | -- | |34.
Any person who deals the cards sometimes three at a time, and again five at a time, should be stopped immediately, and no such excuses as changing his luck should be listened to for a moment. Any person who habitually picks up the cards with their faces towards him, and straightens them by lifting them from their positions in the pack, should be stopped at once, and requested to straighten the cards face down. Dealing seconds is very difficult when the cards have to be “pinched” in threes and fours. A second dealer holding back a Wenzel on the top may give his adversary two underneath without knowing it. Marked cards are of advantage only when the dealer plays, and are of little use beyond telling him what he can turn up for a trump, or what he will find in the Skat. The rule for having four in the game, if possible, is one of the greatest safeguards, unless the dealer is in secret partnership with one of the players. _=SUGGESTIONS FOR GOOD PLAY.=_ The chief things to master in Skat are the values of the hands, the principles of bidding on them, the best methods of playing them, and the proper methods of combining forces with your partner for the time being, in order to defeat the single player. _=Bidding.=_ Some persons attach a great deal of importance to the odds for and against certain cards being in the Skat.
A misdeal loses the deal. It is a misdeal if the pack has not been cut, or if the cards are shuffled after the pack has been properly cut; or if the dealer deals a card incorrectly, and fails to remedy it before dealing to the next player; or if he deals too many or too few cards to any player or to the table. If a card is exposed during the deal, an adversary may claim a fresh deal. If, after the cards on the table have been faced, a card is exposed by the dealer, or is found faced in the pack, the player to whom it would be dealt may reject it, and it must then be placed in the middle of the stock, and he must be given the top card. If a card is exposed in the last round, the dealer must take it, and must allow the player to whom it would have been dealt to draw a card from the dealer’s hand, face downward. If he draws the exposed card, he must keep it. If the dealer gives any player an incorrect number of cards in any round after the first, and does not detect and correct the error before he deals to the next player, the dealer cannot count anything that hand. The number of cards in each hand must be restored to four, either by drawing from them, face down, or adding from the stock. If any player lifts his cards before the dealer has helped all the players, including himself, a misdeal cannot be claimed. _=Objects of the Game.
[Illustration] When side is put upon a ball, it spins in that direction. If it is struck on the left, and then goes to a cushion directly in front of it, it will tend to fly off the cushion toward the left, making the angle wider. If a ball spinning to the left goes to a cushion on the left, it will tend to make the angle smaller, and the effect so produced is called _=reverse English=_, which tends to slow the cue ball. THE AMERICAN GAME. In the American game every carrom counts one point, and the number of points that will constitute a game must be agreed upon before play begins. The players string for the lead, the one bringing his ball nearer the head cushion having the choice of balls and of the first shot. The great art in the American game is to keep the balls in front of you, so as to leave yourself a comparatively easy shot. Every time you get the cue ball between the two others you will find yourself in difficulties; but whenever both the balls are in front of the cue ball, there will be some chance to score. When there is a choice of several ways of making a shot, the balls being wide apart, it will usually be found that one of them will bring the balls into better position than the others, and for that reason it is called a _=gathering shot=_. The expert tries to get the balls on the rail by a series of these gathering shots, and if any of the three positions shown in the diagram can be arrived at, a large run may be made by the _=rail nurse=_.
A-B score nothing: Y-Z score 7 for Jack, Game, Pedro; and 8 in addition, for points bid but not made by A-B; 15 altogether. _=No. 2.=_ At trick 2, Y sees that he cannot save Low, and the lead would be a great disadvantage, because either A has all the remaining trumps, or Y’s partner has an unguarded Pedro. At trick 3, A knows that if Y has Ace, and Z Pedro, A can still make his bid by catching Jack, and saving his own Pedro. If the Pedro was not with Z the small trump is still the best lead, for it puts the lead on A’s left. B gets rid of cards which might get him into the lead to his partner’s disadvantage. Unfortunately, Z is unable to take the lead away from Y at trick 4. As Y is still in the lead, there is no necessity for A to save his Pedro, for Y cannot possibly catch it, and A must catch Y’s, no matter how Y plays. A-B score 10 points; Low, Game, and both Pedroes, 12, from which they deduct the 2 points made by Y-Z.
The Berks version is practically the same as the Tean version. The Eckington (Derbyshire) version is played as follows:--A number of young women form a ring. A man stands within the ring, and they sing the words. He then makes choice of a girl, who takes his arm. They both walk round the circle while the others sing the same lines again. The girl who has been chosen makes choice of a young man in the ring, who in his turn chooses another girl, and so on till they have all paired off. (_c_) The first verse of the Shropshire version is also sung at Metheringham, near Lincoln (C. C. Bell), and Cowes, I. W.
_=CARDS.=_ Cayenne is played with two full packs of fifty-two cards, which rank as at Whist, both for cutting and playing. _=MARKERS=_ are necessary, and must be suitable for counting to ten points. A sheet of paper is used for scoring the results of the games. _=PLAYERS.=_ Cayenne is played by four persons. When there are more than four candidates for play the selection of the table must be made as at Whist. Partners and deal are then cut for. _=CUTTING.=_ One of the packs having been spread on the table, face down, each of the four players draws a card; the two lowest pairing against the two highest.
There are twelve figures or movements to be gone through as follows. Some have special names, but I do not learn that all have. 1. The player, taking the checks and ball in the right hand, throws down the checks, keeping the ball in the hand. If any check fall outside the ring the player is down. There is skill needed in the throwing of the checks in this and the following movements, so that they may be conveniently placed for taking up in the proper order. The checks being scattered, the player throws up the ball, takes up one check, and catches the ball as it comes down, or, as it is sometimes played, after it has bounced once from the step. This is repeated till all the checks are taken up. 2. As the last figure, but the checks are taken up two at a throw.
Wimmeln, G., to bunch the points together; to fatten a trick for the partner. Wimmelfinte, G., leading a card which is calculated to induce the second hand to fatten the trick for his partner. Winning Hazards, pocketing the object ball. Winning Out, a card that wins four times in the same deal at Faro. Yarborough, a hand at Whist containing no card higher than a Nine; the odds against it are 1827 to 1. Younger Hand, the one not the leader in two-handed games. Zange, G., a fourchette or tenace.
Hare and Hounds. Harie Hutcheon. Hark the Robbers. Hats in Holes. Hattie. Hawkey. Headicks and Pinticks. Heads and Tails. Hecklebirnie. Hen and Chicken.
The Mother says, What doing? Making t beds. Why didn t you come down? Because I had no shoes. Why didn t you borrow a pair? Because nobody would lend me a pair. Why didn t you steal a pair? Do you want me to get hung? Then the Mother runs after her, and if she can catch her thrashes her for letting Sunday go. Then the Mother pretends to go out washing again, and the Witch fetches the other days of the week one by one, when the same dialogue is rehearsed.--Dronfield, Derbyshire (S. O. Addy). This game was also played in London. The _dramatis personæ_ were a mother, an eldest daughter, the younger children, a witch, and a pot was represented by another child.
Any player may decline to ante, by saying: “I pass this jack;” and the dealer will give him no cards. _=38. Opening.=_ After the cards are dealt, each player in turn, beginning on the dealer’s left, may open the pot for any amount he pleases within the betting limit, provided he holds a pair of Jacks, or some hand better than a pair of Jacks. If he does not hold openers, or does not wish to open the pot with them, he must say: “I pass;” but must not abandon his hand, under penalty of paying five counters to the pool. _=39. False Openers.=_ Should a player open a jack without the hand to justify it, and discover his error before he draws, his hand is foul, and he forfeits whatever amount he may have already placed in the pool. Those who have come into the pool after the false opening, stay in and play for the pot, regardless of the value of the hands dealt them. _=40.
On the next and all following turns, the winning card on the previous turn will be placed on the same pile as the Soda, so that it shall be possible at any time to decide which cards have won, and which have lost. The _=Object of the Game=_ is for the players to guess whether the various cards on which they place their money will win or lose. They are at liberty to select any card they please, from the ace to the King, and to bet any amount within the established limit of the bank. _=The Layout.=_ All bets are made with counters of various colors and values, which are sold to the players by the dealer, and may be redeemed at any time. These counters are placed on the layout, which is a complete suit of spades, enamelled on green cloth, sufficient space being left between the cards for the players to place their bets. The ace is on the dealer’s left. [Illustration: +----------------+ | 🂦 🂥 🂤 🂣 🂢 🂡 | |🂧 | | 🂨 🂩 🂪 🂫 🂭 🂮 | +----------------+ ] There are a great many ways of placing bets at Faro. For instance: A player may make bets covering twenty-one different combinations of cards, all of which would play the Ten to win, as follows:-- [Illustration: 🂥 🂤 🂣 20 12 13 21 18 3 19 14 15 16 17 🂨10 🂩 2 8🂪9 4 🂫 11🂭 6 5 7 ] If the first bet is supposed to be flat upon the Ten itself, 2, 3 and 4 would take in the card next the Ten; 5 the cards on each side with the Ten; 6 and 7 the three cards behind which the bets are placed, the Ten being one in each instance; 8 and 9 take in the Ten and the card one remove from it in either direction; 10 and 11 are the same thing, but placed on the other card; 12 to 17 inclusive take in the various triangles of which the bet is the middle card; 18 and 19 take in the four cards surrounding them; 20 and 21 are _=heeled=_ bets, the bottom counter being flat on the corner of the card, and the remainder being tilted over toward the card diagonally across from the one on which the bet is placed, playing both cards to win. In addition to these twenty-one bets, others might be made by heeling bets that would take certain cards to lose, and the Ten to win.
B. Gomme). Strutt describes a handball game played during the Easter holidays for Tansy cakes (_Sports_, p. 94). Halliwell gives rhymes for ball divination (_Popular Rhymes_, p. 298) to determine the number of years before marriage will arrive. Miss Baker (_Northamptonshire Glossary_) says, The May garland is suspended by ropes from the school-house to an opposite tree, and the Mayers amuse themselves by throwing balls over it. A native of Fotheringay, Mr. C. W.