The Traditional Games of England, Scotland, and Ireland Volume I Part 95

Namers and Guessers

Any number of players can play this game. Two are chosen, the one to be Namer, and the other Guesser or Witch. The rest of the players range themselves in a row. The Guesser retires out of sight or to a distance.

The Namer then gives each player a secret name. When names have been given to all the players, the Namer calls on the Guesser to come, by saying-

Witchie, witchie, yer bannocks are burnin', An' ready for turnin'.

Whereupon he approaches, and the Namer says-

Come, chois me out, come, chois me in, to --

(naming one by the a.s.sumed name). The players all shout, "Tack me, tack me," repeatedly. The Witch points to one. If the guess is correct the player goes to the Witch's side, but if it is incorrect he goes to the Namer's side. This goes on till all the players are ranged on the one side or the other. The two parties then come to a tug, with the Namer and Guesser as leaders. The gaining party then ranges itself in two lines with a s.p.a.ce between the lines, each boy holding in his hand his cap or his handkerchief tightly plaited. The boys of the conquered side have then to run between the two lines, and are pelted by the victors.

This is called, "Throuw the Muir o' Hecklepin."-Keith (Rev. W. Gregor).

This game is practically the same as "Fool, Fool, come to School," but the secret naming may indicate that this belongs to an earlier form.

See "Fool, Fool," "Hecklebirnie."

Neighbour

There is a game called "Neighbour, I torment thee," played in Staffordshire, "with two hands, and two feet, and a bob, and a nod as I do."-Halliwell's _Dictionary_.

Neiveie-nick-nack

A fireside game. A person puts a little trifle, such as a b.u.t.ton, into one hand, shuts it close, the other hand is also shut; then they are both whirled round and round one another as fast as they can, before the nose of the one who intends to guess what hand the prize is in; and if the guesser be so fortunate as to guess the hand the prize is in, it becomes his property; the whirling of the fists is attended with the following rhyme-

Neiveie, neiveie, nick nack, What ane will ye tak, The right or the wrang?

Guess or it be lang, Plot awa' and plan, I'll cheat ye gif I can.

-Mactaggart's _Gallovidian Encyclopaedia_.

The Rev. W. Gregor says at Keith this game is played at Christmas, and by two. The stakes are commonly pins. One player conceals a pin, or more if agreed on, in one of his (her) hands. He then closes both hands and twirls them over each other, in front of the other player, and repeats the words-

Nivvie, nivvie-neek-nack, Filk (which) (or filk han') 'ill ye tack?

Tack the richt, tack the left, An' a'll deceave ye gehn (if) I can.

The other player chooses. If he chooses the hand having the stake, he gains it. If he does not, he forfeits the stake. Another form of words is-

Nivvie, nivvie-neek-nack Filk (which) will ye tick-tack?

Tack ane, tack twa, Tack the best amo' them a'.

And-

Nivvie, nivvie-nick-nack, Which han' will ye tack?

Tack ane, tack twa, Tack the best amo' them a'.

d.i.c.kinson's _c.u.mberland Glossary_ describes this as a boyish mode of casting lots. The boy says-

Neevy, neevy-nack, Whether hand will ta tack, T'topmer or t'lowmer?

Mr. W. H. Patterson (_Antrim and Down Glossary_) gives the rhyme as-

Nievy, navy, nick nack, Which han' will ye tak', The right or the wrang?

I'll beguile ye if I can.

Chambers (_Popular Rhymes_, p. 117) gives the rhyme the same as that given by Mr. Patterson. In _Notes and Queries_, 6th Series, vii. 235, a North Yorkshire version is given as-

Nievie, nievie, nack, Whether hand wilta tak, Under or aboon, For a singal half-crown?

Nievie, nievie, nick, nack, Whilk han' will thou tak?

Tak the richt or tak the wrang, I'll beguile thee if I can.

Jamieson (_Supp., sub voce_) adds: "The first part of the word seems to be from neive, the fist being employed in the game." A writer in _Notes and Queries_, iii. 180, says: "The neive, though employed in the game, is not the object addressed. It is held out to him who is to guess-the conjuror-_and it is he who is addressed_, and under a conjuring name. In short (to hazard a wide conjecture, it may be) he is invoked in the person of Nic Neville (Neivi Nic), a sorcerer in the days of James VI., who was burnt at St. Andrews in 1569. If I am right, a curious testimony is furnished to his quondam popularity among the common people." It will be remembered that this game is mentioned by Scott in _St. Ronan's Well_-"Na, na, said the boy, he is a queer old cull... . He gave me half-a-crown yince, and forbade me to play it awa' at pitch and toss."

"And you disobeyed him, of course?" "Na, I didna disobey him-I played it awa' at 'Nievie, nievie, nick-nack.'"

See "Handy-dandy."

Nettles

Nettles grow in an angry bush, An angry bush, an angry bush; Nettles grow in an angry bush, With my high, ho, ham!

This is the way the lady goes, The lady goes, the lady goes; This is the way the lady goes, With my hi, ho, ham!

Nettles grow in an angry bush, &c.

This is the way the gentleman goes, &c.

Nettles grow in an angry bush, &c.

This is the way the tailor goes.

-Halliwell's _Nursery Rhymes_, 227.

(_b_) The children dance round, singing the first three lines, turning round and clapping hands for the fourth line. They curtsey while saying, "This is the way the lady goes," and again turn round and clap hands for the last line. The same process is followed in every verse, only varying what they act-thus, in the third verse, they bow for the gentleman-and so the amus.e.m.e.nt is protracted _ad libitum_, with shoemaking, washing clothes, ironing, churning, milking, making up b.u.t.ter, &c, &c.

(_c_) This game is practically the same as the "Mulberry Bush." The action is carried on in the same way, except that the children clap their hands at the fourth line, instead of each turning themselves round, as in "Mulberry Bush." The "High, ho, ham!" termination may be the same as the "I, O, OM" of Mr. Addy's version of "Milking Pails."

See "Mulberry Bush," "When I was a Young Girl."

New Squat

A ring is made by marking the ground, and a tin placed in the middle of it. One boy acts as keeper of the tin, the other players also stand outside the ring. One of these kicks the tin out of the ring, the others then all run to hide or squat out of sight. The keeper has to replace the tin before looking for the boys. If, after that, he can spy a boy, that boy must come out and stand by the ring. When another boy is spied, he endeavours to reach the ring before the keeper does so, and kick out the tin. If he is successful, any one of the boys who is standing by, having been previously spied, is released from the keeper, and again hides. The object of the keeper is to successfully spy all the boys.

When this is accomplished the last boy becomes the keeper.-Earls Heaton, Yorks. (Herbert Hardy).

See "Mount the Tin."