Volume I Part 23 (1/2)

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