Stephen Leacock

Name: Literary Lapses — Winter Pastimes
Author: Stephen Leacock

Literary Lapses — Winter Pastimes (1910)

Summary

“Literary Lapses — Winter Pastimes”, published in 1910, is a work by Stephen Leacock. It explores elements such as player, referee and crank.

Quotes from Literary Lapses — Winter Pastimes (Stephen Leacock)

Stephen Leacock, Literary Lapses — Winter Pastimes (1910)

“ It is to crown such a quiet evening, and to give the finishing stroke to those of the visitors who have not escaped early, with a fierce purpose of getting at the saloons before they have time to close, that the indoor game or family reservoir of fun is dragged from its long sleep. ”

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Source: Wikisource

Stephen Leacock, Literary Lapses — Winter Pastimes (1910)

“ The player in distinctive costume at the front of the car controls a crank, by means of which he is enabled to bring the car to a sudden stop, or to cause it to plunge violently forward. His aim in so doing is to cause all the standing players to fall over backward. Every time he does this he scores. For this purpose he is generally in collusion with the other player in distinctive costume, whose business it is to let him know by a series of bells and signals when the players are not looking, and can be easily thrown down. ”

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Source: Wikisource

Stephen Leacock, Literary Lapses — Winter Pastimes (1910)

“ It is in the depth of winter, when the intense cold renders it desirable to stay at home, that the really Pleasant Family is wont to serve invitations upon a few friends to spend a Quiet Evening.
It is at these gatherings that that gay thing, the indoor winter game, becomes rampant. It is there that the old euchre deck and the staring domino become fair and beautiful things ”

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Source: Wikisource

Stephen Leacock, Literary Lapses — Winter Pastimes (1910)

“ The players who are in the car may elect to adopt a standing attitude, or to seat themselves, but no player may seat himself in the lap of another without the second player's consent. The object of those who elect to remain standing is to place their feet upon the toes of those who sit ”

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Source: Wikisource

Stephen Leacock, Literary Lapses — Winter Pastimes (1910)

“ In this game any number of players, from fifteen to thirty, seat themselves in a heap on any one player, usually the player next to the dealer. They then challenge him to get up, while one player stands with a stop-watch in his hand and counts forty seconds. Should the first player fail to rise before forty seconds are counted, the player with the watch declares him suffocated. ”

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Source: Wikisource

Stephen Leacock, Literary Lapses — Winter Pastimes (1910)

“ The player called the referee then blows a whistle and the players select another player and score a down off him. While the player is supposed to be down, all the rest must remain seated as before, and not rise from him until the referee by counting forty and blowing his whistle announces that in his opinion the other player is stifled. ”

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Source: Wikisource

Stephen Leacock, Literary Lapses — Winter Pastimes (1910)

“ Should a player who is thus thrown backward save himself from falling by sitting down in the lap of a female player, he scores one. Any player who scores in this manner is entitled to remain seated while he may count six, after which he must remove himself or pay philopena No. 2.
Should the player who controls the crank perceive a player upon the street desirous of joining in the game by entering the car, his object should be: primo, to run over him and kill him ”

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Source: Wikisource

Stephen Leacock, Literary Lapses — Winter Pastimes (1910)

“ With a view to bringing some relief to the guests at entertainments of this kind, I have endeavoured to construct one or two little winter pastimes of a novel character. They are quite inexpensive, and as they need no background of higher arithmetic or ancient history, they are within reach of the humblest intellect. ”

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Source: Wikisource

Stephen Leacock, Literary Lapses — Winter Pastimes (1910)

“ It is easily comprehended, and can be played by any number of players, old and young. It requires no other apparatus than a trolley car of the ordinary type, a mile or two of track, and a few thousand volts of electricity. ”

Stephen Leacock

Summary

Quotes from Literary Lapses — Winter Pastimes (Stephen Leacock)

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