Snip-Snap-Snorem

Snip Snap Snorem
Origin England
Type Matching
Players 2+
Cards 52
Deck French
Play Clockwise
Card rank (highest first) A K Q J 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2
Playing time 5 min.
Random chance Low
Related games
Slapjack

Snip-Snap-Snorem, or Snip-Snap-Snorum (sometimes unhyphenated), is a matching-type card game, mostly played by children, and has several variants. The game dates at least to the 18th century, being first mentioned by the English authoress, Frances Burney, and probably derives from a more ancient drinking and gambling game.[1]

The game

There are several methods of playing the game, but in the most common a full Whist pack is used and any number of players may take part. The pack is dealt, one card at a time, and the eldest hand places upon the table any card of his choosing. Each player in his turn then tries to match the card played just before his; playing it while saying one of the prescribed words: "Snip!", "Snap!" or "Snorem!" in sequence. Thus, if if a King is played, the next player lays down another King (if one is in-hand) calling out "Snip!". The next player may lay down the third King if available, saying "Snap!", and the next the fourth King with the word "Snorem!". A player not being able to pair the card played may not discard, and the holder of snorem has the privilege of beginning the next round. The player who gets rid of all cards in-hand first wins a counter from the other players for each card still held by them.

Variations

Earl of Coventry

Earl of Coventry is just the same, but played without counters for a simple win. The leader says "There's as good as 6 can be" (if they had played a six). The second player says "There's a 6 as good as he", the third "There's the best of all the three", and the fourth "And there's the Earl of Coventry". Optionally, players may be required to make a different rhyming statement every time they play a fourth card.[2]

Jig

A related game called Jig is somewhat a cross between Snip-Snap and Stops, in that the aim of succeeding players is not to match rank but to play the next higher card of the same suit, from Ace low to King high.

The leader plays any card and says "Snip", and the next four able to continue the sequence announce respectively "Snap", "Snorum", "Hicockalorum", "Jig".[3] The last turns down the five-card sequence and starts a new one. When a sequence cannot be continued because the last card was a King or the next card has been played out, the last player says "Jig" regardless of position, and leads to the next round. As before, the first out of cards receives 1 counter for each card left in other players' hands. [3]

Schnipp-Schnapp-Schnurr-Burr-Basilorum

An extended version called Schnipp Schnapp Schnurr Burr Basilorum is played in Germany. Kings are not stops but are followed by Ace, Two, etc.[3][4]

See also

References

  •  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Snip Snap Snorem". Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.
  1. ↑ Oxford Dictionary of Card Games, David Parlett, p. 273; Oxford University Press (1996); ISBN 0-19-869173-4
  2. ↑ The Little Giant Book of Card Games, p. 122; Alfred Sheinwold, Sheila Anne Barry, Margie Golick-Sterling (2003); ISBN 1-4027-0286-8
  3. 1 2 3 Notes and Queries (1862) Notes and Queries
  4. ↑ Parlett 2008, p. 444.

Bibliography

  • Parlett, David (2008). The Penguin Book of Card Games, Penguin, London. ISBN 978-0-141-03787-5
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