The Traditional Games of England, Scotland, and Ireland Volume I Part 23

perhaps as a contraction of "devil," in reference to the force expended on the stroke. It may, however, be "dule-chap," the blow given at the "dule" or goal.-Jamieson.

See "Hockey."

Chuck-farthing

Strutt says this game was played by boys at the commencement of the last century, and probably bore some a.n.a.logy to "Pitch and Hustle." He saw the game thus denominated played with halfpence, every one of the compet.i.tors having a like number, either two or four; a hole being made in the ground, with a mark at a given distance for the players to stand, they pitch their halfpence singly in succession towards the hole, and he whose halfpenny lies the nearest to it has the privilege of coming first to a second mark much nearer than the former, and all the halfpence are given to him; these he pitches in a ma.s.s toward the hole, and as many of them as remain therein are his due; if any fall short or jump out of it, the second player-that is, he whose halfpenny in pitching lay nearest to the first goer's-takes them and performs in like manner; he is followed by the others as long as any of the halfpence remain (_Sports_, pp. 386, 387). There is a letter in the _Spectator_, supposed to be from the father of a romp, who, among other complaints of her conduct, says, "I have catched her once at eleven years old at 'Chuck-farthing' among the boys."

Chuck-hole, Chuck-penny

Same game as "Chuck-farthing," with this difference, that if the pennies roll outside the ring it is a "dead heat," and each boy reclaims his penny.-Peac.o.c.k's _Manley and Corringham Glossary_; and see Brogden's _Lincolns.h.i.+re Words_.

Chucks

A game with marbles played by girls (Mactaggart's _Gallovidian Encyclopaedia_). A writer in _Blackwood's Magazine_, August 1821, p. 36, says "Chucks" is played with a bowl and chucks-a species of sh.e.l.ls (_Buccinum lapillus_) found on the sea-sh.o.r.e ["bowl" here probably means a marble]. Brockett (_North Country Words_) says this game is played by girls with five sea-sh.e.l.ls called chucks, and sometimes with pebbles, called chuckie-stanes. Jamieson says a number of pebbles are spread on a flat stone; one of them is tossed up, and a certain number must be gathered and the falling one caught by the same hand.

See "Checkstones," "Fivestones."

Church and Mice

A game played in Fifes.h.i.+re; said to be the same with the "Sow in the Kirk."-Jamieson.

Click

Two Homes opposite each other are selected, and a boy either volunteers to go Click, or the last one in a race between the Homes does so. The others then proceed to one of the Homes, and the boy takes up his position between them. The players then attempt to run between the Homes, and if the one in the middle holds any of them while he says "One, two, three, I catch thee; help me catch another," they have to stay and help him to collar the rest until only one is left. If this one succeeds in getting between the Homes three times after all the others have been caught, he is allowed to choose the one to go Click in the next game; if he fails, he has to go himself.-Marlborough, Wilts (H. S.

May).

See "c.o.c.k."

Click, Clock, Cluck

A man called Click came west from Ireland, A man called Click came west from Ireland, A man called Click came west from Ireland, Courting my Aunt Judy.

A man called Clock came west from Ireland, A man called Clock came west from Ireland, A man called Clock came west from Ireland, Courting my Aunt Judy.

A man called Cluck came west from Ireland, A man called Cluck came west from Ireland, A man called Cluck came west from Ireland, Courting my Aunt Judy.

-Isle of Man (A. W. Moore).

These verses and the game are now quite forgotten, both in English and Manx. It was sung by children dancing round in a ring.

Clowt-clowt

"A kinde of playe called clowt-clowt, to beare about, or my hen hath layd."-_Nomenclator_, p. 299.

Clubby

A youthful game something like "Doddart."-Brockett's _North Country Words_.

Coal under Candlestick

A Christmas game mentioned in _Declaration of Popish Impostures_, p.

160.

Cob

A game at marbles played by two or three boys bowling a boss marble into holes made in the ground for the purpose, the number of which is generally four.-Baker's _Northamptons.h.i.+re Glossary_.

Cobbin-match

A school game in which two boys are held by the legs and arms and b.u.mped against a tree, he who holds out the longest being the victor.-Ross and Stead's _Holderness Glossary_.

Cobble

A name for "See-saw."-Jamieson.

Cobbler's Hornpipe

This was danced by a boy stooping till he was nearly in a sitting posture on the ground, drawing one leg under him until its toe rested on the ground, and steadying himself by thrusting forward the other leg so that the heel rested on the ground; the arms and head being thrown forwards as far as possible in order to maintain a balance. The thrust-out leg was drawn back and the drawn-in leg was shot out at the same time. This movement was repeated, each bringing down to the ground of the toe and heel causing a noise like that of hammering on a lapstone. The arms were moved backwards and forwards at the same time to imitate the cobbler's sewing.-London (J. P. Emslie).

[Ill.u.s.tration]

Cob-nut

The children in Yorks.h.i.+re have a game which is probably an ancient English pastime. Numerous hazel-nuts are strung like the beads of a rosary. The game is played by two persons, each of whom has one of these strings, and consists in each party striking alternately, with one of the nuts on his own string, a nut of his adversary's. The field of combat is usually the crown of a hat. The object of each party is to crush the nuts of his opponent. A nut which has broken many of those of the adversary is a Cob-nut.-Brand, ii. 411; Hunter's _Hallams.h.i.+re Glossary_.

(_b_) This game is played in London with chestnuts, and is called "Conquers." In Cornwall it is known as "c.o.c.k-haw." The boys give the name of Victor-nut to the fruit of the common hazel, and play it to the words: "c.o.c.khaw! First blaw! Up hat! Down cap! Victor!" The nut that cracks another is called a c.o.c.k-battler (_Folk-lore Journal_, v. 61).

Halliwell describes this game differently. He says "it consists in pitching at a row of nuts piled up in heaps of four, three at the bottom and one at the top of each heap. The nut used for the pitching is called the Cob. All the nuts knocked down are the property of the pitcher."

Alluding to the first described form, he says it "is probably a more modern game," and quotes Cotgrave _sub voce_ "Chastelet" as authority for the earlier form in the way he describes it (_Dictionary_). Addy says the nuts were hardened for the purpose. When a nut was broken it was said to be "cobbered" or "cobbled" (_Sheffield Glossary_). Evans'

_Leicesters.h.i.+re Glossary_ also describes it. Darlington (_South Ches.h.i.+re Words_) says this game only differs from "Cobblety-cuts" in the use of small nuts instead of chestnuts. George Eliot in _Adam Bede_ has, "Gathering the large unripe nuts to play at 'Cob-nut' with" (p. 30).

Britton's _Beauties of Wilts.h.i.+re_ gives the Isle of Wight and Hants as other places where the game is known.

See "Conquerors."

c.o.c.k