11:57 In 1957 an American writer named Robert Paul Smith published a memoir with the title "Where did you go?" "Out" "What did you do?" "Nothing." The subject was his childhood in New York state (he was born in 1915). Near the end of the book he describes a game that he called 'killers', which was played with... horse chestnuts threaded on strings. All of his loving prose about horse chestnuts would be too long to repeat here, but this is how he describes playing the game: 'You have one. I have one. We choose, odds or evens with fingers. Whoever loses--let's say it's you, for literary ease; you hold up your string with the chestnut dangling. In my right hand I take the end of my string, in my left, the chestnut. I hold the chestnut almost, but not quite, directly above the left hand with string tight and bring it down in a whipping movement. The object, first, is for my chestnut to hit yours, the secondary object is to hit it and break it. This ordinarily does not happen the first time. Now you get a crack at mine. 'There is a subsidiary object to this game: if you don't break the other guy's chestnut, but hit it a good one, the string will wrap itself around his fist and with any luck, his chestnut will crack him a good one on the knuckles. It is, however, entirely possible, nay, likely, that if you miss, your chestnut will do that to you. 'Sooner or later, a crack will show up in one or both chestnuts. Now an even more delicate frisson comes into play: it is possible that you, striking with a cracked chestnut, will bust yours while hitting at mine. There is a kind of marvelous irony about this that we recognized even then. 'We called the chestnuts killers. You had a one-, two-, or forty-killer if you had broken that many chestnuts. However, if a one-killer broke a forty-killer, my memory is that the one-killer became a forty-one-killer, but I am not sure about this.' So there you go: American conkers. According to Wikipedia, there are records of the game being played throughout the New England area, but I shared this particular passage because it was something I came across in my reading.
Sheila sounds a good sort to me! Foraging and natural medicines, a real kitchen witch, woman after my own heart. Please pass on my blessings and best wishes to a fellow sista from another mister 🌙 I've been listening to you a long time from Australia Tony so I've been there for the highs and lows. It sounds like you met your match. I'm very pleased you sound happy.
I love this new platform and content. I'm always learning new things and history from you. As always fantastic presentations and your magnificent voice. ❤
My dad used to carry a horse chestnut in his pocket, and he would rub it on his nose and carry it in his pocket. He said it was a charm against rheumatism.
@@martiwilliams4592 Same here -- found his original channel while looking for sleep-inducing stories, but his commentary is far too interesting to sleep through. Now I listen while I'm puttering around the house. He's good company.
Nice to see a separate channel for the Late Night Talk Radio. Very soothing. Thank you, Tony! Edit: I dozed off part way through _The_Midnight_Folk_ and woke at the beginning of "Clarimonde"
Almost 30mph winds here today and tonight in NE Pennsyltucky, US. ..pet cats are hiding in the house from the howls from outside! Keeping cozy though. ... Goodnight Friends!
Blackberries melt in the frost. They don't taste very good then. To stop people harvesting bad berries the devil was described to have spat on them (couldn't resist😁)
I was told the same thing about blackberries by my maternal nan. Never eat them after a frost because 'they've been tainted by the devil'. So many odd superstitions, don't bring Lily of the Valley flowers in the house, don't put red and white flowers together, no new shoes on the table. Have a lovely day.
We do like to have hot tea here in America too! It’s not a daily ritual for me, I tend to do it more in the wintertime, as a bedtime routine. I don’t forage for things, but do use hibiscus and mint from my own garden. 🪴❤
This podcast is an utter delight!
11:57 In 1957 an American writer named Robert Paul Smith published a memoir with the title "Where did you go?" "Out" "What did you do?" "Nothing." The subject was his childhood in New York state (he was born in 1915). Near the end of the book he describes a game that he called 'killers', which was played with... horse chestnuts threaded on strings. All of his loving prose about horse chestnuts would be too long to repeat here, but this is how he describes playing the game:
'You have one. I have one. We choose, odds or evens with fingers. Whoever loses--let's say it's you, for literary ease; you hold up your string with the chestnut dangling. In my right hand I take the end of my string, in my left, the chestnut. I hold the chestnut almost, but not quite, directly above the left hand with string tight and bring it down in a whipping movement. The object, first, is for my chestnut to hit yours, the secondary object is to hit it and break it. This ordinarily does not happen the first time. Now you get a crack at mine.
'There is a subsidiary object to this game: if you don't break the other guy's chestnut, but hit it a good one, the string will wrap itself around his fist and with any luck, his chestnut will crack him a good one on the knuckles. It is, however, entirely possible, nay, likely, that if you miss, your chestnut will do that to you.
'Sooner or later, a crack will show up in one or both chestnuts. Now an even more delicate frisson comes into play: it is possible that you, striking with a cracked chestnut, will bust yours while hitting at mine. There is a kind of marvelous irony about this that we recognized even then.
'We called the chestnuts killers. You had a one-, two-, or forty-killer if you had broken that many chestnuts. However, if a one-killer broke a forty-killer, my memory is that the one-killer became a forty-one-killer, but I am not sure about this.'
So there you go: American conkers. According to Wikipedia, there are records of the game being played throughout the New England area, but I shared this particular passage because it was something I came across in my reading.
That is exactly the same game. I had a guy from Puerto Rico telling me they played it there too, but it was called something else.
yep, love the custom, all good... & thank you
I love the picture ❤ it’s absolutely beautiful
The picture is Stunning! I am an exhibited painter and my eyes devour it like candy!
Sheila sounds a good sort to me! Foraging and natural medicines, a real kitchen witch, woman after my own heart.
Please pass on my blessings and best wishes to a fellow sista from another mister 🌙
I've been listening to you a long time from Australia Tony so I've been there for the highs and lows. It sounds like you met your match. I'm very pleased you sound happy.
Done!
Totally agree on herbal teas 😀 rain sounds fab x
I fell asleep & DID NOT wake several times during the night- very helpful!🎉
it works then!
Yes!
The Halloween customs section was fun!
I love this new platform and content. I'm always learning new things and history from you. As always fantastic presentations and your magnificent voice. ❤
Tony !!
I have been waiting for this episode........
So wonderful. Thank you
Really enjoy this, the chat the legends and storys. Love the Adventurers of Tom Bombardil. Had to look this out thank you
It’s Tolkien but me narrating
obviously
@@ClassicGhost thanks I have never herd of it,. you made it come to life!
I enjoy your voice and the way you read so much! Thank you
My dad used to carry a horse chestnut in his pocket, and he would rub it on his nose and carry it in his pocket. He said it was a charm against rheumatism.
I love that !
@@ClassicGhost
Me too!
Very enjoyable, also here now midday. Much too good to sleep through, although Dog Nico dozed off at once.. .
do you like the picture ?
Yes! It is interesting! But I quite honestly was concentrating on the content, which is the first time around for me.
@@martiwilliams4592 Same here -- found his original channel while looking for sleep-inducing stories, but his commentary is far too interesting to sleep through. Now I listen while I'm puttering around the house. He's good company.
@@lzeph Thank you! I am sure there are lots of others who agree.
Nice to see a separate channel for the Late Night Talk Radio. Very soothing. Thank you, Tony!
Edit: I dozed off part way through _The_Midnight_Folk_ and woke at the beginning of "Clarimonde"
sounds like a nice transition to
We drink black tea in the southern US, but more commonly it's iced.
You have great heat there, don’t you? It’s pretty cool here most of the time
Almost 30mph winds here today and tonight in NE Pennsyltucky, US. ..pet cats are hiding in the house from the howls from outside! Keeping cozy though. ...
Goodnight Friends!
Blackberries melt in the frost. They don't taste very good then. To stop people harvesting bad berries the devil was described to have spat on them (couldn't resist😁)
Cool rambling - listening during the day, so not to sleep through the interesting bits (it's all interesting 👌)
I was told the same thing about blackberries by my maternal nan. Never eat them after a frost because 'they've been tainted by the devil'.
So many odd superstitions, don't bring Lily of the Valley flowers in the house, don't put red and white flowers together, no new shoes on the table. Have a lovely day.
@@dawnrowlands2408 had to look up the "lily of the valley" superstition 👀🤔☺️
Just curious if you've ever tried glasses that can help with some red-green color blindness.
yes i did. they made my red orange and the sky purple
We do like to have hot tea here in America too!
It’s not a daily ritual for me, I tend to do it more in the wintertime, as a bedtime routine. I don’t forage for things, but do use hibiscus and mint from my own garden. 🪴❤
although i’m
a
coffee drinker these days in the mornings