whistle-jack, n.; sweat, n.

[Wilson Gray]

I've played bluff. Unfortunately, I've played the game only once and
that was ca.1986. So, I've forgotten the rules, though I found it to
be quite an enjoyable game. I was taught the game by a Canadian former
roommate, who was also an aficionado of lightning chess. Unfortunately
as fate would have it, we never had occasion to play it  again and
I've never met any American who knew the game.

Sweat I've never heard of, nor old sledge, whistle jack, muggins.

Well, as my former roomie would say, "What the hell, eh?"

-Wilson

On 2/5/08, Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at yahoo.com> wrote:
> ---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at YAHOO.COM>
> Subject:      whistle-jack, n.; sweat, n.
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Not on OED, but some kind of (card?) game they used to play:
>
>   1862 in Alan D. Gaff _On Many a Bloody Field_ (Bloomington: Indiana U. P., 1996) 107: Play poker, casino, dominoes, whist, old sledge, eucher, whistle jack and muggins.
>
>   Or you could play "sweat" instead:
>
>   1863 in Bell I. Wiley _The Life of Billy Yank_ (Indianapolis: Bobbs-Merrill, 1952) 251: Aug. 28: Lost $5.00 at Sweat this morning but won it back again at Bluff....Aug. 30...Lost $10.00 at Bluff & Sweat and set up a board winning more than I lost.
>
>   JL
>
>
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