The Traditional Games of England, Scotland, and Ireland Volume Ii Part 8

Cannot you dance the Phbe?

-Halliwell's _Dictionary_.

These words are somewhat of the same character as those of "Auntie Loomie," and are evidently the accompaniment of an old dance.

See "Lubin."

Pick and Hotch

The game of "Pitch and Toss."-Brogden's _Provincial Words_, Lincolns.h.i.+re. It is called Pickenhotch in Peac.o.c.k's _Manley and Corringham Glossary_.

Pi-cow

A game in which one half of the players are supposed to keep a castle, while the others go out as a foraging or marauding party. When the latter are all gone out, one of them cries _Pee-ku_, which is a signal to those within to be on the alert. Then those who are without attempt to get in. If any one of them gets in without being seized by the holders of the castle, he cries to his companions, _The hole's won_; and those who are within must yield the fortress. If one of the a.s.sailants be taken before getting in he is obliged to change sides and to guard the castle. Sometimes the guards are successful in making prisoners of all the a.s.sailants. Also the name given to the game of Hide and Seek.-Jamieson.

Pigeon Walk

A boy's game [undescribed].-Patterson's _Antrim and Down Glossary_.

Pig-ring

A game at marbles where a ring is made about four feet in diameter, and boys "shoot" in turn from any point in the circ.u.mference, keeping such marbles as they may knock out of the ring, but loosing their own "taw"

if it should stop within.-Lowsley's _Berks.h.i.+re Glossary_. See "Ring Taw."

Pillie-Winkie

A sport among children in Fife. An egg, an unfledged bird, or a whole nest is placed on a convenient spot. He who has what is called the first _pill_, retires a few paces, and being provided with a cowt or rung, is blindfolded, or gives his promise to wink hard (whence he is called _Winkie_), and moves forward in the direction of the object, as he supposes, striking the ground with the stick all the way. He must not shuffle the stick along the ground, but always strike perpendicularly.

If he touches the nest without destroying it, or the egg without breaking it, he loses his vice or turn. The same mode is observed by those who succeed him. When one of the party breaks an egg he is ent.i.tled to all the rest as his property, or to some other reward that has been previously agreed on. Every art is employed, without removing the nest or egg, to mislead the blindfolded player, who is also called the Pinkie.-Jamieson. See "Blind Man's Stan."

Pinch

The game of "Pitch-Halfpenny," or "Pitch and Hustle."-Halliwell's _Dictionary_. Addy (_Sheffield Glossary_) says this game consists of pitching halfpence at a mark.

See "Penny Cast," "Penny p.r.i.c.k."

Pinny Show

A child's peep-show. The charge for a peep is a pin, and, under extraordinary circ.u.mstances of novelty, two pins.

I remember well being shown how to make a peep or poppet-show. It was made by arranging combinations of colours from flowers under a piece of gla.s.s, and then framing it with paper in such a way that a cover was left over the front, which could be raised when any one paid a pin to peep. The following words were said, or rather sung, in a sing-song manner:-

A pin to see the poppet-show, All manner of colours oh!

See the ladies all below.

-(A. B. Gomme).

Pansies or other flowers are pressed beneath a piece of gla.s.s, which is laid upon a piece of paper, a hole or opening, which can be shut at pleasure, being cut in the paper. The charge for looking at the show is a pin. The children say, "A pin to look at a pippy-show." They also say-

A pinnet a piece to look at a show, All the fine ladies sat in a row.

Blackbirds with blue feet Walking up a new street; One behind and one before, And one beknocking at t'barber's door.

-Addy's _Sheffield Glossary_.

In Perth (Rev. W. Gregor) the rhyme is-

A pin to see a poppy show, A pin to see a die, A pin to see an old man Sitting in the sky.

Described also in Holland's _Ches.h.i.+re Glossary_, and Lowsley's _Berks.h.i.+re Glossary_. Atkinson's _Cleveland Glossary_ describes it as having coloured pictures pasted inside, and an eye-hole at one of the ends. The _Leed's Glossary_ gives the rhyme as-

A pin to look in, A very fine thing.

Northall (_English Folk-rhymes_, p. 357), also gives a rhyme.

Pins

On the 1st of January the children beg for some pins, using the words, "Please pay Nab's New Year's gift." They then play "a very childish game," but I have not succeeded in getting a description of it.-Yorks.h.i.+re.

See "p.r.i.c.kie and Jockie."

Pirley Pease-weep

A game played by boys, "and the name demonstrates that it is a native one, for it would require a page of close writing to make it intelligible to an Englishman." The rhyme used at this play is-

Scotsman, Scotsman, lo!

Where shall this poor Scotsman go?

Send him east, or send him west, Send him to the craw's nest.

-_Blackwood's Magazine_, August 1821, p. 37.

The rhyme suggests comparison with the game of "Hot c.o.c.kles."

Pitch

A game played with pennies, or other round discs. The object is to pitch the penny into a hole in the ground from a certain point.-Elworthy, _West Somerset Words_.

Probably "Pick and Hotch," mentioned in an article in _Blackwood's Mag._, Aug. 1821, p. 35. Common in London streets.