Thirteen and the odd

[Laurence Horn]

On Nov 30, 2013, at 8:34 PM, W Brewer wrote:

> <<thirteen-and-the-odd>> = "suit & tie".
> WB:  (1) <13> cards = **SUIT** (spade, heart, club, diamond).
> (2) <the odd> = Joker, sounds like <**CHOKER**>, i.e. 'neck tie'.
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org


 Ingenious, although I'm not sure I buy the "joker"/"choker" part. In any case, there is a card game in Hoyle's called "Thirteen and the Odd"--

THIRTEEN AND THE ODD

Two persons with a full pack of fifty-two cards play this
game. The cards rank as In Whist. In cutting for the deal,
low' deals. Thirteen cards are dealt to each player, one at a
time. The dealer turns up the top card, after the deal, for
trump. If he makes a misdeal he loses his deal.

The elder hand leads. The tricks are regulated as In Whist,
and the player first capturing seven tricks wins the game. In
case of a revoke the player making the error loses the game
if the trick has been turned, otherwise he is permitted to cor
rect his error.

Could this be relevant to *our* 13 + odd? (It's not clear from this description that the joker is involved, or suits.)

LH

------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org