"Hunc over de" clubs, NY 1736?

[Douglas G. Wilson]

>-----
>"Folk-Custom and Folk-Belief in North Carolina," by N. C. Hoke.
>_Journal of American Folklore_  Vol. 5, No. 17 (Apr. 1892), p. 118
>"I spy" is more commonly played under the name of "Hunk Over-Dee." I
>had supposed this a collection of arbitrary sounds, until Mr. Culin's
>article gave ground for the belief that the name comes from a Scotch
>playground. "Over the Dee" was probably the _Ultima Thule_ of a home,
>or hunk, to these Scotch children.
>-----

There was something in N&Q too, but I can see only the despicable snippet.

This "I spy" was apparently what would now be called "hide and seek".

"Hunk" = "home"/"base" in such games, apparently, = Dutch "honk". It
appears in DARE.

So maybe the "Hunc over De" club name is basically Dutch (or Low
German), and refers to games of hide-and-seek?

Maybe some of the savants can easily identify the relevant Dutch
expression, but I surely can't. I know "over" = "over", and maybe
"de" = "die" = "that" ....

Otherwise, one might post an inquiry on the Lowlands list. [Last time
I did, though, I got only an incomprehensible reply in some Low
German dialect from a joker.]

-- Doug Wilson


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