British Comedy Guide

Golden moments of childhood Page 2

Quote: Badge @ December 22 2009, 12:12 AM GMT

You're describing "three-and-you're-in", I think. In which the first person to score three is goalie for the next game (great prize).

No, that was different. There weren't any rounds in that game. It was just a case of first person to score 3 wins.

Quote: DaButt @ December 22 2009, 12:03 AM GMT

I can't remember that far back, but I doubt the kids play "Smear the Queer" like we did back in the 60s and 70s. Maybe they've renamed it "Hit the Member of an Unspecified Unpopular Group with a Rubber Ball."

Ahh, the old 'hitting other kids' jape in it's multitude of forms!

Quote: catskillz @ December 22 2009, 12:13 AM GMT

No, that was different. There weren't any rounds in that game. It was just a case of first person to score 3 wins.

Oops. Yes, you're right. But three-and-you're-in was popular round my way (Nottingham).

Quote: Aaron @ December 22 2009, 12:06 AM GMT

I dunno. Kids (generally) don't have too much life experience or knowledge to draw humour from; give a group the same 'source' material and they're unlikely to travel far from it. Silly rhymes, nicknames for teachers, farts and other assorted bodily functions, and the natural instincts to join the crowd, as illustrated in Badge's "war" story.

Hmmm, very probably right.

Quote: catskillz @ December 22 2009, 12:09 AM GMT

I always wonderd how certain games got their names, e.g. me and my mates used to play this football game, which would be either every-man-for-himself, or played in pairs, or threes. There would only be one goal, guarded by a goalie, which we'd all be trying to get the ball into, afterwhich we'd progress throuh to the next round, until the final two boys would battle it out, having to score 3 goals to win. I've heard this game goes by different names all over the country, e.g. in London, they call it "World Cup", but around Merseyside it was known as "Cubbies". I haven't got the faintest idea why. Does anyone remember it?

Yeah, we called that World Cup too! Some dinner times there were about 40 kids playing it!

Quote: catskillz @ December 22 2009, 12:13 AM GMT

No, that was different. There weren't any rounds in that game. It was just a case of first person to score 3 wins.

It was just score once for us.

lunch times*

;)

Quote: Aaron @ December 22 2009, 12:17 AM GMT

lunch times*

;)

On yer pushrod, Southie! *refers him back to the 'dinner' ladies argument*

Quote: Moonstone @ December 22 2009, 12:14 AM GMT

Ahh, the old 'hitting other kids' jape in it's multitude of forms!

It was actually an organized/sanctioned event at school when I was a kid. There wasn't much violence involved, but you basically lined a bunch of kids against a wall and tried to hit them with an inflatable ball. Sort of like dodge ball, but with a more politically incorrect name.

They were definitely dinner times. That's what they were called Aaron, and you weren't there so na-na-na-naah-na.

:P

Quote: DaButt @ December 22 2009, 12:19 AM GMT

It was actually an organized/sanctioned event at school when I was a kid. There wasn't much violence involved, but you basically lined a bunch of kids against a wall and tried to hit them with an inflatable ball. Sort of like dodge ball, but with a more politically incorrect name.

Ah right! You've probably blanked out the properly violent ones then!

Quote: Badge @ December 22 2009, 12:20 AM GMT

They were definitely dinner times. That's what they were called Aaron, and you weren't there so na-na-na-naah-na.

So speaks Badge - a man of truth. Pleased

Quote: Moonstone @ December 22 2009, 12:23 AM GMT

Ah right! You've probably blanked out the properly violent ones then!

Violence was very rare when I was growing up. I doubt that more than 30% of the kids in my school ever took part in an actual fistfight during their entire school career.

Another game that had a title of unknown origin/etymology, was something called "Saleo"/"Salleo", (pronounced "Sal-ee-oh"). It was actually a big favourite of mine, and me and my mates would play it in the park across the road from my house way into the night in the summer. The game would start with one person being "On", and he would have the unenviable task of chasing after everyone else, after he'd counted to a hundred, sitting on the "Base", which was usually a park bench. When he'd catch a person, by holding onto them long enough to shout "Salleo 1-2-3", he'd walk them back to the base, where they'd have to sit like a prisoner. Now, nobody wanted to be the first person caught, because it meant that they would be "On" at the start of the next game - unless they were rescued by another kid, who had to find a way of getting to the bench, and placing his hand on it long enough to shout "Salleo 1-2-3 you're out" (or something). If someone managed to do this, the kids that had been caught were allowed to scatter and run free, causing the poor kid who'd been "On" to start all over again, trying to catch everyone.

There was actually a variation on "Salleo", which we called "Manhunt". This also started with one kid being "On", but it differed because every time he caught another kid, thay would have to join up with him in chasing all the other kids, until there would only be one left, being chased by all of the others.

Quote: Badge @ December 22 2009, 12:20 AM GMT

They were definitely dinner times. That's what they were called Aaron, and you weren't there so na-na-na-naah-na.

That's why they were called dinner ladies !

They whacked out Toad etc, they didn't come round your house about 8pm and serve up Beef Wellington with a watercress drizzle.

Dinner time is British working class, lunchtime is for City pooves !

And before anyone asks, in the evening we had tea. Not at 4pm in poncy little cups.

;)

Fine then, you lot 'ave yer dinner, whilst I partake in a spot of luncheon.

Actually, people of all classes used to call their early afternoon meal "Dinner", and their late afternoon meal "Tea". "Dinner" would be the biggest meal of the day, and "Tea" would be just that - various cups of tea, along with sandwiches and/or cakes. This all started to change when the Brits who had been living in India all came home when the country gained independence, and they set the new trend of having their main meal in late afternoon. This change of habit originally came about because early afternoons in India had been so hot, that they turned people off having big hot meals, preferring to leave them until the sun was starting to set and the weather was cooler.

I've always called it Lunch myself, but I had mates who called it Dinner.

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