See "Hop Scotch."
Pat-ball
A child"s name for the simple game of throwing a ball from one to another.-Lowsley"s _Berkshire Glossary_.
Pay-swad
A boys" game, somewhat similar to "Duckstone." Each boy, when he threw his stone, had to say "Pay-swad," or he had to go down himself.-Holland"s _Cheshire Glossary_.
See "Duckstone."
Pednameny
A game played with pins: also called "Pinny Ninny," "Pedna-a mean,"
"Heads and Tails," a game of pins.-Courtenay"s _West Cornwall Glossary_.
Peesie Weet
The game of "Hide and Seek." When the object is hidden the word "Peesie-weet" is called out.-Fraserburgh, Aberdeenshire (Rev. W.
Gregor).
See "Hide and Seek (2)."
Peg and Stick
The players provide themselves with short, stout sticks, and a peg (a piece of wood sharpened at one or both ends). A ring is made, and the peg is placed on the ground so as to balance. One boy then strikes it with his stick to make it spring or bounce up into the air; while in the air he strikes it with his stick, and sends it as far as he possibly can. His opponent declares the number of leaps in which the striker is to cover the distance the peg has gone. If successful, he counts the number of leaps to his score. If he fails, his opponent leaps, and, if successful, the number of leaps count to his score. He strikes the next time, and the same process is gone through.-Earls Heaton, Yorks.
(Herbert Hardy).
See "Tip-cat."
Peg-fiched
A west country game. The performers in this game are each furnished with a sharp-pointed stake. One of them then strikes it into the ground, and the others, throwing their sticks across it, endeavour to dislodge it.
When a stick falls, the owner has to run to a prescribed distance and back, while the rest, placing the stick upright, endeavour to beat it into the ground up to the very top.-Halliwell"s _Dictionary_.
Peggy Nut
A boyish game with nuts.-d.i.c.kinson"s _c.u.mberland Glossary_.
Peg-in-the-Ring
A game of "Peg-top." The object of this game is to spin the top within a certain circle marked out, in which the top is to exhaust itself without once overstepping the bounds prescribed (Halliwell"s _Dict.
Provincialisms_). Holloway (_Dictionary_) says, "When boys play at "Peg-top," a ring is formed on the ground, within which each boy is to spin his top. If the top, when it has ceased spinning, does not roll without the circle, it must remain in the ring to be pegged at by the other boys, or he redeems it by putting in an inferior one, which is called a "Mull." When the top does not roll out, it is said to be "mulled."" Mr. Emslie writes: "When the top fell within the ring the boys cried, "One a penny!" When two had fallen within the ring it was, "Two a penny!" When three, "Three a penny, good as any!" The aim of each spinner was to do what was called "drawing," _i.e._, bring his top down into the ring, and at the same time draw the string so as to make the top spin within the ring, and yet come towards the player and out of the ring so as to fall without."
See "Tops."
Peg-top
One of the players, chosen by lot, spins his top. The other players endeavour to strike this top with the pegs of their own tops as they fling them down to spin. If any one fails to spin his top in due form, he has to lay his top on the ground for the others to strike at when spinning. The object of each spinner is to split the top which is being aimed at, so as to release the peg, and the boy whose top has succeeded in splitting the other top obtains the peg as his trophy of victory. It is a matter of ambition to obtain as many pegs in this manner as possible.-London (G. L. Gomme).
See "Peg-in-the-Ring," "Tops."
Penny Cast
A game played with round flat stones, about four or six inches across, being similar to the game of quoits; sometimes played with pennies when the hobs are a deal higher. It was not played with pennies in 1810.-Easther"s _Almondbury Glossary_. In an article in _Blackwood"s Magazine_, August 1821, p. 35, dealing with children"s games, the writer says, Pennystanes are played much in the same manner as the quoits or discus of the ancient Romans, to which warlike people the idle tradesmen of Edinburgh probably owe this favourite game.
See "Penny p.r.i.c.k."
Penny Hop
A rude dance, which formerly took place in the common taverns of Sheffield, usually held after the bull-baiting.-Wilson"s Notes to _Mather"s Songs_, p. 74, cited by Addy, _Sheffield Glossary_.
Penny p.r.i.c.k
"A game consisting of casting oblong pieces of iron at a mark."-Hunter"s _Hallamsh. Gloss._, p. 71. Grose explains it, "Throwing at halfpence placed on sticks which are called hobs."
Their idle houres, I meane all houres beside Their houres to eate, to drinke, drab, sleepe, and ride, They spend at shove-boord, or at pennie-p.r.i.c.ke.
-Scots" _Philomythie_, 1616.
Halliwell gives these references in his _Dictionary_; Addy, _Sheffield Glossary_, describes it as above; adding, "An old game once played by people of fashion."
See "Penny Cast."
Penny Stanes
See "Penny Cast."
Phbe
The name of a dance mentioned in an old nursery rhyme. A correspondent gave Halliwell the following lines of a very old song, the only ones he recollected:-
Cannot you dance the Phbe?
Don"t you see what pains I take; Don"t you see how my shoulders shake?