Tiddlywinks Bibliography • Magazines

About Prince Philip and tiddlywinks in the Olympics.

Photograph of Jonathan Mapley.

Oxford team playing in San Francisco

1962 Oxford tour

When in the last decade or more of Super Bowl advertising has Anheuser not been in the game? The CBS ad-sales team could spend its time playing tiddly-winks and still sell ad time for Bud and Bud Light ads

Some of them no doubt enjoy the pleasures of anticipation or successful achievement; but these are pleasures which can be enjoyed in an arm-chair at any time and in respect of any game, ping-pong, tiddley-winks, and hop-scotch included.

In the fourth volume of Punch, published in 1843, is an amusing account of a visit to the so-called Glaciarium, in Baker-street, where the artificial ice was surrounded by an elaborate mise en scène of Alpine or Arctic—it is not very clear which—character; but perhaps the balance of evidence is in favour of the Alps, as the lake was approached from a species of Swiss châlet. Punch’s contributor, who signed himself “Tiddledy Winks,” was very funny at the expense of the forlorn institution, in which he found himself alone save for the presence of one of the “natives, who rushed from a gorge of brown paper and whitewash at the extremity of the lake, and performed several savage evolutions upon its surface.” In the uncongenial atmosphere of Baker-street, the artificial ice lake soon melted away into the limbo of dead-and-gone speculations

[...] faith and a clear conscience we gave a game of tiddledywinks as a booby prize. Would you believe it, that one set has started a craze for tiddledywinks among the fraternity men here that actually rivals the cross-word mania.

Then again, the children are apt to think that the word “played” can be used with unvarying correctness. This may hold true in nine cases out of ten with regard to boxed games, but in out-door sports the verbs also differ. We play ball, we play marbles, but do we ever play rope? When the boys come in, fresh from some jolly romp and anxious to tell of it, yet wishing to speak correctly, you will find that a rapid glance will be given at the slate to see if the beloved sport is there, and if so, it will be with increased confidence that they begin their tale. Here are a few sentences for illustration:

• We played tiddledy winks.
• We played jack-straws.
• I turned somersaults on the grass.
• I played hop-scotch
• The boys had a tug-of-war

[…]

It is a great pity that the general public which has to use the plant names does not refuse entirely to countenance this monkeying with nomenclature. If the name-tinkers must be employed, let them engage in a game of tiddledywinks or take up tatting as a pastime.

A. Lucas, W. O’Neill and G. Labadie have started to work on the Tiddley Winks shop here.

The comparatively new game “Tiddledy winks” follows, leading up to a recent German game called the “Newest War Game,” in which the men or “winks” are played upon a board upon which are represented two opposing fortresses.

results of surveys in 1898, 1921, and 1959

No, she won’t, old Tiddly winks!” says the boy, rising suddenly from his hiding – place. “In less than ten minutes you will be a corpse!”

Page 45: “New York Wants to Talk to You” You ought to have seen us the other night, squatting on a million-dollar rug in his house, with ten thousand dollars’ worth of electric lights shining on us and fifty thousand dollars’ worth of servants peeking around the corner—down on the floor playing tiddledy-winks. Cross my heart. And it would have made you cry to see how the old guy enjoyed it.

Page 46:

tiddlywinks game that you play until it’s time to go to work. And that’s just what it is to me! I don’t want to be a singer. I want to be a woman! If I’m a man, you made me one. Oh, yes, that’s the worst of it. It’s mostly tiddlywinks, but its’s partly building yourself up to the level of that […]

Canadian post-Mulroney politics and the rise of Kim Campbell, the first woman Prime Minister

re E. I. Horsman’s “Tiddledy Wink Tennis”. Illustrated

In “Tiddledy WInk Tennis” E. I. Horsman, 80 William street, has brought out a very pretty and lively parlor game, which will furnish sport for tennis players during the season when they are debarred from exercising their skill in the open air. "Tiddledy Winks," as originaly brought out, is full of amusement, but the new game is infinitely more engaging, and, besides, it offers a considerable field for the display of nice calculation and skill.

Persons who are unfamiliar with lawn tennis may become conversant with the rules by playing “Tiddled Wink Tennis,” and thus be able to master the game much more readily. The game is learned in a litle while, and will be found one of the most lively and amusing of the many offered for parlor sport. A cup and the full number of counteres for the regular game of “Tiddledy Winks” is provided with the new game. Dealers should send for descriptive circular at once.

Interview with E. I. Horsman

E. I. Horsman, 80 William street, is wearing a 7x9 smile these days, notwithstanding he has set the whole world by the ears with his “Tiddledy Winks” tennis and dealers are fairly tumbling over each other in their haste to get orders in early. Mr. Horsman thinks that the “Tiddledy Winks” games have made the best hit of any he has ever brought out. At any rate, he has had to roll up his sleeves and help get out order. He cannot manufacture the games fast enough, however, to keep up, and has adopted the plan of sending a dozen to dealers who order a gross, and one single game to him who orders a dozen, and filling the hiatus with liberal promises. He is increasing his facilities for manufacutring, and hopes soon to be able to fill all order promptly.

Interview with E. I. Horsman

E. I. Horsman, 80 William street, has been caught in a whirlwind of orders for his two favorite games, “Tiddledy Winks Tennis” and “Halma.” He has had to provide a separate book in which to index orders, so that they may be found in the order books without loss of time, a plan he has never before been compelled to adopt. One apartment of his establishment is given up to printed matter for gratuitous distribution concerning these two games. Games are in high favor with the trade this fall.

Interview with E. I. Horsman

Acting on the hint thrown out in The Stationer of October 30, E. I. Horsman, 80 William street, is now engaged in preparing a progressive game of “Tiddledy Winks Tennis.” It promises to be novel and amusing, and it is soon to be ready for the trade. Look out for it!

Interview with E. I. Horsman

“See that bundle of letters?” said E. I. Horsman, the great “Tiddledy Winks Tennis” promoter, 80 William street. “Well, there are sixty-five of them, every one orders for my favorite game, and they have got to be answered before I go to my dinner, because the writers must have their orders filled before CHristmas, so they say, and we are so behind that I must personally beg them to excercise a little patience in the matter. ‘Tiddledy Winks Tennis’ is a great thing, I tell you, but I cannot stop to explain why just now. Come again—after the holidays, when the rush is over—and we will confer together on the subject.”

Interview with E. I. Horsman

The dealers are still worrying the life out of E. I. Horsman, 80 William street, about “Tiddledy Winks Tennis,” although it must be said he preserves a wonderfully comfortable appearance and smiling countenance for a man who thinks of “Tiddledy Winks” all day and dreams about it all night. He declares, however, that he believes people will go right on buying the game regardless of the close of the holiday season, and he thinks there will be no rest for him until every man, woman and child in the United States has one, and he is afraid that by that time Europe will have heard of it, and he will have fresh troubles trying to understand what they want. However, he does not look as though he would mind a babel of tongues very much if “Tiddledy Winks” was involve.d

Interview with E. I. Horsman

E. I. Horsman, importer, manufacturer and dealer in toys and games, 80 William street, is preparing to do a big business this year in lawn tennis, and expects to put on the market the finest line ever brought out in this country. To this end he has enlarged his factory, doubled its capacity and substituted a 100 horse power engine for the 50 horse power hitherto used. Altogether he is getting ready to repeat his “Tiddledy Winks Tennis” triumphs, and the lawns and parks will bloom with pretty maids and gallant lads all singing the praises of Horsman’s tennis outfits, undoubtedly.

Denver, Col., January 1, 1891.

A visit to the stores of various kinds even at the present time reveals a plentiful supply of goods left over and anniversaries can be cared for while the new goods are being made. The only article entirely sold out was the great and only game of the season, “Tiddledy WInks.” Not even a “wink” could be had on Christmas Eve, and clerks would merely shake their heads at the inquiry, having “just sold the last one” for several hours. Now, the quest is what sells a game like that—the price or the craze?

Kansas City, Mo., January 17, 1891

Of all the new games called for during the season “Tiddledy Winks” took the lead, and what was the worst feature nobody could supply the demand.

H., Williamsport, Pa. wants to know where he can get, in quantities, the bone chips used in the game of “Tiddledy Winks”

Ans. We understand that they are imported. E. I. Horsman, 80 WIlliam street, New York, may be able to supply you. The Strobel & Wilken Company and Hinrichs & Co. import them. American manufacturers of bone goods, like C. J. Bates, Chester, Conn., or the Rogers & Hubbard Company, Middletown, Conn., may possibly meet your demand.

Pittsburg, January 24, 1891.

The game of Tiddledy Winks has had a great run here and in some circles appeared as a formidable rival of euchre, and great numbers were sold during the holidays.

Interview with E. I. Horsman

E.I. Horsman, the toy man, 80 William street, says that “Tiddledy WInks Tennis” is still in such demand that he can hardly get time to attend to the business of bringing out the superb line of lawn tennis goods which he has promised the public it should have next summer. For a simple game “Tiddledy Winks Tennis” has had a remarkable run, and strange to say, the more the public have of it the better they like it.

Includes illustration of a black pot kettle at left with ring handle, marked “TRADE MARK”, and hand with shooter on wink at right.

Tiddledy Winks.

SELCHOW & RIGHTER,

Offer a new line of this popular game of their own make as follows:

No. 1, 10 cents retail, wood box with neat label, wood pot painted, with bale and feet (see cut), four large counters, twenty-four small of wood, nicely colored. The best 10 cent make on the market. Price, $9.00 per gross.

No. 2, 25 cents retail, large wood box with lithographed label, box partitioned for the different counter, handsome pot, painted and varnished, with bale and feet (see cut). The best 25 cent edition offered. Price, $24.00 per gross.

No. 3, 50 cents retail, ready February 10, elegant polished wood box, size 4½ x 9, with gilt label on cover, elegant gilt pot, box partitioned for different counters, counters of bone, six of large, thirty-six of small, good colors. Price, $48.00 per gross. The finest 50 cent style made. Samples mailed, post paid, on receipt of 10 cents for No. 1, 20 cents for No. 2, 40 cents for No. 3.

SPECIAL PRICES TO JOBBING TRADE

Includes illustration of a black pot kettle at left with ring handle, marked “TRADE MARK”, and hand with shooter on wink at right.

Tiddledy Winks.

SELCHOW & RIGHTER,

Offer a new line of this popular game of their own make as follows:

No. 1, 10 cents retail, wood box with neat label, wood pot painted, with bale and feet (see cut), four large counters, twenty-four small of wood, nicely colored. The best 10 cent make on the market. Price, $9.00 per gross.

No. 2, 25 cents retail, large wood box with lithographed label, box partitioned for the different counter, handsome pot, painted and varnished, with bale and feet (see cut). The best 25 cent edition offered. Price, $24.00 per gross.

No. 3, 50 cents retail, ready February 10, elegant polished wood box, size 4½ x 9, with gilt label on cover, elegant gilt pot, box partitioned for different counters, counters of bone, six of large, thirty-six of small, good colors. Price, $48.00 per gross. The finest 50 cent style made. Samples mailed, post paid, on receipt of 10 cents for No. 1, 20 cents for No. 2, 40 cents for No. 3.

SPECIAL PRICES TO JOBBING TRADE

The evidently fascinating game of “Tiddledy Winks” is again on its travels, this time under the aegis of Selchow & Righter, 41 John street, who are putting two styles on the market, which for convenience and finish equal, if they do not excel, those offered by any other house. The larger box is square, neatly put together, and has a sliding cover which is illuminated with a

Accompanying this article are illustrations of the “wink” pot and the maner of playing. The pot being set in the middle of the table, the player places his “winks” before him in a row, then laying the “tiddledy” upon the centre of the “wink,” as shown in the cut, draws it backward with a firm pressure; as it slips from the wink, the disk will jump up and forward, the distance being regulated by the pressure. The object is, of course, to jump all the “winks” into the pot, the one who does this first winning the game.This little amusement is the very climax of simplicity, yet it seems to have hit popular favor and is enjoying a run which has hardly been duplicated in the world of games. The uncommonly nice form in which it is offered by Selchow & Righter will give it a new accession of popularity throughout the country without doubt.

The New York News Company is having a very brisk call for what is known as “The Children's Delight.” It is a package of assorted gold, silver, glazed and enameled papers, which are used by the little folks for a great variet of purposes. The packages are neatly put up and have made a veritable hit. This house has also a miniature windmill which is known as the “Signal Service Weather Vane and Windmill.” It has also a full supply of “Tiddledy Winks” and can fill all orders promptly.

We have just completed a new and very elegant set for playing at this popular amusement progressively. The set contains full directions, lithographed score cards, invitation cards, a signal bell, and finest quality bone chips sufficient for sixteen players.

The whole forms one of the handsomest and most complete packages we have offered.

Retail Price, $3.00, subject to the usual Discount.

We have also a full line of 25 cent, 50 cent, and $1.00 TIDDLEDY WINKS, in all of which we use only BONE CHIPS.

McLOUGHLIN BROS.,

No. 623 Broadway, New York.

Tiddledy Winks.

SELCHOW & RIGHTER,

Offer a new line of this popular game of their own make as follows:

No. 1, 10 cents retail, wood box with neat label, wood pot painted, with bale and feet (see cut), four large counters, twenty-four small of wood, nicely colored. The best 10 cent make on the market. Price, $9.00 per gross.

No. 2, 25 cents retail, large wood box with lithographed label, box partitioned for the different counter, handsome pot, painted and varnished, with bale and feet (see cut). The best 25 cent edition offered. Price, $24.00 per gross.

No. 3, 50 cents retail, ready February 10, elegant polished wood box, size 4½ x 9, with gilt label on cover, elegant gilt pot, box partitioned for different counters, counters of bone, six of large, thirty-six of small, good colors. Price, $48.00 per gross. The finest 50 cent style made. Samples mailed, post paid, on receipt of 10 cents for No. 1, 20 cents for No. 2, 40 cents for No. 3.

SPECIAL PRICES TO JOBBING TRADE

McLoughlin Brothers, 623 Broadway, have recently put on the market an elegant layout for a progressive game of “Tiddledy Winks.” The set is contained in a handsome box strongly made and covered with wine colored moire paper stamped with gold, and comprises uncommonly beautiful score cards, steel plate invitation cards, a pretty nickel signal bell, bone chips of the finest quality sufficient for sixteen players, and four “wink pots” of polished box wood. This is one of the handsomest and most complete games ever brought out by this house, which is noted for the originality and finish of its goods. The firm also carries a full line of regular “Tiddledy Winks” of different grades, but all with real bone chips. In connection with the above it may be said that this house has practically completed its lines of new books, blocks and games, and from the samples shown to a representative of The Stationer it is safe to say that McLoughlin Brothers have surpassed themselves in all of the features for which their goods are famous.

Albertston & Chamberlain occupy a prominent locality upon the main street, the front of their building presenting a very attractive appearance, having one very large plate glass show window. The sign above blew down, some ten days ago, breaking through the glass, which break is at present covered by a sheet, with this very appropriate and interesting notice: “The sign did not break the glass, but the extraordinary low prices inside on Tiddledy Winks and other goods were the cause,” and no doubt it was so.

Tiddledy Winks.

SELCHOW & RIGHTER,

Offer a new line of this popular game of their own make as follows:

No. 1, 10 cents retail, wood box with neat label, wood pot painted, with bale and feet (see cut), four large counters, twenty-four small of wood, nicely colored. The best 10 cent make on the market. Price, $9.00 per gross.

No. 2, 25 cents retail, large wood box with lithographed label, box partitioned for the different counter, handsome pot, painted and varnished, with bale and feet (see cut). The best 25 cent edition offered. Price, $24.00 per gross.

No. 3, 50 cents retail, ready February 10, elegant polished wood box, size 4½ x 9, with gilt label on cover, elegant gilt pot, box partitioned for different counters, counters of bone, six of large, thirty-six of small, good colors. Price, $48.00 per gross. The finest 50 cent style made. Samples mailed, post paid, on receipt of 10 cents for No. 1, 20 cents for No. 2, 40 cents for No. 3.

SPECIAL PRICES TO JOBBING TRADE

“Ring-A-Peg”, invented by John J. B. Trainer, manufactured by Geo. B. Leiter & Co. (and also by E. I. Horsman).

This is the name of a new game which is about to be placed upon the market. In point of interest and general attractiveness it promises to outrival the famous “Tiddledy Winks.” It combines instruction with amusement, as will be seen by the following description and manner of player: A circular board containing a number of upright pegs is placed on a cloth in the centre of the table. The game may be played by two, three or four persons, each player being provided with five rings made of bone brightly colored and a square piece of the same material called the “ringer,” the latter being used to snap the rings upon the upright pegs.

The centre of king peg is higher than the rest and being the more difficult to ring counts the player relatively more than the pegs on the circles, the numbers of which will be designated in the direction. “Ring-a-Peg” can be played in several different ways, which will prove a decided advantage over games of a similar character.

The inventor of the game is John H. B. Trainer, a young man who has been connected with the book, stationery, and fancy goods trade ever since he was a small boy.

The manufacturers are Geo. B. Leiter & Co., Williamsport, Pa.

We have just completed a new and very elegant set for playing at this popular amusement progressively. The set contains full directions, lithographed score cards, invitation cards, a signal bell, and finest quality bone chips sufficient for sixteen players.

The whole forms one of the handsomest and most complete packages we have offered.

Retail Price, $3.00, subject to the usual Discount.

We have also a full line of 25 cent, 50 cent, and $1.00 TIDDLEDY WINKS, in all of which we use only BONE CHIPS.

McLOUGHLIN BROS.,

No. 623 Broadway, New York.

TIDDLEDY WINKS

SELCHOW & RIGHTER

OFFER THE BEST LINE OF THIS POPULAR GAME MADE IN THREE STYLES, TO RETAIL AT

10 cts., 25 ct. and 50 cts. per Set.

Send for Descriptive List with Wholesale Prices.

SELCHOW & RIGHTER, Publishers, 41 John St., New York

TIDDLEDY WINKS

SELCHOW & RIGHTER

OFFER THE BEST LINE OF THIS POPULAR GAME MADE IN THREE STYLES, TO RETAIL AT

10 cts., 25 ct. and 50 cts. per Set.

Send for Descriptive List with Wholesale Prices.

SELCHOW & RIGHTER, Publishers, 41 John St., New York

TIDDLEDY WINKS

SELCHOW & RIGHTER

OFFER THE BEST LINE OF THIS POPULAR GAME MADE IN THREE STYLES, TO RETAIL AT

10 cts., 25 ct. and 50 cts. per Set.

Send for Descriptive List with Wholesale Prices.

SELCHOW & RIGHTER, Publishers, 41 John St., New York

Selchow & Righter are in the field with a new game. It is illustrated on this page and is known as “Crickets on the

The game is somewhat similar to “Tiddledy Winks.” The board on which the game is played consists of a floor divided into spaces and a fireplace with mantel and a hole in the wall over the mantel. In playing a small chip, called a “cricket,” is placed on a felt disk located in the square farthest from the fireplace and is then snapped with a large chip. If the cricket goes through the hole it counts the player 100, if it remains on the mantel it counts seventy-five, while if it lands in the squares directly in front of the fireplace it scores ten or twenty points according as it is the left or right hand square. The implements of the game are the shelf, by which name the board is known, ten crickets and one large chip for snapping. The game is very interesting and possesses capabilities which will no doubt be freely developed by the children of this country. The shelf folds up, inclosing within it the “crickets” and the large chip. The firm will be pleased to give the rade all information which may be desired in regard to this new and attractive game.

JUST READY

An Improvement on the Popular Game of Tiddledy Winks.

Snap the Counters same as Tiddledy Winks; if they go through the opening the count is 100; on the shelf, 75; in the space below, 10, 20 or nothing, as may be.

ATTRACTIVE. GOOD. CHEAP.

Retail at 10c. Price, $9.00 per Gross.

Samples mailed, postpaid, on receipt of 10 cents.

SELCHOW & RIGHTER,
MAKERS,
41 JOHN STREET, NEW YORK.

JUST READY

An Improvement on the Popular Game of Tiddledy Winks.

Snap the Counters same as Tiddledy Winks; if they go through the opening the count is 100; on the shelf, 75; in the space below, 10, 20 or nothing, as may be.

ATTRACTIVE. GOOD. CHEAP.

Retail at 10c. Price, $9.00 per Gross.

Samples mailed, postpaid, on receipt of 10 cents.

SELCHOW & RIGHTER,
MAKERS,
41 JOHN STREET, NEW YORK.

Selchow & Righter are now in their new quarters at 390 Broadway, where they will be glad to see all their friends in the trade.

The new store is very deep, is nicely arranged and presents an air of prosperity and activity which is very pleasing. Then there is a cellar and sub-cellar, both of which are crowded with toys, games, &c. This firm has just issued its spring catalogue, which contains eighty pages devoted to descriptions and illustrations of equipments for croquet, lawn tennis, baseball, football and in fact all indoor and outdoor sports; hammocks, fishing outfits, air guns, fire cracker cannon, small steam engines, tiddledy winks, parcheesi, planchette and a thousand and one other games. The catalogue will be sent to anyone who is sufficiently interested to make a request for it.

JUST READY

An Improvement on the Popular Game of Tiddledy Winks.

Snap the Counters same as Tiddledy Winks; if they go through the opening the count is 100; on the shelf, 75; in the space below, 10, 20 or nothing, as may be.

ATTRACTIVE. GOOD. CHEAP.

Retail at 10c. Price, $9.00 per Gross.

Samples mailed, postpaid, on receipt of 10 cents.

SELCHOW & RIGHTER,
MAKERS,
41 JOHN STREET, NEW YORK.

As “P.D.Q.” says, houses should not send men out whom they cannot trust to use moderation in all things except getting business. I attended the convention of the U. C. T. held in this place recently, and on the last page of the banquet menu were the toasts, followed by what was supposed to be a list of the average traveler's expenses. It was as follows:

• Hotel… $5.00
• Seeing frield… 2.50
• Railroad ticket… 1.00
• Bus… 6.00
• Hair cut… .15
• Gave a blind man… 4.00
• Porter… 25c.
• More porter… 3.75
• On account of a weak hand… 8.00
• Prescription… Quinine… .20
• Whiskey… 3.00
• Tiddledy Winks&hellips; 7.00
• Stamps… 2.75

Now, the average firm might in justice kick on the item, “weak hand;” but the “prescription” and “tiddledy winks” ought to “go.” The “bus” item, too, is quite reasonable, especially if it were incurred in Pittsburg.

Selchow & Righter advertisement for “Snap Dragon”, “Pedro”, “Juno”, and two varieties of “Cricket on the Hearth”. Illustrated.

CRICKET ON . .
. . THE HEARTH

AN IMPROVEMENT ON THE POPULAR GAME OF TIDDLEDY WINKS.

Snap the counters same as Tiddledy WInks; if they go through the opening the count is 100; on the shelf, 75; in the space below, 10, 20, or nothing, as may be.

GOOD. CHEAP. ATTRACTIVE.

Retail at 10c. Price, $9.00 per Gross.

Samples mailed, post paid, on receipt of 10c.

ALL OF THESE GAMES ARE MANUFACTURED BY

SELCHOW & RIGHTER.

390 BROADWAY, Formerly at 41 John St., NEW YORK

PUBLISHERS OF AND WHOLESALE DEALERS IN

Games and Home Amusements.

THE FINEST VARIETY TO BE FOUND ANYWHERE.

Article describing Selchow & Righter’s “Pedro”, “Juno”, “Snap Dragon”, and “Cricket on the Hearth”. Illustrated.

Selchow & Righter are in the field with a host of new goods for fall trade, all of which are on exhibition at their salesrooms, 290 Broadway, and some of which are illustrated in this number of The Stationer. In the way of games there are four which are variations of the “Cricket on the Hearth” which was brought out some time ago by this house. In “Pedro” there is a clown’s face with wide open mouth into which one snaps small brass rings. On the clown's nose and cheeks there are hooks, and rings which are caught thereon count the player a certain number of points. Then there is “Cricket,” wherein a very good representation of a fireplace is arranged, with swinging pot, mantel and an upper mantel holding two pots. Brass rings are used and snapped, as are the chips in “Cricket on the Hearth,” and the score is increased as the rings drop into the pots or rest on the shelves.

In “Juno” there is a small spring board by which the rings are thrown and the field on which they land has cups and pins of varying value. The fourth game, which is not illustrated here, is known as “Snap Dragon,” and is played with rings which are thrown at hooks which have various values.

“Lo Lo The New Parlor Croquet Game”, by L. E. Lawrence, introduced by E. I. Horsman. Illustrated.

A new parlour croquet game, known as “Lo Lo,” is being introduced by E. I. Horsman, New York. This is the latest and is believed to be the best thing in the way of a “Tiddledy Winks” game yet brought out.

The cut illustrates the cover of the box containing the game and shows the method of playing.

The implements of the game consist of a piece of green felt, 11 by 23 inches, with a border stamped in black. On this felt there is a regular croquet lay out of wire arches and stakes. Six colored bone disks and six "mallet disks" complete the outfit. The colored disks represent the balls and the "mallet disks" are used to snap them into positions or through the arches.

The Salem game publishers are said to make the largest line of “Tiddledy WInks” issued, not only from wood, bone and composition, but also from genuine celluloid and vegetable ivory.

“Hop Scotch Tiddledy WInks,” one of the most popular elaborations of that game, is an article of especially large sale.

Patent listing of George Scott’s US patent

No. 432,170. Game.—George Scott, Birkenhead, County of Chester, England.

A game apparatus comprising a course having an elastic surface and provided at intervals with obstacles, such as counters and springers.

"Sweet Wedding Bells", introduced by Selchow & Righter, jobbers.

This is the time of the year when the trade all over the country are interested in toys and games, and when stocks of these goods are laid in for the holidays. Selchow & Righter devote all of their energies to catering to this class of trade and this year they present an unusually fine line for consideration. […]

“Sweet Wedding Bells” is an entirely new game, introducing in its use the always popular feature of shooting small ivory or bone counters, used in the well-known game of “tiddledy winks.” The implements used in playing the game are in the first place necessary to build up a tower or church front, representing an old ivy cut of a church. This tower is put together in a very easy and simple manner, which is a feature of the game. Suspended in the tower is a brightly polished bell, which hangs directly in the centre of the tower, between the four windows. The counters are to be snapped through these windows of the tower, striking the bell and ringing it. Every time the bell is rung the fortunate player scores one point. It is put up in a large box, attractive in appearance, and must prove to be a very popular toy. The box is 7½ inches square and 1¼ inches deep.

Descriptions of "Table Golf" (with illustration), "Tiddledy Winks Pool" (with illustration) and Tiddledy Winks Ring Game"

Table Golf is another new game offered to the trade by the same house [transcriber note: Selchow & Righter]

that has caught the popular fancy owing to the prevalence of the golf craze. "To try it is to buy it" tells the story in regard to this thoroughly up-to-date game of golf that can be played on the parlor table. Links provided with bunkers, water hazard, tee and the regulation nine holes. All the elements of the regular outdoor golf Links are laid out on a felt 22x15 inches to which are fastened nine wooden cups (holes) while three places are marked thereon for the bunkers, and a pond of water is outlines. The implements consist of four bone chips (balls) and a piece of wood called the "Baffy." The game is played as "Tiddledy Winks," using the "Baffy" to propel the chips (balls) as per rules on cover of the box. All packed in neat box, 18½x10 inches, with attractive label on cover.

one end a pool pyramid with depressions numbered from 1 to 15, and at the other end is a felt disk from which the shooting is done. The implements are two Tiddledys and six Winks, and the object of the game is to make the highest score shooting from the spot (felt). Full instructions with each game.

Ring WInks. The game is played on the order of quoits, the object being to ring the pins counting the highest numbers.

PARKER BROTHERS

(INCORPORATED)

NEW Offices
12th Floor, Flatiron Building
New York

Branch
London, England

Factory
Salem, Massachusetts

NEW GAMES & BRIDGE GOODS

POP-IN-TAW

GREAT NEW NOVELTY FOR THIS WINTER

A Fun Making Game for Any Number and All Ages

Pop-in-Taw is a rollicking game of the class which only makes its appearance at intervals of a few years. It is a “society[”] game in the same general class as Pillow Dex, Tiddledy Winks and Ping-Pong.

[…]

“Pop-in-Taw” is the very latest Parker game. It is a rollicking game of the class which only makes its appearance at intervals of a few years. It is a society game in the same general class as “Pillow Dex,” “Tiddledy Winks” and “Ping-Pong.”

Tiddledywink tales. (Ds) D. $1.25.
De Witt Pub. Ho

Bangs, J: Kendrick. Tiddledywink tales by C: Howard Johnson. N. Y. [De Witt Publishing House,] 1891. c. 5-236 p. il. D. cl., $1.25.

Jimmieboy was a little lad of four years, who had just been presented with a set of Tiddledy winks. After playing with his gift all day, Jimmieboy went to bed and was immediately transported to the realm of the Tiddledywinks. The strange and amusing sights that the young hero saw did not prevent a constant interchange of thought between himself and the small pieces of celluloid that comprise the game.

No. 490.—KING'S QUOITS

Size, 15 x 17 inches

This game is a parlour quoit game played with light brass rings and a target-board filled with pegs for catching them.

There is also a tiddledy-winks game to be played upon the same target-board with perforated bone discs instead of chips, which is of merit equal to the regular quoits.

The game is very bright and attractive, as well as very simple to play. It is adapted to the use of children or young people.

No. 850. TIDDLEDY WINKS — No. 0, 25 Cents.

This game is similar to No. 1 wood pot, except that it has "Winks" and "Tiddledies" of duranoid instead of bone. This is neatly put up and a good Tiddledy Winks game, but is not quite so pleasant to play as a set with the bone winks.

No. 851. — TIDDLEDY WINKS — No. 1, 30 Cents.

The game is played the same as that described under Tiddledy Winks, No. 2, above. These sets have not mats, but are intended to be used on a soft table cover. One to four may play.

We regard the wood pot as preferable to the glass for children, as it is much safer. The glass pot gives an attractive resonant sound as the chips fall into it, which induces some to prefer it.

No. 852.—TIDDLEDY WINKS — No. 2.
50 Cents.

4½ x 8 inches.

The game of Tiddledy Winks is played with six round bone chips, or "Winks," ⅝ of an inch in diameter, one large chip, 1⅛ inches in diameter, a soft mat or table cover for each player, and a cup or "pot" for common use.

To play, a small chip is put on the mat; the large chip, grasped between the forefinger and thumb, is pressed upon its centre and drawn steadily away from the "pot." When the edge of the small chip, or Wink, is reached, it flies forward and upward toward the pot. The game is to put the Winks in the "pot" in this manner, as in the picture above. No. 2 has six sets of men, three mats, one for each pair of partners, and a wooden cup, or Wink pot.

The label is printed in colors.

No. 490.—KING'S QUOITS

Size, 15 x 17 inches

This game is a parlour quoit game played with light brass rings and a target-board filled with pegs for catching them.

There is also a tiddledy-winks game to be played upon the same target-board with perforated bone discs instead of chips, which is of merit equal to the regular quoits.

The game is very bright and attractive, as well as very simple to play. It is adapted to the use of children or young people.

No. 850. TIDDLEDY WINKS — No. 0, 25 Cents.

This game is similar to No. 1 wood pot, except that it has "Winks" and "Tiddledies" of duranoid instead of bone. This is neatly put up and a good Tiddledy Winks game, but is not quite so pleasant to play as a set with the bone winks.

No. 851. — TIDDLEDY WINKS — No. 1, 30 Cents.

The game is played the same as that described under Tiddledy Winks, No. 2, above. These sets have not mats, but are intended to be used on a soft table cover. One to four may play.

We regard the wood pot as preferable to the glass for children, as it is much safer. The glass pot gives an attractive resonant sound as the chips fall into it, which induces some to prefer it.

No. 852.—TIDDLEDY WINKS — No. 2.
50 Cents.

4½ x 8 inches.

The game of Tiddledy Winks is played with six round bone chips, or "Winks," ⅝ of an inch in diameter, one large chip, 1⅛ inches in diameter, a soft mat or table cover for each player, and a cup or "pot" for common use.

To play, a small chip is put on the mat; the large chip, grasped between the forefinger and thumb, is pressed upon its centre and drawn steadily away from the "pot." When the edge of the small chip, or Wink, is reached, it flies forward and upward toward the pot. The game is to put the Winks in the "pot" in this manner, as in the picture above. No. 2 has six sets of men, three mats, one for each pair of partners, and a wooden cup, or Wink pot.

The label is printed in colors.

No. 490.—KING'S QUOITS

Size, 15 x 17 inches

This game is a parlour quoit game played with light brass rings and a target-board filled with pegs for catching them.

There is also a tiddledy-winks game to be played upon the same target-board with perforated bone discs instead of chips, which is of merit equal to the regular quoits.

The game is very bright and attractive, as well as very simple to play. It is adapted to the use of children or young people.

No. 850. TIDDLEDY WINKS — No. 0, 25 Cents.

This game is similar to No. 1 wood pot, except that it has "Winks" and "Tiddledies" of duranoid instead of bone. This is neatly put up and a good Tiddledy Winks game, but is not quite so pleasant to play as a set with the bone winks.

No. 851. — TIDDLEDY WINKS — No. 1, 30 Cents.

The game is played the same as that described under Tiddledy Winks, No. 2, above. These sets have not mats, but are intended to be used on a soft table cover. One to four may play.

We regard the wood pot as preferable to the glass for children, as it is much safer. The glass pot gives an attractive resonant sound as the chips fall into it, which induces some to prefer it.

No. 852.—TIDDLEDY WINKS — No. 2.
50 Cents.

4½ x 8 inches.

The game of Tiddledy Winks is played with six round bone chips, or "Winks," ⅝ of an inch in diameter, one large chip, 1⅛ inches in diameter, a soft mat or table cover for each player, and a cup or "pot" for common use.

To play, a small chip is put on the mat; the large chip, grasped between the forefinger and thumb, is pressed upon its centre and drawn steadily away from the "pot." When the edge of the small chip, or Wink, is reached, it flies forward and upward toward the pot. The game is to put the Winks in the "pot" in this manner, as in the picture above. No. 2 has six sets of men, three mats, one for each pair of partners, and a wooden cup, or Wink pot.

The label is printed in colors.

No. 490.—KING'S QUOITS

Size, 15 x 17 inches

This game is a parlour quoit game played with light brass rings and a target-board filled with pegs for catching them.

There is also a tiddledy-winks game to be played upon the same target-board with perforated bone discs instead of chips, which is of merit equal to the regular quoits.

The game is very bright and attractive, as well as very simple to play. It is adapted to the use of children or young people.

No. 850. TIDDLEDY WINKS — No. 0, 25 Cents.

This game is similar to No. 1 wood pot, except that it has "Winks" and "Tiddledies" of duranoid instead of bone. This is neatly put up and a good Tiddledy Winks game, but is not quite so pleasant to play as a set with the bone winks.

No. 851. — TIDDLEDY WINKS — No. 1, 30 Cents.

The game is played the same as that described under Tiddledy Winks, No. 2, above. These sets have not mats, but are intended to be used on a soft table cover. One to four may play.

We regard the wood pot as preferable to the glass for children, as it is much safer. The glass pot gives an attractive resonant sound as the chips fall into it, which induces some to prefer it.

No. 852.—TIDDLEDY WINKS — No. 2.
50 Cents.

4½ x 8 inches.

The game of Tiddledy Winks is played with six round bone chips, or "Winks," ⅝ of an inch in diameter, one large chip, 1⅛ inches in diameter, a soft mat or table cover for each player, and a cup or "pot" for common use.

To play, a small chip is put on the mat; the large chip, grasped between the forefinger and thumb, is pressed upon its centre and drawn steadily away from the "pot." When the edge of the small chip, or Wink, is reached, it flies forward and upward toward the pot. The game is to put the Winks in the "pot" in this manner, as in the picture above. No. 2 has six sets of men, three mats, one for each pair of partners, and a wooden cup, or Wink pot.

The label is printed in colors.

No. 490.—KING'S QUOITS

Size, 15 x 17 inches

This game is a parlour quoit game played with light brass rings and a target-board filled with pegs for catching them.

There is also a tiddledy-winks game to be played upon the same target-board with perforated bone discs instead of chips, which is of merit equal to the regular quoits.

The game is very bright and attractive, as well as very simple to play. It is adapted to the use of children or young people.

No. 850. TIDDLEDY WINKS — No. 0, 25 Cents.

This game is similar to No. 1 wood pot, except that it has "Winks" and "Tiddledies" of duranoid instead of bone. This is neatly put up and a good Tiddledy Winks game, but is not quite so pleasant to play as a set with the bone winks.

No. 851. — TIDDLEDY WINKS — No. 1, 30 Cents.

The game is played the same as that described under Tiddledy Winks, No. 2, above. These sets have not mats, but are intended to be used on a soft table cover. One to four may play.

We regard the wood pot as preferable to the glass for children, as it is much safer. The glass pot gives an attractive resonant sound as the chips fall into it, which induces some to prefer it.

No. 852.—TIDDLEDY WINKS — No. 2.
50 Cents.

4½ x 8 inches.

The game of Tiddledy Winks is played with six round bone chips, or "Winks," ⅝ of an inch in diameter, one large chip, 1⅛ inches in diameter, a soft mat or table cover for each player, and a cup or "pot" for common use.

To play, a small chip is put on the mat; the large chip, grasped between the forefinger and thumb, is pressed upon its centre and drawn steadily away from the "pot." When the edge of the small chip, or Wink, is reached, it flies forward and upward toward the pot. The game is to put the Winks in the "pot" in this manner, as in the picture above. No. 2 has six sets of men, three mats, one for each pair of partners, and a wooden cup, or Wink pot.

The label is printed in colors.

No. 5555.--KING'S QUOITS
Retail $1.10, Express extra
This is a "parlor quoits" game, played by snapping brass rings on to a target board. A tiddledy-wink game may also be played with the men.

No. 850A. — TIDDLEDY WINKS No. 00

Size, 5½ x 4½ inches

This box contains a full set of bone "winks" etc. and a cup. The label is in full colors and varnished.

Put up in dozens.

No. 7728 — TIDDLEDY WINKS, No. 0

Size, 4½ x 7 inches

This box contains a full set of bone chips for 4 players and a wooden cup.

The label is lithographed in full colors and varnished.

Put up in dozens

No. 7738. — TIDDLEDY WINKS, No. 1

Size, 8½ x 5½ inches

This box contains a full set of bone chips for 6 players, and a glass cup.

The label is in full lithographic colors and varnished.

Put up in dozens.

No. 7748.—TIDDLEDY WINKS, No. 2, COMBINATION

Size, 9 x 12½ inches

This box contains a full and handsome equipment for six players. In addition, there is a device with which two interesting target games can be played. The label is in full colors and varnished.

Put up in ½ dozens

No. 7735.—DUTCH WINKS

Size, 5½ x 5½ inches

The equipment in this set consists of sufficient bone chips for 4 players, and a glass cup. The box label is brightly lithographed in full colors.

Put up in dozens.

The two rooms have movable seats. In one room we had a “Solomon Grundy” party for those who did not dance. I wish I could have had a movie of those people playing ” tiddledy-winks,” “straws,” etc.

Photo of The Big Game Hunter (Bruce Whitehill) with games, including Lo Lo by E.I. Horsman and Crickets on the Grass

Price listing

Price listing

Ad by Fred Shapiro (same text as in Hobbies magazine).

Rehash of Parker Brothers' 90 Years of Fun book.

Collectors who themselves played a game called “Tiddledy Winks” will want to search for Parker’s first edition of this stil popular recreational item. Born as a board game in the late 1890s the “Tiddledy Winks” success inspired variations such as “Tiddledy Winks Hopscotch” and “Tiddledy WInks Tennis”.

Query by Rick Tucker and Fred Shapiro.

A system for calculating relative playing strengths of tiddlywinks players is described. The method can also be used for other sports. It is specifically designed to handle cases where the number of games played in a season varies greatly between players, and thus the confidence that one can have in an assigned rating also varies greatly between players. In addition, the method is designed to handle situations in which some games in the tournament are played as individuals (“singles’), while others are played with a partner (“pairs’).

Sports are activities the successful pursuit of which characteristically invited the display of some kind of physical prowess; indeed, having the opportunity to display such prowess is part of the point of engaging in sporting activities. This is why many jib at awarding unathletic indoor games such as tiddlywinks, darts or billiards the honorific description ‘sport’.

We can but mention the influence of the games and athletics of camp. Though they may vary with the locality, one thing seems to characterize them everywhere. They demand strength, and fleetness, and agility. None of the “tiddledy winks” kind of expertness counts for much. Group games as a rule predominate, and in the subordination of self to the team, as others have shown, lay the foundation for self-sacrifice and other

At first thought such serious planning seems to eliminate the fun with which we habitually associate vacation days, but not to her who tries it. Her body and spirit need play as they need sunlight and fresh air. So do her friends and neighbors. For every college girl who is finer and stronger for having learned to play there are numberless girls and boys and grown-ups who do not know how. One’s very play time, then, whether it be given to tennis or tiddledy winks, may become a service of dignity and worth.

The Young Folks’ Cyclopædia of Games and Sports, by John D. Champlin, Jr., and Arthur E. Bostwick. (Holt.) Eight hundred double-columned pages, full of descriptive illustrations, and so brought to date that the noble game of Tiddledy Winks has more than a column. We object seriously to one of the rules: “A player may not intentionally cover any of his opponent’s counters.” Why, the snap is taken out of the game when one can cover accidentally only.

” [...] ’T is long ter set. I wisht I could feel ter play tiddledy-winks,” she said wistfully.

The only parallel that I can think of is the way in which, during very early childhood, we sometimes played tiddledywinks. When the man-made rules of that staid sport became too wearing for our advanced intellects, we used to get to snapping all at once, promiscuously. Everybody snapped everybody else’s wink, at the bull’s-eye or the eye of his neighbor, regardless. This indiscriminating sort of think lends a lawless charm most bracing to tiddledywinks, but it cancels conversation.

There is no doubt that algebra, geography, English composition, civics, history, and literature are fun. But they are not fun like dancing, basetball, tiddlywinks, or tag; they are fun like algebra, geography, English composition, civics, history, and literature.

Larry Kahn, of the North American Tiddlywinks Association, in Silver Spring, Maryland, explains that most of the 100 dues-paying “winkers” in his group are men, and that most have a background in mathematics or computers. In the United States major tiddlywinks tournaments are held four or five times a year. NATwA has a sister organization, known as ETwA, in England; of English winkers Kahn observes, “They’re even nerdier than we are.” Like participants in many other sports and games, winkers have developed a distinctive jargon. They may say, for instance, “I can’t pot my nurdled wink, so I’ll piddle you free and you can boondock a red.” Tiddlywinks apparently enjoyed something of an efflorescence in the United States in the late 1960s and the 1970s, after which it entered a period of mild decline. Kahn blames this on the nation’s having experienced a time of cynical economic opportunism and creeping spiritual discontent, which together eroded the bedrock of silliness upon which the edifice of tiddlywinks is erected. Or so I inferred. Actually, what he said when asked about the cause of the decline was simply, “Reagan.”

A report on whether the term "tiddledy winks" is libelous.

The last one picked for every team from softball to tiddlywinks.

In spite of these negative factors, the boys work very well together and deliver a solid number of yocks. Their scene from Shakespeare, the play-by-play of the tiddly-winks championship from the Harvard field house, the Hollywood number interlaced with a satire on movie columnists, were all on the strong side.

As the papers never published any telegraph news their duties were not onerous and they spent most of their time playing tiddledywinks and tit-tat-too at the Red Walrus.

Mr. Stevenson is what is called an all-around sportsman. He has tried them all. Take golf, for example. “Gawf,” he says, “is a great game, but shiver me niblicks if I think it comes up to tiddledy-winks.” It is played “with a couple of farms, a river or so, two or three sand hills, a number of implements resembling dentists’ tools, a strange language, much like Hindoostani, any old clothes and a large assortment of oaths.”

Quick book review of Sinclair Lewis’ book, Mantrap.

MANTRAP—Sinclair Lewis—Harcourt, Brace. The great realist plays an amusing game of tiddlywinks in the north woods.

BOYS PLAY “GRASSHOPPER TENNIS”

in Camp or on Vacation, day or night, rain or shine

Most interesting, exciting, and snappy; the game sensation of 1916.

A combination of Lawn Tennis and Tiddledy-Winks. Two, three or four can play.

It’s just the thing for those rainy days or dull nights.

Comrades club together and send $1 for a barrel of fun.

Send for a booklet how to run a Championship Tennis Tournament.

Agents wanted

C. H. Belknap, 46 Fulton Street, Brooklyn, N.Y.

The big match of the day is to be a clash between Little Bill Johnston and Big Bill Tilden and Sandy keeps telling us to wait for this, that “we ain’t seen nothing yet.” But we think we’re seeing plenty. We’ve seen enough already to let us know we haven’t even been playing tiddledy-winks.

No coach cared to jeopardize youths who were not physically fitted to look out for themselves on the bruising gridiron. Football was no game of tiddledy-winks. You had to be strong enough and tough enough to survive on the bottom of jamming, twisting heap of elbows, fists, knees, feet and heavy bodies—with your face pushed into the dirt and your legs and arms in anything but a comfortable position!

“What tha blankety-blank-blank did you think you was doing? Having a game of tiddly-winks, or three deep, or slap the baby, or what?”

Constructing a custom “Wink Tennis” table game. With photograph of two boys playing and an illustration of the tennis court.

There is only one crime in human history, and we are seeking it now. That crime is the assumption by any kind of a specimen of a human being that dares to possess the earth or rule and deny the humblest human being the highest opportunity of a son of God on earth. There is no other crime; the rest are the tiddledy-winks acts of our human failure. That is the only crime, and correspondingly the supremest virtue in the world, the supremest significance of being a human being, is to stand up for the rights of man, to stand up for all men, and if need be to die for man against that crime of the ages.—J. Stitt Wilson.

Coverage of Oxford match against Bucks County Playhouse actors.

Catalog-like entry for tiddley winks

Bill Mauldin cartoon of John Connally playing “Texas Tiddlywinks” with dollar and yen.

“Tiddledy-winks,” a game in which flipping small counters into a cup plays the chief part, has proved a gold mine in its way. This game was first played by some members of a club who were waiting for a card table. One of them started to try to flip a poker chip into his glass with a coin, and, as he failed, a friend thought he could do better. This led to bets being made, and in the end nearly all the members who were present in the club had gathered round the table and were breathless with excitement over this new game. Eventually it was decided to patent the game, and since then the public have paid something like two hundred throusand dollars to the retailers of “tiddledy-winks”

“TIDDLYWINKS” photograph from the Fourth Chicago International Photographic Salon.

Includes photograph(s)

Includes photograph(s)

Perhaps, on balance, our forecasts have been pretty accurate. With the notable exception, that is, of tiddlywinks.

[...]

Alderman, Fairchild co.*, Rochester, N. Y. 6519-6526

Blinky blinx- tiddledy winks. Directions for playing the game. no. 411. Sheet. © Feb. 4, 1928; 2 c.and aff. Feb. 20 ; A 1066418.

Parker bros., inc.*, Salem, Mass.

Directions for playing. 1928. Each. sheet. 26047-26059 [...]

Pyramid tiddledy winks. © May 8; 2 c. and aff. May 11; A 1076759.

Parker bros., inc.*, Salem, Mass. 31017-31024
Directions for playing. 1928.

Games of base ball: Steeple chase [!] Hop in the Tub: Tiddledy winks. © May 18; 2 c. and aff. June 4; A 1079805.

Einson-Freeman co., inc. 1282-1311

[Box design]: Baseball tiddledy winks, 1603, Basket-ball tiddledy winks, 1600. […] © Mar. 7, 1935; K 25331-2533[2] [...].

[Game design]: Baseball tiddledy winks, 1603, Basket-ball tiddledy winks, 1600. […] © Mar. 7, 1935; K 25336, 25340 [...].

Gabriel (Saml) sons & co. [...] 2998

Tiddledy winks, T 220. © Mar. 1, 1934; K [...] 22499

Bradley (Milton) Company ©

Tiddledy winks tennis; a game for 2, 3 or 4 players. Instructions. 4808. Springfield, Mass., © 9Mar48. AA103131.

WARNER U.S.A.

Fill the ark; a Bible tiddlywinks game. Appl. author: Warner Press,Inc. © Warner U.S.A. a.a.d.o.W arner Press, Inc.; 15Jan69; A79259.

In the case in question they spun away from the strongbacks like tiddledewinks.

With a few exceptions, Parker Brothers own almost all the well-known proprietary games. Many old games, such as chess, checkers, Chinese checker and tiddlywinks, are open games, not owned by anyone. They are in the public domain.

You mark out a square on a piece of stout cardboard severn inches by seven inches, and rule it into forty-nine equal squares of one inch. On twenty-five separate one-inch squares of card put the numbers one to twenty-five, and set these on the board in any way, the positions being changed after each game. In the illustration (fig. 1), the twenty-five numbered pieces form a compact square in the twenty-five inner compartments.

The same board can be used as a scoring-board f[or the] well-known game of “Tiddley-Winks,” the nu[mbered] squares being distributed in any uneven way.

A target can be set up as shown in fig. 2, for ‘Tiddley-Wink’ players to shoot at. Cut out some comical cardboard figure, about two inches long, and across the chest glue a strip of match-wood. A few books with a lenght of thread twisted tightly round the topmost make a suitable tight-rope on which the figure can be balanced by means of the short piece of match-wood. When [...] the small counters should be placed on a double [...] cloth, and then chipped by the edge of a larger [counter.]

A half-dozen, little full-blooded Indian girls, were in my room a few evenings since, playing Tiddledywinks, a game sent us from the east.

There’s trouble down there, and I’ve been playing tiddledy-winks on Broadway!

MRS. GASKELL determined to give a party. Not a crush with trains, and décolleté, and all that the resources of the village quite precluded anything of the kind—but just a “small and early,” which should embrace only the best families. And it should be something out of the ordinary run of tea and gossip—she was resolved upon that—but what? It was a very proper community, and cards and dancing were not to be thought of, and quiltings and apple-bees were voted old-fashioned—still there must be something by which sociability could be galvanized intolife and she did not despair. Her horizon was a little broader than that of her neighbors, for she had a city sister to whom she was indebted for many a suggestion and to her she carried the present perplexity. Letters of advice and counsel flew back and forth and at length, one day. everybody that was anybody in Clinton received a card like the following:

Mrs. Gaskell
will be pleased to see
you on Tuesday, March 31st,
from 2 till 5 o’clock.

Tiddledy-Winks.

It was a bomb shell! Everyone felt flattered to be invited to Mrs. Gaskell’s, as she was popularly supposed to know what was what, but that mystic word in the left hand corner was a puzzler. It might be an old story in other localities but rustic Clinton had never seen nor heard it. And then only ladies were invited, which, in itself was an innovation—what were we coming to anyhow?

Grand-father Jones put on his best glasses, sighted the card at arm’s length and then peered at it near by, turned it wrong side up. and up side down but could make nothing of it. Grand-daughter Nelli peeped over his shoulder, and said, maybe Mrs. Gaskell forgot to cross the first letter and it was an “F” instead of a “T” and ” Winks” was his last name.

Mrs. Bird thought it must mean that you should bring your babies, and when they were “Tiddled” awhile, they could be laid away for the traditional forty winks while their mothers enjoyed themselves, and she “must say it was very thoughtful in Mary Ann Gaskell, who had no children of her own.”

Mr. Larkin, who was the village politician “‘lowed it was a kind o’ female suffrage meetin’ and for his part he hadn’t much opinion o’ hen parties, no how.”

Some thought it might be a joke, others a surprise, and one or two ventured to ask Mrs. Gaskell herself about it, but she only smiled mysteriously and bade them come and see.

As might be expected, on the appointed day every guest was present, and on tiptoe with curiosity. When they found the pleasant parlors filled with tables, and each flanked by four chairs, some of the older ladies put on their severest looks, as though scenting wickedness in the air, but Mrs. Gaskell was deaf and blind to every such symptom, and, producing six neat little boxes, proceeded to explain the beauties and intricacies of “Progressive Tiddledy-Winks.” Such a chattering as there was! “How do you do it?” “I never saw the game before in my life.” “Who plays first?” “When do you begin?” and kindred questions were heard in all directions. A less efficient hostess would have been distracted. But partners were at length chosen, and the game settled down after the well-known rules of progressive euchre only here they were not well-known, and it took some time to learn that the winners at lower tables always progressed towards the top, and that the winners at the top remained there so long as they continued winners. It was a lively scene, and when a half-dozen games had been played, nobody wanted to stop, even though a lovely supper stood ready for them.

After supper, a new surprise awaited the guests. Mrs. Gaskell announced that she had provided a little souvenir of the occasion for the lady who had won most games, and also one for her who had least. What a counting up of scores there was. and when one prize was awarded to Mrs.Davies, and the other to Miss Hart, everyone declared that they would have worked twice as hard if they had known there was anything half so lovely among the possibilities. And so the party broke up, all declaring this was a red-letter day in Clinton society.

But this was not the end. The complacency with which Mrs. Gaskell had regarded the success of her party, was turned to gall and wormwood, when, on the next Sabbath, Parson Brown preached a sermon on the iniquity of gambling. As it was a sin entirely unknown in the village, the discourse seemed as innocent as one against the drama, for instance, in the wilds of Africa, and it took Mrs. Gaskell a good while to realize that her weil-meant attempt at entertainment was being used to “point a moral and adorn a tale.” The reverend speaker spoke of the wiles of theDevil, of the wicked amusements of the city being transplanted into our peaceful community, of the unholy passions that were aroused thereby, and especially the depths of depravity that followed the sin of covetousness. and as the full force of it all grew upon her, Mrs. Gaskell went home full of wrath and indignation. A night’s rest did much to calm her feelings, and as she reflected that the parson probably knew as little of any gambling game as he evidently did of Tiddledy-Winks, a smile played about her mouth, and she determined to give another entertainment, but this time for “gentlemen only.” Shortly after dinner she sent out three dainty little notes, one to Rev. Zephaniah Brown, and one each to the two elders of his church,Messrs. Davies and Burt. Each asked the person addessed to call on her that evening, and were all exactly alike, save that the Parson was asked to come at seven, Elder Davies at half-past seven, and Elder Burt at eight. As the time was so short, she thought it unlikely they would have an opportunity to compare notes, but in any event she must take her chance of that.

At seven o’clock Mr. Brown rang the bell, and was shown into the pleasant parlor, where Mrs. Gaskell received him in her most bewitching manner. But the Reverend gentleman was ready for Delilah and wore his most forbidding frown—he made nodoubt that his sermon had struck home and was prepared to do his duty in admonishing a repentant sinner or calling down the terrors of the law on a stiff-necked and rebellious one. Mrs. Gaskell read him like an open book, and after a few general remarks led the conversation to the subject in hand.”

Mr. Brown,” she said, ” I took the liberty of intruding on your valuable time to ask you who it is that has been introducing gambling into this quiet nook? You know my husband is a Justice of the Peace, and I want to urge him to get out a warrant and stop such wickedness.”

The minister looked a little nonplussed, but bringing the tips of the fingers of both hands together, said solemnly, “He that regardeth iniquity in his heart is no less wicked than he that committeth the overt act.”

Mrs. Gaskell dropped her anxious look and settling back into her chair with a sigh of relief, said, “Oh, that is it! Of course it is very wicked, but I cannot help being glad that no one has really done it yet, because you know some one else might have seen it and been led astray. But,” sheadded, looking up into his face with the confidingness of a child “do you think it would do to arrest them for thinking about gambling?”

Mr. Brown had an uncomfortable feeling of being quizzed, and said severely, ” Madam, I am sorry to say that it is by you our young people are being led astray.”

”I!” was the exclamation, in great surprise;” I beseech you tell me how that can be?”

”Yes, Madam, you, with your unholy games.”

”Is it possible.” was the reply, “that by all these dreadful things you mean my poor little Tiddledy-Winks party?”

”I know nothing of the names by which the Devil chooses to deceive even the very elect at times, but from what I have heard, I believe this to be one of those sinful games that lead to all manner of iniquity.”

It was hard for Mrs. Gaskell to look becomingly penitent and serious, but she said, “Surely Mr. Brown, you have never seen the game,” and before the gentleman could remonstrate she had pulled from behind a screen a little table tightly covered with felt, with a box of Tiddledy-Winks in the center. Talking as fast as she could to prevent interruption, she went on: “Of course I will never play again if you really disapprove it, and I am very sorry I should have been the means of introducing it to others, but really it does not seem quite fair that you should altogether condemn us without seeing what the game is. Just look at that simple little box—you will see that it is a game in which there can be no money, no stake of any kind—just these little bits of ivory and that tiny giass. We place the glass in the middle, so—and divide up these little ‘winks’ (isn’t it a funny name?), putting six on each side the table like that; then suppose I was the first player, I would take this largest bit of ivory and try to flip a small one into the glass. There, you see I got that one in, and that gives me another trial—there, that one missed—you see it is quite a silly game, but some persons are more successful in playing than others.”

The Parson listened in spite of himself and as he watched the slim little fingers toying with the bits of ivory, he thought he could put them in oftener in spite of his larger hands. Mrs. Gaskell went on explaining, he got interested without intending it. and did not realize that they were really playing a game till the door opened noiselessly, and Elder Davies was shown into the room. The Parson looked very much confused, but Mrs. Gaskell never changed her position, only offered her hand cordially and said, “I am so glad you have come Mr. Davies; I was showing Mr. Brown how much he was mistaken about my poor Tiddledy -Winks; now I can show you at the same time. Pray take a seat there between us. Place those six little green buttons in front of you and with the larger one in your hand, you will soon see what an innocent amusement it is.”

”Thank you.” said Mr. Davies, who was delighted to find himself in such good company; “my wife has told me a great deal about the delightful time she had at your party, and it is contrary to all discipline, you know, for the Elder’s wife to know more than the Elder!”

And thus it happened that for half an hour Mrs. Gaskell had a very lively three-handed game in her parlor, which was only interrupted by the entrance of Elder Burt. To say that all three gentlemen were astonished is to put it very mildly, and the hostess was the only one thoroughly at ease. With the sweetest smile, she shook hands with the new guest, and. making room for him beside herself, said:

”You are just in time Mr. Burt. Someone has been maligning my little game and I was showing our good friends here what a harmless thing it is. I could not be happy a moment if the leading gentlemen of the community disapproved it,” and she bowed comprehensively, “but really I think when you know what it is you will all agree with me that it is better than talking about one’s neighbors as we are so apt to do when we have nothing special to occupy us. Mr. Davies, will you please pass me those small white men that Mr. Burt may see for himself how it is?”

At last Mrs. Gaskell felt herself a success. In spite of prejudice and the pride of consistency, she was playing a four-handed game in her own parlor with the minister and both his elders. The time flew on fairy wings for these staid gentlemen, all unused as they were to any form of amuse-ment and when at length the door opened again, and a trim little maid entered with cups of strong aromatic coffee, such as elderly men love, together with some dainty cakes, all were surprised and just a little ashamed to find that it was late. Mrs. Gaskell bowed them sweetly from the door, and she always said her only regret was that her husband was from home and did not witness her victory.

Code: SPIRAL
Nos.: 490
King's Quoits
Price Per Gross: 72 00

Code: Pansy
Nos.: 850
Tiddledy Winks No. 0, [crossed out: Duranoid] Bone [written in] Chips
Price per Gross: $12.00

Code: Parade
Nos. 851
Tiddledy Winks No. 1, Bone Chips ...
Price per Gross: $18.00

Code: Parcel
Nos. 852
Tiddledy Winks No. 2, Bone Chips ...
Price per Gross: $36.00

Code: Parish
Nos. 853
Tiddledy Winks No. 3, Bone Chips ...
Price per Gross: $72.00

Code: Padlock
Nos. 854
Game of Hurdles ...
Price per Gross: $36.00 not determined to be tiddlywinks

Recreation rooms were provided for both boys and girls, and the long winter evenings were anything but dreary, for when school was done and work over the children gathered in the brilliantly lit, hot-pipe-heated rooms and played draughts, bagatelle, lotto, or tiddly-winks.

“Who said anything about biting? I’m not playing tiddlywinks. I’m playing the game.”

Our illustrated catalogue describing “Innocence Abroad,” “Chivalry,” “Penny Post,” “Kringle,” “Tiddledy Winks,” and 100 other games, on receipt of 2c. stamp.

"Tiddly-Winks™" bra and lingerie from The WARNACO Group

Mrs. Amelia E. Barr, writing in The North American Review, takes this view of the matter: “The true writer gives his whole intellect and his whole time to his work, and he is satisfied to do so. He has no time and no interest to spare for tiddledy-winks and donkey parties, nor even for progressive euchre. […]”

Reprinted from "News of our Chapter" of the Toronto Chapter.

Well, this quartette of worthies was thusly gathered one autumn evening on Breadline—Lord ! Breadalbane—Street: enter to them the present writer, a sophomore, who, having accepted the invitation of the "frat." a day or so previously, mainly because he didn't know how to refuse, had now come to be initiated. Don't talk to me about bum initiations ! That was the limit far and away. I came over prepared to be killed, if necessary, and all they made me do was to swear politely eternal brotherhood and all the rest of the tiddledy-winks. Was I sorry I had joined ? Let us be quite frank.

Listing of NATwA’s Continentals tournament

Figurative use of the word tiddlywinks.

(a possible theory of quantum gravity), mention.

I am the happy possessor of a monster pen’north in the “Sunlight” Yearbook.” In addition to treatises on Veal stuffing, Tiddley Winks and Double Sixes, the work contains an article on Draughts in which the gifted author is good enough to remark that the game “may call forth a fair amount of skill.”

The storm was long predicted; Ministers have had the most ample warning; yet when its first icy gust blew in the windows of the Cabinet room last February, it found Ministers playing tiddleywinks.

These are hard words. But politics is the art of the possible and he who would condemn a group of politicians for their misuse of power must first convince himself that a more effective grouping was possible.

Preventing multiple voting in Ghana.

Ghana's local elections on December 6th involved a lot of ink. Voters queued outside polling stations in village post offices and schools to have their hands marked with indelible violet crosses that would betray them if they tried to vote again. They then had to squidge their thumbs into dark blue pads and press them on the ballot papers.

About the University of Buckingham

Earnest study. With such a concentrated study programme, there is little time for partying, student politics, or tiddlywinks societies.

Concerning the game of court tennis

Do not, however, assume a contest on a physical par with tiddlywinks: real tennis (meaning “royal”, rather than “genuine”, and also known as court tennis) is the finest racquet sport of all.

When I begin to think of boys and girls I begin to think of their eager pursuit of some activity because of its special appeal and their special interest in doing some particular phase of it. They must choose, they must identify themselves with the activity whole-heartedly or they would better be playing “tiddledy-winks” or thinking about nothing in particular.

do not believe Mr. Shumaker has written his book with the conscious aim of destroying literary criticism. But it would be difficult to conceive a way better calculated to reduce criticism to one of the most conspicuously futile forms of tiddlywinks in the range of civilized activities.

Yale University

W. K. Wimsatt, Jr.

The lady speaks: “Oh, yes, I’m devoted to whist; I know you men think we poor women can’t play a bit, but really you’re quite wrong. I’ve been told I play a very pretty game. It is so nice and intellectual, isn’t it? It makes one think. No, I don’t care for most games, they are such waster of time, don’t you think so? A friend of mine spends hours, positively hours, over Tiddleywinks. I often say to her, my dear Mary, how can you? I call it really wicked to waste one’s time so.

The principal charge against Freshman English is that it is uninspiring. It does not engage the teacher’s mind sufficiently nor pay back in intellectual stimulation the efforts expended upon it. To descend from several years of graduate study of the best literature in the world to extensive and intensive reading of what the Atlantic Clubber calls the worst literature in the world is like a descent from chess to tiddledywinks.

Mention in sound recording reviews

So the first word I called out was ‘Tiddlywinks.’

Includes a section about Larry Kahn

Spielberg turns him back into Sergeant York, and his feats make the real one’s look like tiddlywinks.

TABLE 7

Number of Games Differentiating Between the Sexes at p = .05 or Better

Game Classes—Pure Physical Skill

Nonsignificant—Quoits (1)

Favoring Girls— Hopscotch, Jump Rope, Jacks, Tiddleywinks (4)

Favoring Boys—Bowling, Horseshoes, Racing, Tug of War, Darts, Shuffleboard, Bows & Arrows, Throwing Snowballs, Shooting (9)

“Open and honorable competition!” What do our “moral teachers” think the scuffle for a living is? A game of tiddledywinks?

The lambs bounced away on springs, “baa-baa-ing” plaintively. [...]

“They hop like tiddledywinks on green felt,” she called to John, laughing against the fence.

Tiddlywinks query by Peter Downes

Mention in an article about musician Spencer Davis.

Graduate in German, Spencer Davis, likes best to sleep and eat—but not both at once. As a group, the Spencer Davis mob are keen tiddlywinkers and carry their sets around with them. Drummer Pete York, 6 ft. 3 in. tall, is known as Tiddler and is great with the winks. They seem to have started quite a trend and got the Manfreds and Animals interested too. So if you see the boys hopping around on the floor, don't disturb them. A match point might be at stake.

The Tiddledy Winks Ring game is another attractive game of Tiddledy Winks. At one end of the bottom of the box there is a circle in which are set fourteen pins, each one inside a smaller circle and numbered from one to fourteen. The implements consist of two Tiddledys and four Ring Winks, which are snapped from a felt disc. The game is played very much on the order of quoits, the object being to ring the pins counting the highest numbers, and it requires considerable skill to do this. The game sells for $2.00 a dozen, and each one is supplied with full instructions as to how it is played.

We placed Tiddledywink's Majesty King in service with the conviction that through his use “Cedar Run” would to a degree step ino the shoes of White Horse Farmes, now being dispersed after thirteen years’ intelligent and effective breeding by its late owner.

NASA should hire tiddlywink players to be astronauts

In the bare-knuckle world of competitive tiddlywinks, squops, gromps and Bristols are all fair play.

When Dave Lockwood sidled up to the pad to face Larry “King” Kahn in the penultimate round of the championship series, the tension in the room was so palpable one could cut it with a dull squidger–not that anyone in this crowd, which included four former world champions, would be in possession of a dull squidger.

Lockwood, trailing Kahn in the overall competition by three points and needing a decisive win to pull ahead, launched an all-out attack. We’re not talking about a nancy-boy, Indianapolis Colts, Peyton Manning attack, but rather a 1985 Chicago Bears attack, both safeties and every linebacker on a blitz, to hell with the consequences.

It started to work, too. Lockwood commandeered a huge pile of winks, but then Kahn, a former world champion, executed a masterly Bristol, and the 2007 North American Singles Tiddlywinks title was his. It is here that the responsible journalist should explain what a Bristol is, but let us put such technicalities aside for the moment in favor of a revelation:

Tiddlywinks is a sport, or so the winkers, playing here at the local high school in Ithaca, New York, kept telling me. It requires the foresight and strategy of chess, but, as one must shoot the winks to the desired location, the game takes a good bit of physical prowess as well. Former world champion Severin Drix called tiddlywinks a cross between chess and pool, an ideal mix of skill, strategy and luck. I would add “obsession.”

Created in 1888 by an English pub owner to amuse his patrons between brawls, tiddlywinks was a simple game in which a player pressed one disk, a squidger, down on the edge of another to force it to fly through the air and into a cup, a move called “potting.” For decades it remained a pastime primarily for children.

The game was transformed in 1955 at Cambridge University, where students instituted a set of rules more prolix than the Salt II accord. Tiddlywinks now takes place on a six-foot-long table covered with a mat, these days made of orthopedic foam, which provides lift and predictability when squidging a wink.

Tiddlywinks is normally a pairs game, with four colors of winks: blue, green, red and yellow. Each player gets six winks of the same color: four small winks of 16-millimeter diameter and two larger 22mm winks. Blue and red are partners, as are green and yellow (in singles, players take two colors). Play proceeds alphabetically (blue, green, red, yellow), with each player starting at a corner of the table. A small pot, 38mm high, with a 48mm opening at the top, sits in the center.

Scoring is what primarily separates the adult game from the child’s version. A player earns three points for each wink he has shot into the pot and one point for each wink that remains uncovered by an opponent’s wink. This means that tiddlywinks is mainly a defensive game.

At the Ithaca tournament, I tried my hand at potting. I barely missed my first attempt, then potted six straight winks from various distances and angles. I thought, aha, I finally have found my sport. That would be true if we were playing the old pub brand of tiddly. But in the Cambridge- improved version, potting isn’t everything. In fact, I witnessed many matches in which nary a wink ended up in the pot. As in golf, you pot for show, and “squop” for dough. If only there were some dough.

Covering, or squopping, your opponent’s wink, which takes it out of play, turns out generally to be a better strategy than going for the pot. The odds favor the player who controls the field of winks and plays for a low score over he who guns for three-pointers. Players vie to control ever-growing piles of winks by landing one of their colors on top. A single wink can theoretically squop any number of winks. Picture here not a neat stack, like a column of poker chips, but a “shingled” pile, a cascade of winks, each covering the one beneath like a fanned-out deck of cards.

At the national championships, I watched Ferd “the Bull” Wulkan take on Joe Sarnelle in an early round. Severin Drix served as my game-day commentator. Drix, a high school math teacher, and Wulkan, a labor organizer, both attended the Bronx High School of Science, graduating in 1964.

Drix explained that there are two American capitals of winking: Ithaca and Cambridge, Massachusetts. Wulkan went on to MIT, where he helped spark the Cambridge effort, while Drix attended Cornell and spearheaded the Ithaca winking machine. Since 1965, the bulk of American winkers have come from Cornell, MIT and Harvard.

Alas the game has never moved into the mainstream, as Drix was reminded a few years ago when he attempted to cross the Canadian border. Border guards asked what business Drix and his party had in Toronto. Drix replied, “We’re going to a tiddlywinks tournament.” The guards tore their cars apart.

Drix provided analysis as Wulkan and Sarnelle went at it. Early on Wulkan “nurdled” a wink. A nurdle is a wink that lands too close to the pot so it can’t be potted on a subsequent shot. It is an embarrassing but not fatal error. The game moved swiftly under a 20-minute clock, the players spending fewer than 30 seconds on each move. Wulkan took control quickly, squopping Sarnelle’s winks. At one point, one of Wulkan’s piles was threatened, so he executed a “gromp.” That is, he was able to squidge the entire pile so it moved to a more advantageous position en masse. Soon, Wulkan was taking three turns to Sarnelle’s one. When one player squops all his opponent’s winks of one color, the opponent cannot move those winks and loses that color’s turn. Start losing this kind of defensive battle, and you are trapped in an inexorable downward spiral. Offense cannot save you. The denouement came when Sarnelle potted one of his few un-squopped winks from a prodigious distance. It traced a long, lovely parabola in the air and clinked beautifully in the center of the pot. I thought, “Wow, three points.”

Drix said, “That’s Joe’s way of resigning.” What winks were not squopped were virtually unusable. His situation was “constipated,” in the parlance. Sarnelle had given up with a dramatic potting gesture. Wulkan won 6-1 under a scoring system that converts total points to “ordinals” in the color scheme and well, let’s just say that the crowd went wild.

Most of the matches I watched during the tournament were defensive struggles like this one, games that came down to squops, gromps and Bristols. Other maneuvers included the feeb, piddle, boondock, kumquat, megacrud, xylophone and the lunch. About which, the less known the better.

The big talk at the tournament, however, was about the impending “squidger shortage.” Winkers carry little tins full of different squidgers just as golfers carry a bag of clubs. Drix showed me his. He uses at least six, all within the allowable size of 1 to 2 inches in diameter: a medium-size potting squidger, a very thick one for long distance, a grainy disk for more friction, a large squidger that allows him to squidge more than one wink at a time, a special squopping squidger and a thin squidger for getting into dense piles. Drix said there is not much financial impetus driving manufacturers to devote a factory or two to squidger fabrication given that there are approximately 70 major-league winkers in North America. Many winkers make their own squidgers using a drill press or sometimes reshaping a poker chip on a lathe.

But, to paraphrase Lance Armstrong, it’s not about the squidger. I keep thinking about Larry Kahn’s Bristol against Dave Lockwood in the pivotal match. Let’s allow Lockwood to explain: “A Bristol, named for its invention at the University of Bristol in the UK, is a subset of gromps, which moves a pile of winks together to try to capture additional enemy winks. The two-wink Bristol shot in my game with Larry came after he blew up a pile, a few preliminary squops occurred, and then I squopped onto a pile with several of my winks. This is the one shot I regret, because I didn’t take the pile sufficiently far from Larry’s single squop. He was able to Bristol over and squop my wink. This pile eventually swallowed most of my winks, and what was a close game after the blowup turned into a solid win for Larry.”

The important thing is, nobody got hurt.

Striking machinists drove Eastern Air Lines into bankruptcy when asked to tighten their belts once too often. Many workers simply burn out. (To avoid this, British Airways puts most employees through group training programs, which can include such surprising team-building activities as tiddlywinks, jigsaw puzzles, and Lego-building.)

With consumers choosing whether they will watch your ad, marketers will look beyond TV in search of captive audiences. Hence the growing popularity of sponsoring live events. No one watching the game can shut out your name if it's plastered on banners around a football stadium, racetrack, or even the Twinville Tiddlywinks Tourney.

Q: Is the scale that Silicon Valley has achieved, with the massive amount of companies being built, good for the ecosystem overall?

Hoffman: Unequivocally yes. It’s not to say that there isn’t a bunch of noise, like an app launching for counting Tiddlywinks or something.

Illustration from Charles Zimmerling's tiddlywinks game patent.

Includes 6 photographs of antique sets.

Illustration of E. I. Horsman’s “Ring-A-Peg” tiddlywinks game

Type – Company – Game – Date – Contributor

Instr – E. I. Horsman – Tiddledy Winks – ca. 1890 – Lee & Rally Dennis

Instr – E. I. Horsman – Tiddledy Wink Tennis – 1890 – Lee & Rally Dennis

also Tidly Winks The New Round Game

Instr – McLoughlin Bros – Tiddledy Winks – 1890 – Lee & Rally Dennis

Type – Company – Game – Date – Contributor

Instr — ? – Tiddledy Winks — ? – John Overall

Reprint of ad for Horsman’s Tiddledywink Tennis

Tiddledy Winks Tennis © 1890 by E. I. Horsman; From the collection of Lee & Rally Dennis

Chuck Hoey is looking for early Lawn Tennis (pre-1900) & all racket games. In particular Geo. S. Parker […] Tiddledy Winks Tennis […], E. I. Horsman […] Tiddledy Winks Tennis

All Fair, Inc. – 1928 Blinky Blinx (#411)

It was a far better game than “Tiddle-de-Winks’”.

“Four Moons Tiddledy Winks” listed for Selchow & Righter for 1865 (sic; year around 30 years too early)

Donald Duck’s Tiddley Winx

Chuch Hoey is looking for […] M.B.’s Tiddeldy Wink Tennis” (sic)

As of January 1, 1945, the Hart Company adopted the name of Playtime House for a subsidiary specializing in puzzles, games, activity sets (paper dolls, sewing cards, stencils, etc.), and cloth books for infants. Most of the games were old standbys like bingo, lotto, anagrams, tiddly winks, checkers, Chinese checkers, Old Maid, and Pin the Tail on the Donkey.

Disney did well getting their games into the marketplace. In the 1930s Whitman produced various Disney games including […] Disney Tiddley Winks

a display of early games from the Midland County Historical Society, which included […] Tiddly Wink games;

Mentions the antique set “Over the Garden Wall” by E. I. Horsman, in the Lilly Library collection

2 black & white photos of “Over the Garden Wall”

Refers to Rick Tucker’s tiddlywinks web site on the Internet

Black & white reproduction of Rick Tucker’s tiddlywinks home page on the Internet

Cites McLoughlin Bros.’ “Combination Tiddley (sic) Winks”

Includes Rick Tucker's email excerpt re Trix cereal tiddlywinks

Many more games from the late 1800s and early 1900s are still with us. TIDDLY WINKS, also spelled TIDDLEDY, can be found before the turn of the century with instructions as to how to “tiddle the wink”, the tiddle being the larger disk which was snapped against the wink, or smaller disk.

1. What does it mean to “tiddle your wink”?

Generic Games […] TIDDLEDY WINKS

Chaffee & Selchow […] TIDDLEDY WINKS

The 1930s also saw Transogram expand into the area of games. From the 1935 BIG BUSINESS to the 1938 GAME OF INDIA and TIDDLEDY WINKS, the company started featuring more colorful graphics and more interactive games.

Refers to the North American Tiddlywinks Association

Refers to tiddlywinks in Fairchild’s 1958 catalog

Reproduction of Alderman-Fairchild’s ad in Playthings
(1928) with Blinky Blinx Tiddledy Winks

Rick Tucker’s email re Bloomington convention. of the American Game Collectors Association