The Traditional Games of England, Scotland, and Ireland Volume I Part 26

See "Kit Cat Cannio," "Noughts and Crosses."

Cots and Twisses

A flat stone is obtained called a Hob, upon which those who are playing place equal shares of Cots and Twisses. Cots are bra.s.s b.u.t.tons, and Twisses bits of bra.s.s-a Twiss of solid bra.s.s being worth many Cots. Each player provides himself with a nice flat [key] stone, and from an agreed pitch tosses it at the Hob. If he knocks off any of the Cots and Twisses nearer to the players than the Hob is, he claims them. The other players try to knock the Hob away with their key-stones from any Cots and Twisses that may not have been claimed; and if any key-stone touches Hob after all have thrown, the owner cannot claim any Cots and Twisses.-Earls Heaton (Herbert Hardy).

Each player selects a Cast or stone to pitch with; on another stone, called the Hob, the Cots and Twys are placed; at some distance Scops are set in the ground. First the players pitch from the Hob to the Scop, and the one who gets nearest goes first. He then pitches at the Hob, and if he knocks off the stakes he has them, provided his Cast is nearer to them than the Hob is; in failure of this, the other player tries. In pitching up, one Cast may rest on another, and if the boy whose stone is underneath can lift it up to knock the other Cast away, it has to remain at the place to which it has been struck; if he does not succeed in doing this, the second player may lift off his Cast and place it by the first. Whoever knocks off the stakes, they go to the boy whose Cast is nearest to them. The Hob and Scop are usually three yards apart. The Cot was a b.u.t.ton off the waistcoat or trousers, the Twy one off the coat, and, as its name implies, was equal to two Cots. Formerly, when cash was much more rare than now it is amongst boys, these formed their current coin. The game about 1820 seems to have been chiefly one of tossing, and was played with b.u.t.tons, then common enough. Now, metal b.u.t.tons being rare, it is played with pieces of bra.s.s or copper of any shape. The expression, "I haven't a cot," is sometimes used to signify that a person is without money.-Easther's _Almondbury and Huddersfield Glossary_.

See "Banger," "b.u.t.tons."

Course o' Park

The game of "Course of the Park" has not been described, but is referred to in the following verse:-

"Buff"'s a fine sport, And so's "Course o' Park."

-_The Slighted Maid_, 1663, p. 50.

Crab-sowl, Crab-sow

A game played with a bung or ball struck with sticks (Brogden's _Provincial Words, Lincolnshire_). This is played on Barnes Common, and is apparently a form of "Hockey" (A. B. Gomme).

Crates

The game of "Nine Holes." This is the game described by John Jones, M.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 amus.e.m.e.nt 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._) suggests that the proper name for the bat was "cricket-staff," A.-S.

_criec_, a staff.

See "Bittle-battle," "Stool-ball."

Crooky

An old game called "Crooky" was formerly played at Portarlington, Queen's co., and Kilkee, co. Clare. Fifty years ago it was played with wooden crooks and b.a.l.l.s, but about twenty-five years ago, or a little more, mallets were introduced at Kilkee; while subsequently the name was changed to "Croquet." I have heard it stated that this game was introduced by the French refugees that settled at Portarlington.-G. H.

Kinahan (_Folk-lore Journal_, ii. 265).

Cross and Pile

The game now called "Heads and Tails" (Halliwell's _Dictionary_). See _Nomenclator_, p. 299; Addy's _Sheffield Glossary_. Strutt points out that anciently the English coins were stamped on one side with a cross.

See also Harland's _Lancashire Legends_, p. 139.

Cross-bars

A boys' game.-Halliwell's _Dictionary_.

Cross-questions

Nares (_Glossary_) mentions this game in a quotation from Wilson's _Inconstant Lady_, 1614. "Cross Questions and Crooked Answers" was a popular game at juvenile parties. The players sit in a circle, and each is asked in a whisper a question by the one on his left, and receives also in a whisper an answer to a question asked by himself of the person on his right. Each player must remember both the question he was asked and the answer he received, which have at the conclusion of the round to be stated aloud. Forfeits must be given if mistakes are made.-A. B.

Gomme.

Cross Tig

One of the players is appointed to be Tig. He calls out the name of the one he intends to chase, and runs after him. Another player runs across between Tig and the fugitive, and then Tig runs after this cross-player until another player runs across between Tig and the fugitive; and so on. Each time a player crosses between Tig and the player he is following he leaves the original chase and follows the player who has crossed. When he captures, or, in some places, touches one of the players he is following, this player becomes Tig, and the game begins again.-Ireland (Miss Keane).

This game is known in and near London as "Cross Touch."

Cry Notchil

This is an old game where boys push one of their number into a circle they have made, and as he tries to escape push him back, crying, "No child of mine!" (Leigh's _Cheshire Glossary_). He adds, "This may be the origin of the husband's disclaimer of his wife when he 'notchils' her."

To "cry notchil" is for a man to advertise that he will not be answerable for debts incurred by his wife.

Cuck-ball

A game at ball. The same as "Pize-ball." It is sometimes called "Tut-ball."-Addy's _Sheffield Glossary_.

See "Ball."

Cuckoo

A child hides and cries "Cuckoo." The seekers respond-

Cuckoo cherry-tree, Catch a bird and bring it me.

-Burne's _Shropshire Folk-lore_, p. 222.

Halliwell calls this a game at ball, and the rhyme runs-

Cuckoo cherry tree, Catch a bird and bring it me; Let the tree be high or low, Let it hail, rain or snow.

See "Hide and Seek."

Cuddy and the Powks