† ˈpenny-prick Obs.
An old game of which the nature is uncertain.
It appears to have consisted in aiming at a penny, perhaps placed originally as the prick or mark for shooting at; see also quots. c 1770, 1829.
| 1421 Maldon, Essex, Court-Rolls (Bundle 12, No. 8) Cum hominibus utentibus ludos illegitimos, viz. alias scaccarulos et penypryke ad gravitatem proximorum suorum. 1447 Shillingford Lett. (Camden) 101 Yong peple..within the saide Cloistre have exercised unlawfull games as the toppe, queke, penny prykke and most atte tenys, by the which the walles of the saide Cloistre have be defowled and the glas wyndowes all to brost. 1552 Nottingham Rec. IV. 102 Dyce, slyde grote, penypricke, caylles, tennes. 1610 T. Scott Philomythie, etc. (1616) M j b, Their idle houres..They spend at shoue-boord, or at penny pricke, At dice, cards, tennis. [c 1770 in Grose's Provinc. Gloss. MS. Add. (P.) (E.D.D.) Penny-prick, a sport, throwing at halfpence placed upon sticks which are called Hobs. 1801 Strutt Sports & Past. iv. iv. 353. 1829 J. Hunter Hallams. Gloss., Penny-prick, a game consisting of casting oblong pieces of iron at a mark.] |
Hence † ˈpenny-pricker Obs., one who played at penny-prick.
| c 1515 Cocke Lorell's B. 11 Tyburne collopes, and peny pryckers; Bowlers, mas shoters, and quayters. |