Card Nicknames
Eric Harshbarger
Folks,
I'm trying to collect 'nicknames' for various standard playing cards or
combination of cards from a standard 52-card deck.
For example, the King of Hearts has been known as the 'Suicide King',
and the 4 of Clubs as the 'Devil's Bedposts.'
Also, the combination of 'Jack of Diamonds/Queen of Spades' as a
Pinochle qualifies, though I prefer nicknames for cards that are
independent of a specific card game.
Does anyone know any more nicknames?
If you do, please email me with:
- Card
- Nickname
- Card Game Origin (if applicable)
- Published Reference of nickname
any information would be much appreciated, thanks,
eric
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Eric Harshbarger / er...@ericharshbarger.org / www.ericharshbarger.org
"Oh please, if people are going to start telling the truth around
here... I'm going to bed." - Jackie-O (Parker Posey, THE HOUSE OF YES)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
David Parlett
news:38332147...@ericharshbarger.org...
>
> Folks,
>
> I'm trying to collect 'nicknames' for various standard playing cards or
> combination of cards from a standard 52-card deck.
>
> For example, the King of Hearts has been known as the 'Suicide King',
> and the 4 of Clubs as the 'Devil's Bedposts.'
>
> Also, the combination of 'Jack of Diamonds/Queen of Spades' as a
> Pinochle qualifies, though I prefer nicknames for cards that are
> independent of a specific card game.
>
> Does anyone know any more nicknames?
>
> If you do, please email me with:
>
> - Card
> - Nickname
> - Card Game Origin (if applicable)
> - Published Reference of nickname
>
> any information would be much appreciated, thanks,
>
> eric
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
> Eric Harshbarger / er...@ericharshbarger.org / www.ericharshbarger.org
>
This request came up a while ago and led me to scan the following.
David Parlett
Names given to various cards (from W Gurney Benham, 'Playing Cards - the
History and secrets of the Pack', c. 1935)
HEARTS
King: Usual and official name in France, 'Charles.' Also, Solomon (c. 1620),
David, Alexander (1622), Julius Caesar (c. 1660), 'Cirus major (Paris,
1700). In an English pack, c. 1750, he is marked 'Cupid's dart useless'.
Queen: Usual and official name in France 'Judith.' Also, 'La belle Heleine'
(c. 1490); Juno (c. 1490); Helen (Saint); Elizabeth (Queen) (c. 1620);
Roxane (c. 1622, etc.); Dido (c. 1675), Fausta (Lyons, c.1670); also marked
on some old French packs, 'La foy est perdue' (Faith - or trust - is lost).
In an English pack, c. 1750, marked 'Beautiful Thief.'
Knave: Usual and official Knave in France, 'La Hire.' Also, Paris (c. 1490)
'Siprien', ' Siprien Roman' (meaning, perhaps, (Cyprien Romain, 'a Roman
follower of Venus'); 'Capitan Fily' (c. 1650); also called 'Valet de Court'
(meaning 'Valet of the Court') (c. 1620). In an English pack, c. 1750,
called 'The Sly Knave.'
Three: The equivalent Three of Cups, in Spain, is called 'Dama' (The Lady).
Four: Hob Collingwood (North of England), and considered an unlucky card
Six: In Ireland the Six of Hearts has been known as 'Grace's Card.' It is
alleged that an Irish soldier, Richard Grace, Governor of Athlone (killed at
the siege of Athlone in 1691) received an offer from General the Duke of
Schomberg, on behalf of William III, conditional on Grace's deserting the
cause of James II and espousing that of the Protestants. Grace is said to
have written his reply, indignantly rejecting the proposal, on the back of a
Six of Hearts.
Nine: 'The Great Nine' (Spanish name for Nine of Cups).
SPADES
King: Usual and official French name, 'David' (in use from 1500 onward).
Also, Apollin (Saracen god?) (e. 1500); Constantine (c. 1620, etc.); Ninus
(1622); Scipio (c. 1675); Godfrey de Bouillon (Dutch pack c. 1840). In an
English pack, c. 1750, marked 'Cupid's useless darts.'
Queen: Usual and official French name, 'Pallas' (from c. 1490 onward).
'Reverance' (c. 1500); La Pucelle (Joan of Arc) (c. 1490); La belle Ercuba
(Hecuba) (Lyons, e. 1480); Betsabee (Bathsheba); Judith; Pentesilea (Queen
of the Amazons (17th cent.); Pirani (c. 1664); Helene (e. 1675); Riehilde
(Dutch pack, c. 1840). Also marked on old French packs, 'Leaute due'
(Loyalty due). In an English pack, c. 1750, marked 'Broken heart.'
Knave: Renaut or Renault (the mythical hero Renaud, called 'the Christian
Achilles,' because he left his military duties owing to the fascinations of
the enchantress Armide); Pontus (e. 1500). Also called 'Valet de Noblesse'
(e. 1620). In an English pack, e. 1750, ealled 'The Mischievous Knave'.
According to Hans Christian Andersen, this Knave was called Black Peter. In
an Italian game he is called Gobbo (Hunchback).
Ace: Duty card in England, called 'Old Frizzle.'
Two: 'Malilio'; also 'manilio' (a small hand) or 'Malilla' (Sp.). See Two of
Clubs.
Four: Ned Stokes ('Slang Dictionary' says: 'North Hants. See Gentleman's
Magazine for 1791, p.151').
DIAMONDS
King: Usual and official French name, 'Caesar' or 'Julius Caesar' from c.
1500 onward. Also, Alexander (e. 1475); Coursube (a Saracen King?) (c.
1475); Auguste (Augustus Caesar) (c.1620); Cyrus major (1622); Charles (c.
1660, ete.); Menelaus (c. 1675). In an English pack, c. 1750, called 'The
true lover.'
Queen: Usual and official French name, 'Rachel' (1650 onward). Also,
Pantasilee (Pentesilea) (c. 1480); Venus (c. 1490); Medea (c. 1500); 'La
belle Clotilde' (Lyons, c. 1480); Dido (c. 1620); Semiramis (1622, etc.);
Judic (Judith (c. 1630); Therese (c. 1660); Cleopatra (c. 1675); Lucretia
(c. 1745). Also marked in some old French packs 'En toi te fie' (Trust in
yourself). In an English pack, c. 1750, marked 'The Lover's Treasure.'
Knave: Usual and official French name, 'Hector.' Also, Rolant (with dog)
(c. 1490); Roger (1622); Capitan Fily (c. 1650). Also called 'Valet de
Chasse' (Valet of the Chase or of Sport) (c. 1620). In an English pack, c.
1750, also called 'Jack Shepherd.'
Ace: The Earl of Cork (Irish) (in William Carleton's 'Traits and Stories of
the Irish Peasantry,' 1830, this is explained: 'It's the worst ace and the
poorest card in the pack and is called the Earl of Cork, because he's the
poorest nobleman in Ireland.' This does not appear to be correct as regards
the Earls of Cork). In Spain the equivalent of this ace, viz., the Ace of
Oros or Money, is sometimes regarded as the chief card in the pack and is
called 'Tuerto' or 'Tuerta' (the one-eyed).
Two: In Spain the Deuce of Money is 'La Vaca' (the Cow), perhaps because
'vaca' is a term for the joint-stock of two partners in gambling.
Three: Called 'Senor' in Spain (3 of 'oros.')
Nine: ' The Curse of Scotland.' This name has not been satisfactorily
explained. According to Dr. James Houstoun, in his 'Memoirs of his
Life-Time,' London, 1747, the Jacobite ladies of Scotland are stated to have
nicknamed the Nine of Diamonds 'The Justice-Clerk,' after the rebellion of
1715, in allusion to Lord Justice-Clerk Ormistone, who 'for his severity in
suppressing it was called the Curse of Scotland'.
This may be so, but it is not the origin of the expression, which was in
existenmce some years earlier. In 1710 The British Apollo, iii, No. 71,
stated 'The Nine of Diamonds is called the Curse of Scot-land.'
The story that the Duke of Cumberland wrote his sanguinary order on the back
of the Nine of Diamonds after the battle of Culloden (1746) is discredited
by this reference of 1710.
Some credence has been given to the theory that the name referred to Sir
John Dalrymple, first Earl of Stair (1648-1708), who was implicated in the
massacre of Glencoe (1692), because the Dalrymple arms contain 9 lozenges
(diamonds). As, however, these are of gold on a blue saltire (St. Andrew's
cross) they are not very likely to have suggested the name. Colonel Packer,
who was in command of the parliament army at Dunbar (1650) had some
'diamonds' or lozenges similarly in his coat of arms and he has also been
alleged to have been 'The Curse of Scotland.' In his case his arms included
'a cross lozengy,' white lozenges on a red ground.
A more probable explanation is that the Nine of Diamonds is 'Pope' in the
old game of 'Pope Joan,' and that the Scottish feeling against popery led to
the card's opprobious nickname. [Parlett note: No chance. The game was not
called Pope Joan until nearly a century later.]
In Spain the 'Nine of Money' is called 'The Little Nine.'
CLUBS
King: The usual and official French name is 'Alexander'. Also Clovis (c.
1620); Julius Caesar (1622); Artus (King Arthur) (c. 1625); Hector (c.
1650); 'Annibal' (c. 1675). Also marked on some old French packs, 'Sans
souci' (Free from care). In an English pack, c. 1750, he is called 'Sir
Oliver Rant.'
Queen: The usual and official French name, 'Argine' (anagram of 'Regina'),
dates from about 1650 or earlier. Also, Floripes (Lyons, c. 1480); 'La
belle Lucresse' (Lyons, c. 1480); Clotilde (c. 1620); Pompee (1622); Rachel
(c. 1630); 'Pentaxlee' (Pentesilea) c. 1650); Hecuba (c. 1675). Also marked
on some old French packs, 'Tromperie' Deceit or Faithlessness). In an
English pack, c. 1750, called 'The Charming Bewitcher.' Also said to have
been formerly known in England as 'Queen Bess.'
Knave: Usual and official French name from 1490 onward, 'Lancelot.' Also,
Artus (Arthur) (c. 1500); Rolant; 'Capitan Vaillant' (c. 1650); 'Valet de
Medi' ('Valet of Medicine' ?) (c. 1620). In an English pack, c. 1750,
marked 'Contradiction.' He is called 'Fustis' by Samuel Rowlands (c.
1609) - see page 45. In the game of 'Loo' and also in 'Ombre' he was called
'Pam' - see page 42, note. [Parlett note: Short for Pamphilus, the medieval
comic-erotic character.]
Ace: In Spanish packs the Ace of Bastos is called 'Serpiente' (Serpent). In
England, in 'Ombre' and other games, the Ace of Clubs was called 'Basto,'
Spanish for 'Club.'
Two: The two of Clubs, like the two of Spades, was called 'Malilio.'
Four: 'Four of Bedposts' (said to be a piece of Sailors' slang); also 'The
Devil's Bedposts'.