A conker.Or Horse Chestnut, but you're going to sound real silly challenging someone to a game of "Horse Chestnuts". (The tree -- meant for sitting under with a good Jane Austen book -- I posted for WW is a Horse Chestnut)
When we first moved here, we were lucky enough to gain as friends, a young married couple who had a good American friend that had lived here for a while (the husband served a mission in the U.S for two years as well), so they knew what to clue us in on.
One of the important things to know is how to play conkers.
What they didn't tell us was the techniques and how serious some people are about this game.
There are different variations and there are tricks to harden your conker to make it nearly indestructible. We gathered a few and had fun swinging our nuts at each other until someone's string broke. All good fun.
So, just in case you're thinking about coming over for a visit, you may want to do a little reading up on how to play this clever little game. I am serious about games. Any game.
I am not an angry player. I do not mind losing (I just enjoy playing, regardless who wins), but if I'm going to play, you can bet I am going to play my best. I am ugly in Risk.
See this board?
It's me slaughtering the family in the annual, "Let Mom run everyone out of the game and then leave the last guy to die a slow death in Monopoly, Risk, whatever" gathering. Usually held during the Christmas holidays. Nobody says Christmas cheer like Mom.Anyhoo, Conkers. You have a chance. My only attempts to play were before I learned how to make my conker a lethal weapon.
Wikipedia explains the game:
The game
- A hole is drilled in a large, hard conker using a nail, gimlet, or small screwdriver. A piece of string is threaded through it about 25 cm (10 inches) long (often a shoelace is used). A large knot at one or both ends of the string secures the conker.
- The game is played between two people, each with a conker.
- They take turns hitting each other's conker using their own. One player lets the conker dangle on the full length of the string while the other player swings their conker and hits.
Scoring
- The conker eventually breaking the other's conker gains a point. This may be either the attacking conker or (more often) the defending one.
- A new conker is a none-er meaning that it has conquered none yet.
- If a none-er breaks another none-er then it becomes a one-er, if it was a one-er then it becomes a two-er etc. In some areas of Scotland, conker victories are counted using the terms bully-one, bully-two, etc.
- The winning conker assimilates the previous score of the losing conker, as well gaining the score from that particular game. For example, if a two-er plays a three-er, the surviving conker will become a six-er.
Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek
I am so not competitive that you would SQUASH me at any game, especially Risk. I am such a pushover.
ReplyDeleteConker looks fun, and the name just makes me need to learn it...
P.S. Just out of curiousity, what kind of two year mission are you talking about in the U.S. that your friend served?
Ohhhh I love to play Risk though I'm often the first 2 who is out of the game, but I still love it, can't really explain why!
ReplyDeleteLove your first photo! I've never heard of conkers before--- sounds interesting!
ReplyDeleteThat sounds like a really hard game. I'm not sure I could even hit the other nut!
ReplyDeleteHappy Friday!
When we were kids it was the most natural thing for boys to play conkers. They would be put in the oven to make them hard or soaked in vinegar.
ReplyDeleteNowadays it is considered dangerous for children to play!
Like your music choice!
Ah, Conkers. The only game where bleeding knuckles means you've had a good day. That TOTALLY sounds like something made up by drunk farmers in the off-season when they've got nothing else to do!! Hmmmm, must tell hubby before harvest starts...
ReplyDeleteWow what a cool game. I am sure I would totally loose though. Great photo too!
ReplyDeleteknowing my family we'd just forego hitting each others conkers and hit each other...specially my "got no sense of fairplay" son Michael...he once turned a table over when he was losing at Monopoly...I really came over to tell you not to encourage my niece Kari in her insanity, lol...next it'll be velvet paintings of Elvis and we'll have to put her away...I admire anyone who can manage more than one blog at a time...care to tell me how you do it?
ReplyDeleteSandi
Another odd game from around the world. You have to wonder how Conkers came into being. How long does this game last into the season? Do you drill holes into several conkers and keep them as spares?
ReplyDeleteI think I'll leave the crazy game to you and your family.
ReplyDeleteWow. I never would have thought you were the type to have some competition issues. :) But I do too, so it's ok.
ReplyDeleteAs awesome as that game sounds, I will refrain from telling the boys about it. I could see some giant bruises resulting.
ReplyDeleteUm. I'll pass.
ReplyDeleteThere were always a ton of chestnut trees on my walk home from school when I was younger and we (my friends and siblings) would grab the conker and throw them at each other as hard as we could. It hurt.
Nice kids, huh?
Great post! But I won't be sharing either...too scared!
ReplyDeleteThis makes me use my very best three-year-old girl whine to say, "uhhhh, I wanna plaaaaay!" That looks like way too much fun. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteEr, No. There can be only one crazy mad alpha mama per game, I think. I bees it. Can't wait 'til my kids are old enough so that they don't cry when I slaughter them.
ReplyDeleteI've never heard of that game. Sounds like one guys would really enjoy..... I'm not sure I'm talented enough to actually hit the other conker!
ReplyDeleteAlso with Cecily on the mission ?.
That sounds SO COOL. I wanna play. :)
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad you and Karen get along. I still love my first swap partner, too.
ReplyDeleteAnd, I can't handle it. I must tell you, because you'll understand. I know you will. You've misspelled Austen. There. I generally don't care about spelling. But, it's JANE!
Love the Risk picture.
Conkers...great fun. Being slaughtered by you own wife in a grueling game of Risk lasting 2 or more days...fun, but embarrassing. Heck, I lose at nearly every game I play against this woman. Love ya.
ReplyDeletethe British are a very strange lot... conkers.
ReplyDeletewhat will they come up with next?
Well I love the name that's for sure...what will the Brit's think of next.
ReplyDeleteI wanna play! Pick me! Remember the giant acrylic marbles on a string when we were kids? I so badly wanted a pair. You'd hold the center and clack them together. I guess kids were getting hurt because they were discontinued. Could I make a pair with conkers?
ReplyDeleteOne of my scariest faculty meeting memories has to do with a game of RISK turned ugly. We should have played with those conkers instead. At least the aggression is more overt.
ReplyDeleteThis is why I love your blog, I always learn something NEW. I never heard of it, but would LOVE to play THAT!
ReplyDeleteMy boys love to collect conkers in the fall... we're not at the game level yet, thank goodness.
ReplyDeleteI love to play games, although our competitive nature and strategies sound like you could go head to head with my husband.
ReplyDeleteand as to your title... when I used to work as a camp counselor we had a motto "it's all fun and games until someone gets hurt. then it's just fun."
;)
hi jeri ~ your idea of Christmas cheer is a hoot. you rock the "risk" world. we sometimes play the marathon "risk" game here, too, about once or twice a year FOR HOURS. the same one. not the traditional "risk," but the LOTR version.
ReplyDeletethanks for the note, kathleen :)