The Traditional Games of England, Scotland, and Ireland (Vol 1 of 2): With Tunes, Singing-Rhymes and Methods of Playing etc.Gomme, Alice Bertha
History
The Traditional Games of England, Scotland, and Ireland (Vol 1 of 2): With Tunes, Singing-Rhymes and Methods of Playing etc.
Gomme, Alice Bertha
Folklore -- Great Britain; Games -- Great Britain
Come, chois me out, come, chois me in, to ——
(naming one by the assumed 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 space 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 button, 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 Encyclopædia_.
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’.
Dickinson’s _Cumberland 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.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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