The Traditional Games of England, Scotland, and Ireland Volume Ii Part 63

Trip and go, heave and hoe, Up and down, to and fro; From the town to the grove, Two and two let us rove; A-maying, a-playing, Love hath no gainsaying; So merrily trip and go, So merrily trip and go.

-Halliwell's _Nursery Rhymes_, cccxlviii.

A game rhyme, but undescribed.

Trip-trout

A game in which a common ball is used instead of the cork and feathers in "Shuttlec.o.c.k."-(Kinross) Jamieson.

See "Shuttlefeather," "Teesty Tosty."

Troap

A game played by two persons, with bandies or sticks hooked at the end, and a bit of wood called a nacket. At each end of the ground occupied a line is drawn. He who strikes off the nacket from the one line, tries to drive it as near the other as possible. The antagonist who stands between him and the goal tries to throw back with his hand the nacket to the line from which the other has struck it. If he does this he takes the place of the other. If not, the distance is measured between the striking point and the nacket with one of the sticks used in striking, and for every length of the stick one is counted against the caster.-(Angus) Jamieson. The editor of Jamieson adds that the name must have been originally the same as the English Trap, although in this game a ball is used instead of a nacket, and it is struck off as in cricket.

Troco, Trucks

This was an old English game formerly known as "trucks." Strutt, p. 270, 299 (who gives an ill.u.s.tration of it), considers this game to be the original of billiards. Professor Attwell says, _Notes and Queries_, 7th series, xii. 137, "This game was played at Na.s.sau House School, Barnes, for twenty years. It is played on a lawn with b.a.l.l.s, cues, and rings."

Troule-in-Madame

In the Benefit of the Auncient Bathes of Buckstones, compiled by John Jones at the King's Mede, nigh Darby, 1572, 4to. p. 12, we read: "The ladyes, gentle woomen, wyves, and maydes, maye in one of the galleries walke; and if the weather bee not aggreeable too theire expectacion, they may haue in the ende of a benche eleuen holes made, intoo the which to trowle pummetes, or bowles of leade, bigge, little, or meane, or also of copper, tynne, woode, eyther vyolent or softe, after their owne discretion; the pastyme _troule-in-madame_ is termed." Probably similar to "Nine Holes."

Trounce-Hole

A game at ball resembling trap, but having a hole in the ground for the trap, a flat piece of bone for a trigger, and a cudgel for a bat.-Norfolk, Holloway's _Dictionary of Provincialisms_.

See "Trunket."

Troy Town

A game in which a plan of a labyrinth is drawn on a slate and presented as a puzzle by boys to their schoolfellows for them to find a way into the central citadel. It appears to owe its origin to the mediaeval mazes or labyrinths called "Troy Towns," or "Troy Walls," many of which existed in different parts of England and Wales. It appears that games connected with the midsummer festivals were held in these labyrinths.

This may, perhaps, account for the origin of this puzzle being considered a game. For accounts of labyrinths or mazes called "Troy Towns," see _Notes and Queries_, 1st series, xi. 132, 193; 2nd series, v. 211-213; 8th series, iv. 96, 97; in which many references are given; _Tran. Cymmrodorion Soc._, 1822, i. 67-69; Roberts' _Cambrian Antiquities_ (in which is a plan), 212, 213; and _Folk-lore Journal_, v.

45.

Truncher

A game requiring dexterity. A young man lies flat, resting only on his toes at a certain mark at one extremity and on a trencher in each hand at the other. He then tries to reach out the trenchers as far as possible, and if not held at the right angle and edgewise, down they go and he is defeated.-d.i.c.kinson's _c.u.mberland Glossary_.

Trunket

A game at ball played with short sticks, and having a hole in the ground in lieu of stumps or wickets as in "Cricket"; and with these exceptions, and the ball being "cop'd," instead of bowled or trickled on the ground, it is played in the same way; the person striking the ball must be caught out, or the ball must be deposited in the hole before the stick or cudgel can be placed there.-Halliwell's _Dictionary_.

See "Cudgel," "Trounce Hole."

Truss

A boy's game like "Leap-Frog."-Halliwell's _Dictionary_.

Tuilyie-wap

A childish amus.e.m.e.nt in Teviotdale, in which a number of boys take hold of each other's hands and wrap themselves round the one who is at the head; clasping themselves as firmly together as possible, and every one pushing till the ma.s.s falls over.-Jamieson.

See "Bulliheisle," "Eller Tree," "Snail-Creep," "Wind the Bush f.a.ggot."

Turn, Cheeses, Turn

Green cheeses, yellow laces, Up and down the market places; First a penny and then a groat, Turn, cheeses, turn.

-Leicester (Miss Ellis).

Green cheeses, yellow laces, Up and down the market places, Turn, cheeses, turn!

-Halliwell's _Nursery Rhymes_, cccx.

This is acted by two or more girls who walk or dance up and down, turning, when they say "Turn, cheeses, turn."-Halliwell.

I remember playing this game, but my remembrance is very imperfect. As far as I remember, there were two lines or rows of children. They danced forwards and backwards, crossing to the opposite side, and turning round. At the words, "Turn, cheeses, turn," the cheeses all turned round rapidly and then sank on the ground. The players tried to inflate their dresses as much as possible, and then stooped down to the ground, so that the dress remained inflated; only the head and shoulders surrounded by a ball-like skirt then appeared, intended to represent a cheese. All joined hands and danced round at the end. The lines sang were the same as the Leicester except the third, which was-"Some a penny, some a groat, turn, cheeses, turn." It was necessary for skirts to be very "full" to make good cheeses-as wide at the waist as at the bottom of the skirt.-(A. B. Gomme.)

Holland (_Cheshire Glossary_) says, a frequent amus.e.m.e.nt of girls is making cheeses. They turn round and round till their dresses fly out at the bottom; then suddenly squatting down, the air confined under the dress causes the skirt to bulge out like a balloon. When skilfully done the appearance is that of a girl's head and shoulders peeping out of an immense cushion. Evans' _Leicestershire Glossary_ mentions this game. He says, "The performers sing a song of which the refrain is 'Turn, cheeses, turn,' but I do not remember to have heard the example cited by Mr. Halliwell-Phillips."-_Percy Soc._, iv. p. 122.

I always understood that the green cheeses were sage cheeses-cheeses containing sage. Halliwell says, "Green cheeses, I am informed, are made with sage and potato tops. Two girls are said to be 'cheese and cheese.'"

Turn Spit Jack

A game at country b.a.l.l.s, &c., in which young men compete by singing for their partners in the next dance.-Patterson's _Antrim and Down Glossary_.

Turn the Ship

This is commonly a girls' game. Two join hands and trip along, with hands crossed, turning from one side to the other, and crossing their arms over their heads without letting go their hold of each other, singing at the same time-

Tip, tip, toe, London, lo!

Turn, Mary Ann, and away you go.

Or-