Classic Pub Games Trivia Quiz

Answer: Shove Ha'penny

A game known to date back to the 15th century. Players take turns to "shove" coins along an arched wooden or slate board using the palm of their hand. The board is scored with horizontal lines and the intention is to lay three coins within the narrow bands without touching the lines when they come to rest.

The coins are polished smooth on one side. This will be the 'tails' side as it is not done to deface the face of the reigning monarch on a British coin.

Although essentially a British game, there is a strong outpost of player interest in Swaziland where an Englishman first introduced the game at The Malendela pub in Malkerns. Swaziland sent a team of players to the World Championship at "The Wheatsheaf" in Leckhampton near Cheltenham in 1995 and 1996.

Answer: Ringing the Bull

This is one of the oldest pub games known and allegedly dates back to Crusaders who brought it back from Jerusalem. It is still played at "The Trip to Jerusalem", a pub dating back to 1189 which is built into the cliffs beneath Nottingham Castle.

There are at least 21 pubs around England that are confirmed to still play the game in one form or another.

The game is also to be found in the Caribbean where, legend has it that it was introduced by pirates.

Answer: Bar Billiards

Historically it is believed that the game of Bar Billiards is derived from the much older bagatelle. In its current form it has been popular as a pub game since 1936.

It is a played on a baize covered table as in pool or snooker. The nine holes are set away from the edges and corners and the "mushrooms" are pegs that must not be knocked over for fear of penalty. All balls are struck from a small "D" using a cue from one end of the table. Each hole has a points rating between 10 and 200 dependant upon the difficulty in sinking a ball down it.

The game has a mechanical timer of around 20 minutes after which an internal bar drops to prevent potted balls returning to be played again.

The game is more commonly seen in southern England (Sussex has the most leagues with 10) and Jersey where the world Championships have been staged since 1981.

There are European variants with differently formatted tables in France, Italy and Switzerland.

Answer: Old English Bagatelle

The nine holes at the distant rounded end of the table are configured in a ring with the ninth hole in the centre. The origin of this game is uncertain but believed to be French although the French refer to the game as "Billiards Anglais". Records show that by 1770 this game was as popular in Britain as standard billiards was.

The table was commonly without legs and simply rested on standard tabletops. Many were hinged and could fold up for portability.

Variations on the game included the placement of a series of arches across the centre of the table through which the cue ball must pass. This derivation was known as "Trou Madame" or "Small Trunks".

The game is still played in some English pubs most specifically in the Chester, Bristol, North Wales and Coventry. Chester still has an Old English Bagatelle league.

"Parlour Bagatelle" is the proper name for the game that many people erroneously call bagatelle. This is small board again with an arched top that has ball traps created by nails hammered into its surface. Balls or marbles are shot along a channel using a spring mounted mechanism and points are scored by lodging the balls in the traps. A fore-runner of the modern day pinball table.

Pachinko is similar to Parlour Bagatelle but is vertically mounted. It is a hugely popular gambling game in Japan. Ball bearings used in the game are won and lost as chips may be in a casino. They may be cashed in for prizes.

Answer: Devil Amongst the Tailors

This game appeared in the 1700s and was designed to hugely reduce the area needed to play more common skittle games such as ten pin bowling as we know it today.

In 1783 or 1805 (sources provide two variant dates) a play was produced in London at Haymarket. The play was called "The Tailors: A Tragedy for Warm Weather". It caused rioting at the theatre by tailors who felt insulted by it. They overpowered the local constabulary and so a troop of Lifeguards were called in to restore order. They restored order so effectively that it was likened to a skittle ball ploughing through a set of skittles by the London press. After this incident bar skittles was referred to by this name with the ball representing the Lifeguards and the pins the tailors.

Answer: Bat and Trap

The game of "Bat and Trap" remains very popular today, most specifically in Kent, England. It is perhaps a cross between cricket and baseball. Since time immemorial people have used the general principle of hurling a ball at a defended target and so it is almost impossible to precisely date this game.

Two teams of up to eight players will take turn to be batting or bowling. The bowling side stand behind and between the posts. If any of them catches the ball before it hits the ground the batsman is out. The batsman is also out if he fails to hit the ball between the posts. After each successful hit, one fielder bowls the ball back at the trap and attempts to knock down a five inch square target on the end facing them in order to bowl out the batsman. If the bowler fails, the batsman scores one run and continues to play.

Answer: Hood skittles

Hood Skittles is most prevalent today in the English Midlands where it can be known as "Northamptonshire Skittles", "Gloucester Skittles", "Hereford Skittles" and the like.
The principle is the same, for team players to take turns to knock down the nine skittles using the discus like wooden "cheeses".

Answer: Nine Men's Morris

A game that is akin to draughts (chequers) which is believed to have originated in Roman times. It peaked in popularity in the British pub in medieval times.
Alternate names for this ancient game are Mills or Merrills in English, Mérelles and Jeu de Moulin in French, Mulino in Italian, Mühle and Mühlespiel in German or Trilha and Moínho in Portuguese.

There are some variations in the number of intersects and "men" in a game but it is the Nine Men's Morris which is the standard game.

Answer: Aunt Sally

A game that has long faded from the British pub's social scene but which is still a very strong inter-pub sport in Oxfordshire where there remain several leagues of some longevity.

A number of theories exist about the origins of this "skittle" based game. One is that it was devised by Royalist soldiers during the English civil war (1642-1651) when Charles set up his court in Oxford.

Another more ugly theory is that it evolved from the ancient blood sport of "cock throwing". In which participants would pay to throw a club at a tethered cock in the name of sport. The thrower who ultimately killed the wretched creature would win the cock for his evening meal.

Today a stubby wooden "doll" is used which is six inches high by two and three quarter inches in diameter. The "sticks" are 18 inches long and two inches in diameter with rounded ends. The "sticks" are thrown from behind a line known as a "hockey" which is ten yards distant.

The game was used extensively as a fairground attraction where the "doll" would be dressed as a rather ugly woman with a pipe in her mouth. The intention being to remove the pipe by throwing the sticks at it.

Answer: 6 seconds

A yard of ale is a glass that is about one yard long with a narrow stem and a bulbous end. The glass should be rotated as it is drunk in order to avoid a flash flood of beer.

In Britain it is believed to have originated in the 17th century and was a testament to the glass blower's skill as much as the drinker. It has been known as "a Long Glass", a "Cambridge yard" and an "Ell Glass" over the years.

Peter Dowdeswell, of Northampton, England sank 2 litres (3.52 imp. pints or 4.22 U.S. pints), in just six seconds on February 7th 1975. This is perhaps not surprising as he holds 23 drinking records 28 eating records! (listed at http://www.recordholdersrepublic.co.uk/toprecordholders.asp).