Abel Wackets -

[Lady Seahawke]

I found the following, a 1811 DICTIONARY OF THE VULGAR TONGUE.

________________________________________________________

A DICTIONARY OF BUCKISH SLANG, UNIVERSITY WIT, AND PICKPOCKET ELOQUENCE.

UNABRIDGED FROM THE ORIGINAL 1811 EDITION WITH A FOREWORD BY

ROBERT CROMIE COMPILED ORIGINALLY BY CAPTAIN GROSE.

_________________________________________________________

And that these words were used for supposedly used for MANY YEARs before and after the given date.

Going through the Canting Dictionary I found the following listed...

ABEL-WACKETS. Blows given on the palm of the hand

with a twisted handkerchief, instead of a ferula; a jocular

punishment among seamen, who sometimes play at cards

for wackets, the loser suffering as many strokes as he has

lost games.

My question does anyone know of "Abel-Wackets" and was it played during the age of Pyracy? If so, what type of card game was it used with? etc.

Thanks in advance for your help!

[Patrick Hand]

I don't know if that game is period or not...

But when I was in the Army, there was almost the same kinda game played.... the loser got rapped across the knuckles for however many points they lost....

orhad to do that many push-ups...... that kinda thing.....

Not a money wager.... but something that hurt....

kinda interesting that that sorta game has lasted so long.....

so maybe there were that massocist back then.....

it will be fun to see if anyone has more information about this.......

[Quartermaster James]

Don't know about the game, but sounds like a fyne character name!