Word Wenches

What a Quiz!

Nicola here. This weekend we took part in our local village charity quiz, fifteen teams trying to answer questions on everything from the names of Disney princesses to Olympic swimming champions. Amazingly, we won - as a team we knew a lot of obscure, random general knowledge! - plus we raised some money and enjoyed an evening out with friends and neighbours. It was all very good humoured, unlike some of the quizzes I've been involved with where professional teams got very irate if they didn't win!

I’ve always liked the word “quiz.” It's got a fun feel to it, and, being a writer, I've often wondered where the word originated from. I remember it featuring in Georgette Heyer, but as a description of a person rather than an activity. So I set out to find out more.

Another Christmas Quiz

Anne here, celebrating the onset of the Festive Season with another Christmas Quiz. I usually have 12 questions, but I've extended this one and included several tricky questions from a previous quiz. 

As usual, you will need a pen and paper to jot down your choices, then at the end, click on the link to check your answers. Don't forget to come back and tell us how you went — and remember, it's not a test, it's just a bit of fun. 

1) In the Regency era, the Christmas turkey:—

    a) walked to London wearing special shoes

    b) was shipped to London by boat, to keep them calm.

    c) was brought to London by wagon, in specially constructed willow cages    

    d) wasn't eaten at this time — everyone ate Christmas goose

 

2) In a traditional mummers' Christmas play, a commonly appearing character was:—

    a) the king

    b) Saint George (of dragon fame)

    c) Saint Nicholas

    d) Oliver Cromwell

Two Winners!

Anne here, and I'm posting the names of the two people who've won a copy of my new book, The Rake's Daughter.

The first name was drawn from the many people who answered the impossible quiz on a book they hadn't yet read — such good sports you all were. The winner there was Alison B.

The second winner is Anne H, for leaving a comment about rakes on the interview Mary Jo did with me. Thank you to all those who shared their favorite rakes. 

I've emailed both winners privately.

Thank you to all who participated in the fun. The wenchly reader community is a truly wonderful group.

A quiz on The Rake's Daughter

Anne here, and for your entertainment, here's another quiz on a book you haven't yet read, The Rake's Daughter, which comes out on July 26th. A few reviewers and some of the wenches have read it, but that's all. So it's not testing anything—you can only guess at the answers — it's just for fun.

I'm also trying to avoid spoilers here — it's intended to give you a little taste of the book to come, something a bit different from an excerpt or a blurb.

So here it is, a fun little quiz on a book you haven't read. Make a note of your answers, check them on the link at the bottom and come back and tell us how you went, and whether you enjoyed it or hated doing a quiz on something you can't know. I'll be giving a copy of The Rake's Daughter to someone who leaves a comment.

1)   When Sir Bartleby Studley discovers he has a young illegitimate daughter whose mother has just died, he:—     

a) immediately makes arrangements to adopt her.
b) gives her to one of his farm tenants to raise.
c) decides to dump her in the nearest orphanage.
d) decides to send her back to her maternal grandparents.

2)   When Clarissa Studley, almost 9, meets her illegitimate half-sister :—

a) she's initially jealous and wants her gone.
b)  she's upset because her father cares more for the girl than for her.  
c)  she decides to keep her.
d)  she's angry because Izzy is pretty and she's not.

Boxing Day

Anne here, and it's the 26th of December — St Stephen's Day, and traditionally the occasion in England where church alms boxes were opened and the contents distributed between the poor of the parish. It's the day when Good King Wenceslas gave the poor man meat, wine and wood — "on the feast of Stephen."

It's also called Boxing Day, and this term is still used today in the UK, Australia, Canada, NZ and other commonwealth countries. In Regency times, this was the day when the affluent folk presented servants and tenants and the local poor with "Christmas Boxes."

In practice this could range from money, leftover food from the Christmas feast, to discarded clothing, and all sorts. It's the origin of the Christmas bonus and the custom of leaving out out small gifts for those who deliver to our homes — the paperboy, the postman, the milkman etc. It was also a day when servants who'd been kept busy on Christmas Day could have a day off to celebrate Christmas with their own families. 

But for aristocrats, it was also a day for hunting, donning the "pink" coats and heading out in the crispy dawn to hunt down a hapless fox. (Yes, the coats are actually red, but those in the know refer to the colour as pink, I know not why.) These days fox hunting is banned in the UK, and "drag hunting" has replaced it, though illegal hunts still take place.

Train Gardens

By Mary Jo

Moving to a new area means discovering new things.  When I moved to Maryland, among the new things I discovered were sauerkraut for Thanksgiving, and train gardens. 

Train gardens, you ask? These are elaborate miniature landscapes with electric trains created at Christmastime, most often in firehouses. They are charming and great fun, and apparently, like sauerkraut, they have German ancestry.

The custom has been traced to 18th century Moravian settlers in the Lehigh Valley of Eastern Pennsylvania.  Christmas trees came from Germany, and apparently in some German areas it was customary to build a little village around the base of the tree.

 

Christmas Quiz #3

Anne here, and for your entertainment here's another historical Christmas quiz, though this time the questions are not wholly restricted to the Regency era.

As usual, you will need a pen and paper to jot down your choices, then at the end, click on the link at the bottom of the page to check your answers. Then come back and tell us how you went and which snippet of historical knowledge you found most interesting. 

1)   Who could be called the original Christmas Grinch because of his hatred of Christmas? (Note: this was centuries before the word grinch was used.)    

    a) King George III.     
    b) Benjamin Disraeli.
    c) Oliver Cromwell.
    d) Charles Dickens

2) What was banned by the Puritans in the 1660s?

     a) The eating of pork during the 12 days of Christmas.     
     b)  Plum pudding.
     c)  Mistletoe.
     d)  Fox hunting

3) Why was the fourth Sunday before Christmas called Stir Up Sunday?

    a) It was the day when the first earth sod was broken and wine poured in.
    b)  It was the traditional day for the making of Christmas pudding.
    c) Ministers gave a diatribe against sin, a kind of spiritual purification before Christmas.
    d) The day when Christmas wassail was traditionally brewed.

4) Why was George I called 'the Pudding King'?

Winners — Quiz, The Scoundrel's Daughter

 

Thank you to all those who tried my little quiz, and who left a comment. I was so pleased at the number of people who played and commented that I decided to pick two winners. (I did it with a random number generator.)

The two winners are:  Janet M and Robin. I have emailed them privately.

Thank you everyone who entered. You'll have another chance to win a copy of The Scoundrel's Daughter when Mary Jo interviews me on Wednesday August 25.

Quiz — The Scoundrel's Daughter

Anne here, and for your entertainment, here's a quiz on a book you haven't yet read — The Scoundrel's Daughter, which comes out on August 24th.
A few reviewers and most of the wenches have read it, but that's all. And since it's the start of a new series, you won't know any of the characters from earlier books. So it's not testing anything — you can only guess at the answers — it's just for fun. 

The intent is to give you a little taste of the book to come, something a bit different from an excerpt or a blurb. (Mary Jo is also interviewing me about the book on 25th August.

So here it is, a fun little quiz on a book you haven't read. Grab a pen and paper to make a note of your answers, then check them via the link at the bottom and come back and tell us how you went. I'll be giving a copy of The Scoundrel's Daughter to someone who leaves a comment.

1)  The "scoundrel" in the title is:—
        a)  a blackmailer
        b)  a rake
        c)  a thief
        d) a swindler

2)  There are two couples in this story. The younger couple meet:—
        a)   at Almacks
        b)   during a curricle race  
        c)   at a costume ball
        d)   in the garden at Bellaire Gardens

3)  When the younger couple meet, Lucy, the scoundrel's daughter is carrying:—
        a)   a wet kitten
        b)   a goose
        c)   a picnic basket
        d)   a large bunch of flowers

Summer by the Sea

Nicola here talking about the summer holidays and the history of being beside the seaside. It’s the time of year in England when the schools are on holiday and as most people still aren’t able to travel abroad because of pandemic regulations, lots and lots of people are taking their holidays at home, particularly at the coast. The English weather being what it is, this is a risky occupation but a downpour of rain isn’t enough to put the hardy holidaymaker off! I can remember childhood holidays when the beach was so wet with rain coming down as well as the tide coming in that my sandcastles set like cement!

When I was a child (and I know that line makes me sound ancient) we took all our holidays at home, sometimes at the coast and sometimes in the countryside. Coming from Yorkshire, our favoured seaside resort was Scarborough on the east coast but we also visited family in Morecambe. In the 1920s and 30s my grandparents had been amongst the working-class crowds from Bradford who had taken their fortnight’s holiday at Morecambe. Here are my family enjoying an outing to the seaside in 1938!

Sweatpants Chic!

Andrea here. One thing I’ve noticed during the pandemic shutdown is how many more people I see outdoors exercising—from running, biking, golfing, tennis . . . or just walking the dog or enjoying a leisurely stroll. With so many of our normal activities curtailed (thank heavens things are beginning to open up again) getting outside and moving has been a welcome interlude amid all the hours spent indoors at home.

Seeing all the physical activity got me to thinking about athletic clothing. You know—sneakers, sweatpants, t-shirts, synchilla vests, running tights, and all the other accouterments. And it struck how much the gym look has become our new normal. Admit it—when was the last time you put on a pair of pants with a waistband and zipper? (My answer is a little frightening!) I can’t remember the last time I saw a man in business suit . . .

Happy Christmas!

Anne here, wishing you all a safe and happy Christmas. 
At this time of year, we wenches go into "Christmastide mode" where we take it in turns to post a short message every day through the twelve days of Christmas, starting from today. 

Here in Australia, Christmas Day is coming to a close, while in other parts of the world it's just starting. For many of us, it's been a quiet day, with Lockdown preventing large gatherings of friends and relatives. Still, I hope you manage to have a happy day, regardless.

As many of you know, I've often presented a Christmas quiz and others about Regency terms and food and games, and one that has often come up is the game of Snapdragon — where you snatch burning raisins from a plate or dish. Here's a fascinating post that not only explores the history of Snapdragon, but tests it for "health and safety." and comes up with a surprising conclusion. 

So that's it from me. Happy Christmas all — see you next year.

 

 

A Beastly Quiz — more Regency slang

Anne here, and for your entertainment in the lead-up to the festive season, here's a baker's dozen of questions — a "beastly quiz" on Regency slang terms involving creatures of various kinds. You'll need a pen and paper to note down your answers, then at the end, there's a link that will take you to the correct answers. After that, come back and tell us how you went. Have fun.

 

1)   To cock up one's toes means:—  

        a) to trip

         b) to die

         c) to get ready to run

         d) to tread in bird droppings

 

2) Done to a cow's thumb means:—

        a) to be exhausted

        b) to be swindled   

        c) to be overcooked

        d) to be perfectly cooked

 

3) A bear leader is a person who:—

        a) supervises prisoners in gaol

        b) is a strong leader   

        c) takes schoolboys on tours  

        d) handles bears in bear-pits

 

4) An ape leader is:—

        a) a spinster

        b) a zoo-keeper 

        c) a heavy drinker

        d) a brawler

A quiz: Regency Slang with Food & Drink

Anne here, and for your entertainment here's a fun little quiz, all about Regency-era food and drink, and some slang expressions using them. You'll need a pen and paper to note down your answers, check them via the link at the bottom (the answers are on my website, so don't panic), then come back and tell us how you went. Above all, have fun.

1)   A squab is :— 
        a) a sour-tempered lady
        b) a bad bet
        c) a young pigeon 
        d) an oatcake 

2) A fudge is:—
        a) a false rumor 
        b) a flattering compliment 
        c) a bribe
        d) a newcomer

3) A bumblebroth is:—
       a) a sweet made from honey
       b) a long-winded sermon
       c) a soup made of leftovers
       d) a tangled situation

A Roller Coaster Ride Through Regency Paris

Andrea here, hoping all of you are staying safe and well in these very difficult and frightening times.

It feels a little strange to continue as normal with our posts on research and whatever strikes our fancy when the world is in such turmoil. But we’ve decided that a little “normal” is probably good for all of us. (Especially things that make us smile.)

And today, it so happens that my research topic is a fun one. So, let’s all take a roller coaster ride—quiet literally—through one of the most popular entertainment to arise in Regency Paris! (Who says history doesn’t take you on some wild rides!)

Good Swig at the Thatcht House

Susanna here, carrying on our Christmastide with a song from the era I’m currently writing about—the late 17th century.

As some of you know, I love using songs in my own stories, and I’ve been known to spend an enjoyable research hour or seven mucking about on the Bodleian Library’s Ballads Online website…but this particular song, although it is found there, didn’t come to me as a result of my own research.

It came via Twitter, three days before Christmas, in a random tweet that crossed my timeline, authored by historian and writer Emily Brand:

“Can we all agree to forget the Victorian Christmas & embrace the Restoration Christmas this year?” she wrote. “Features: - The finest young wenches that ever were seen - Cake & ale - Widows giving out mustard - Young maids & men getting together on the village green to shake their bums”

Now I confess, the Cake and ale would more than likely, on their own, have been enough to reel me in. But add the Restoration (which I’ve always loved)? And wenches? Wenches?!

Reader, I was well and truly hooked.

Quiz—Marry In Secret

Anne here, and here is a #giveaway and a fun little quiz on a book not yet out — MARRY IN SECRET — which will be published on 30 July. All your answers, therefore, must be guesses. Keep note of your answers, and at the bottom of this post there's a link to the answers. Check your results, then come back here and let us know how you went.
I'll choose one commenter to win a copy of MARRY IN SECRET.
I hope you enjoy it.

1) The story opens with Rose about to make a convenient marriage with a handsome duke. Why a convenient (ie. loveless arranged) marriage?
a)  Because she doesn't want to be the last Rutherford girl to get married.
b)  Because she's about to turn 21 and is worried she'll be on the shelf.
c)  Because she's secretly in love with him. 
d)  Because she believes that love is too painful.

2) When Rose fails to marry the duke, Aunt Agatha is:—
a)  delighted. 
b)  thrilled. 
c)  ecstatic. 
d)  none of the above.

3) When Thomas turns up at the church, who says “Throw the dirty beggar out!”
a)  Aunt Agatha
b)  Rose
c)  Cal, Lord Ashendon
d)  The duke

4) When Rose's secret husband turns up how does Rose react?
a)  She slaps him.
b)  She faints.
c)  She  yells at him.
d)  She bursts into tears.

5)  What word best describes the duke's reaction to Rose's long-lost husband turning up?
a)  Irritated.
b)  Jealous.
c)  Relieved.
d)  Furious.

6) Why did Rose get married In secret?
a)  It was an act of defiance against her strict father. 
b)  Because she was worried she might be pregnant.
c)  Because she was young and wild and in love.
d)  To get away from boarding school.

7) Who did she marry?
a)  A soldier.
b)  A sailor.
c)  A gambler.
d)  A spy.

8) Why did Rose's husband disappear in the first place?
a)  He was on the run from the law.
b)  He was already married.
c)  He was shipwrecked.
d)  He was imprisoned by the French.

9) What was Rose's husband doing in the years he was away?
a)  Writing letters. 
b)  Fighting.
c)  A variety of jobs.
d)  Being a pirate.

10) Why has Rose's husband returned?
a)  To revenge himself on Rose for her infidelity.
b)  To get control of Rose's fortune.
c)   Because he loves her.
d)   Because he never breaks a promise.

Now, pop over to this site and check your answers, then come back and let us know how you did. Did any answers surprise you?  I always enjoy these quizzes — coming up with the various possibilities makes me so aware of the different stories I could have written, but didn't. I hope you had fun, too. Thanks for playing.

Two Truths and a Lie

Susanna here. This week I'm in New Orleans, at the first ever Booklovers Con, enjoying the time spent with old friends and new ones.

Today I'm one of a group of authors taking part in a reader game of Two Truths and a Lie, wherein people try to guess which of the statements we make are the false ones. In preparation for the game, I had to come up with twenty truths and ten lies (I found the truths a lot harder, for some reason...), and without using any of those same ones here, I thought it might be fun to play a small game of our own here on the blog.

I'll share three of my writing habits. Tell me, which one is the lie?

Playing at Cards

Card Players in a Drawing Room, by Pierre Louis Dumesnil the younger

Back in the late 70s and early 80s when I was at high school, every lunch hour in the cafeteria I’d be surrounded by a sea of tables filled with people playing what was then “the” card game—euchre. I never joined them, because I didn’t know the rules and, being a teenager, didn’t want to look more awkward and incompetent than I already felt. But I found it fascinating to watch.

Cards were never my forte. At home, I played cribbage and gin rummy, and I could shuffle a deck with real confidence, but we were more of a board-game-playing family, so trumps, tricks, and playing with partners weren’t things that I knew how to do.

Little did I know I’d grow up to write about characters who, because of their social class and the time period they live in, inevitably find themselves, at some time or another, sitting down to play at cards. And as you’ve probably figured out by now from reading my past posts here, it’s not enough for me to simply say, “They played at cards.”

An Impossible Quiz

Anne here, and for your entertainment, here's a little quiz on a book you haven't yet read — Marry In Scandal, which comes out on April 3rd. A few reviewers and some of the wenches have read it, but that's all. 

So it's not testing anything—you can only guess at the answers — it's just for fun and to give you a little taste of the book, something a bit different from an excerpt or a blurb. In order to avoid spoilers I've ignored some pretty big plot points, so it might seem a little dull. I hope not.

So take a few guesses, make a note of your answers, check them by clicking the link at the bottom then come back and tell us how you went. I'll be giving a copy of Marry In Scandal to someone who leaves a comment.

1)  In the prologue, our heroine's father sends his two young daughters away to school because:—
a) he has no time for girls.
b) he is ashamed of Lily.
c) their mother is dead.
d) All of the above.

A Cold Plunge!

Nicola here! There are many Christmas and New Year traditions that I enjoy. Most involve being cosy and warm, out of the elements, maybe eating special food or chatting with friends in front of the fire. I might even go for a brisk walk with the dog, particularly if it's been snowing. I've already been to the swimming pool in an attempt to start 2018 in a healthy fashion. And yet... Possibly my least favourite way to mark either Christmas or New Year would be by jumping into cold water. Perhaps I'm missing something, though, as every year, more and more people are taking the plunge to celebrate the festive season.

The tradition of "winter swimming", open air swimming in the winter season, has long been associated with Epiphany in countries like Russia and in Eastern Europe but in the UK it has become popular for reasons varying from an extreme hangover cure to raising money for charity. The earliest record of the tradition in England seems to be from 1860 when the Brighton Swimming Club, which comprised a number of tradesmen from the town, met up at 7am every day for a dip in the sea. Apparently they had formed the club two years earlier when they had all decided they wanted to learn to swim, which is rather cute. Many other Christmas and New Year swims were established in the 20th century and have been running for approaching 100 years. Suitable garb these days can be anything from bikinis and mankinis to fancy dress and Santa costumes! 

Lidos and open air swimming pools are nothing new, of course, but in the far north (or south) it does take a hardy spirit to embrace them. Whilst the first official lido in England was established in the Regency period at Cleveland Pools in Bath, there is a record of an open air pool at one of Oxford's colleges in the medieval period!

Have you ever celebrated the festive season with a plunge into cold water? Are there traditions like that near where you are? Or have you done something different but equally challenging to welcome in the New Year?

Book Boyfriends — a little quiz

Anne here. Apparently in some parts of the world there is a day called "Boyfriend Day" — I think 3rd October.  
Despite the fact that I only heard of it this week, I'm pinching it and tweaking the idea and turning it onto "Book Boyfriend Day" instead. 

"What is a book boyfriend?" I hear some of you ask? He's a book character that you love. I've had many many book boyfriends so far in my life, and hope to have many more. (Yes, I'm a literary floozy.)

So I've devised a little quiz about some of my book boyfriends. I'll describe them, you make a guess and at the end there's a link to my website where you can check your answers. Then you come back and tell us about some of your own book boyfriends.

I should add that the pictures I've included are NOT hints —  none of them are in this quiz.  Not all my book boyfriends have been portrayed on the screen. As well, though not all of my book boyfriends are historical, most are. And most of the books they live in were published quite a while ago.

GUESS MY BOOK BOYFRIENDS:

1) He's short, he's rather tubby, and though not particularly bright, he has a sweet personality (and a very sweet tooth). He has a lot of good friends and he lives next to a forest.

Dressing for Christmas

Nicola here, wishing everyone a very happy festive season! Last week I had a gorgeous time visiting Basildon Park, a stately home that has featured in many a costume drama from Downton Abbey to Pride and Prejudice. At this time of year many British historic houses are “dressed for Christmas” and you can wander through the rooms seeing how the inhabitants celebrated during eras gone by.  

Preparing the “big house” for Christmas is a major job. Often plans for Christmas are made in March, eight months ahead, and a huge band of staff and volunteers come together to set up the whole show. In some houses one time period is chosen as the theme throughout. In others, each room represents Christmas in a different era. At Standen House, built in the Victorian period, they have a mixture of rooms decorated to reflect the late 1800s through to the present day. One of their favourite decorations is a Christmas card dating from 1882 - people donate their own historical Christmas decorations to dress the house. In the 1960s themed room the emphasis seems to be on cocktails, especially a Christmas tipple called Gin and French, which was popular at the time!

At Corfe Castle they go back to Tudor times with traditions that include the Lord of Misrule and the mummers performing plays and masques. Visitors can partake of mulled wine and mincemeat, join in the story telling around the fire and make traditional Tudor pomanders and holly wreaths with oranges and pine cones. A Tudor Christmas was a riotous affair where all the social classes mingled and a great deal of merriment warded off the dark days of Winter. There are plenty of re-enactors in costume in all the historic houses to show how it was done!

I loved everything Christmassy about Basildon Park. There was a "winterlight walk" up to the house, lit by tiny white lights strung through the trees. The house smelled of Christmas with a mingled scent of pine and spices. Each room looked magical with decorated trees, cosy log fires and candlelight. In the dining room there was the most elegant table decoration of holly, pine cones and fresh flowers. Out in the hall we all joined in singing Victorian Christmas carols around the grand piano. It made us all feel as though Christmas was just around the corner - which it is!

What is your favourite way of “dressing the house” (or yourself!) for the holiday season?

A Quiet Evening In

Anne here. I'm heading towards a looming deadline, and so instead of a learned blog, I'm going to play a little game of let's pretend.

It's a cold, wet Regency-era English evening. You're staying in for the night. There's no assembly to attend, no party, no play or concert or any other entertainment provided. You'll have to entertain yourself. Rain is spattering on the windows, and there's wind whistling through the chimneys, but inside the lanterns are lit and a cosy fire is crackling. Nevertheless, a long evening stretches before you. What are you going to do?

Reading?
What would you read? A witty Jane Austen novel, a dramatic tale by Mrs Radcliffe , Sir Walter Scott, an improving tale by Maria Edgeworth, a scary one by "Monk" Lewis or Wilkie Collins, or is poetry your choice tonight? Shelley? Byron's latest, or some classic Shakespeare?

Writing?
Or will you be quietly penning your own tale, or perhaps a letter?

Handicrafts?
Sewing? Would you be doing fine embroidery, or sewing a garment, perhaps? Or maybe you'd be sewing a patchwork quilt like this one Jane Austen and her sister and mother sewed.

Knitting, tatting or knotting?
Or maybe you're a knitter, making mittens, or caps, or a warm woolen scarf or muffler. Or bootees or slippers or socks, perhaps. Or are you a tatter making pretty lace borders. Or a knotter. You might do hairwork, braiding and curling the hair of a loved one (or your own hair, or even your dog's hair) into jewellery or using it to create some kind of picturesque scene.

Happy New Year!

On behalf of all the Word Wenches, a very happy, peaceful, healthy and successful year to everyone, with lots of good books to read and lots of time to read them in! 

Traditionally the New Year is a time to reflect on the year that has gone and to plan for the year ahead, including the making of resolutions. It’s also a time to get together with family and friends, to celebrate and to indulge in our own personal and cultural traditions. Hogmanay, in Scotland, is one of the best-known New Year celebrations. In the town of Stonehaven there is a parade through the streets by kilted men swinging big balls of fire. In Turkey it is traditional to wear red lingerie to see in the New Year. In Denmark it’s appropriate to jump off a chair at Midnight on New Year’s Eve and smash plates against your friends’ doors to bring them good luck.

How do you celebrate the dawning of a new year? Do you have a special family custom or do you make New Year’s resolutions? Whatever your plan, I wish you a very Happy 2016!

Christmas Fun and Games!

A couple of weeks ago I went to the Ashmolean Museum Christmas Party in Oxford. The Ashmolean is one of the most famous museums in the UK and one of my absolute favourite places. It was there that I first saw the 17^th century engraved Bohemian glass that gave me a key idea for my book House of Shadows. I also set one of the scenes in the book there, so it was wonderful to revisit and celebrate with canapés and champagne, followed by carols in the sculpture gallery.

After the speeches and buffet we were divided into groups and given a short lecture by one of the curators on an item in the museum that had a connection to Christmas. In our case it was the snakes and ladders board in the oriental gallery. Snakes and ladders is of course a traditional Christmas game that has been played for hundreds of years. I’m told that in the US it’s called Chutes and Ladders, apparently because when it was launched in the 1940s, children didn’t like the snakes. The object of the game is to navigate one's game piece, according to the roll of the dice, from the start (bottom square) to the finish (top square), helped or hindered by ladders and snakes respectively and it is based on pure luck.

However, the game in the Ashmolean was quite different. It is an 18^th century version of the game as a morality tale. Based on the idea of karma, it teaches the players all about their spiritual path to enlightenment. The snakes have names like “greed” “envy” and “pride” and represent the pitfalls for man as he or she struggles upward towards heaven. This particular board is painted on British watermarked paper and was made for a British patron in the East India Company. The instructions on the board are written in Persian and English. It’s a beautiful and very rare artefact.

Snakes and Ladders became popular in England in the 19^th century when families returning from colonial India brought it with them. It was the perfect game for reflecting Victorian ideas of morality.  Squares of Fulfilment, Grace and Success were accessible by ladders of Thrift, Penitence and Industry and snakes of Indulgence, Disobedience and Indolence caused one to end up in Illness, Disgrace and Poverty. While the Indian version of the game had snakes outnumbering ladders, the English counterpart was more forgiving as it contained each in the same amount. This concept of equality signifies the cultural ideal that for every sin one commits, there exists another chance at redemption.

In modern versions of the game the idea of morality has faded and it has become a game of chance although it still embodies the idea that for every ladder you hope to climb, there is a snake waiting around the corner! The phrase “back to square one” derives from the game.

Snakes and Ladders was one of my favourite Christmas games as a child and perhaps this association with Christmas has its roots in toe northern UK because each year there is a snakes and ladders championship held at Christmas in the city of Sheffield. This year we are doing the Christmas jigsaw, another game with a fascinating history. What about you? What are your favourite Christmas games?

Tennis, Anyone?

Cara/Andrea here, and as I'm a little under the gun with deadlines and guest, I am invoking the Wench Panic Rule, which allows us to post an oldie but goodie . . . so without further ado . . .

Wimbledon is in full swing this weekend on the verdant grass courts of the All England Club.. It’s one of the “Grand Slam” events, a quartet of tournaments that are the crown jewels of the sport’s elite competitions. (Remember, I warned you all that I am the resident “jock” of the Wenches.) As it’s one of the grand traditions of a game that often appears in literature, it got me to thinking . . .

Check-Mate!

Cara/Andrea here, Today I’m talking about craft—on both an both abstract and physical level. Part of the fun of starting a new book is thinking up how to weave in the small details that give color and texture to the main plot and characters. In Scandalously Yours, which releases next week in paperback, I decided to have the opening scene revolve around a midnight chess game. I’m only a neophyte player, but the complex strategies of thrust and parry seemed to suit my cerebral heroine and soldier-hero. So naturally, being intrigued by the game, I needed to do some basic research . . .

The origins of chess are said to lie in a game called chaturanga, which developed in India during the sixth century. It quickly spread into Persia and became popular with the nobility. After the Muslim conquest of the empire, it spread west, reaching Europe by the late 900s. The Moors brought the game to Spain, and from there it made its way to the farthest reaches of the known world. The cerebral challenge, and the complex strategies of attack and defend played apparently played well across cultural divides, for chess was adopted with great enthusiasm wherever it was carried.

Regency Slang Quiz No. 2

Anne here. I'm at the RWA conference in San Antonio in Texas, where I'm looking forward to a wenchly meet-up with Mary Jo and Jo and Nicola. My first time in San Antonio and it's such a pretty and friendly place. Here's where I ate tonight. I'll post pics from the conference on my FB page if you want to follow that.

But because I feared I'd be jet-lagged and might forget (or be unable to post for some technical travel-glitch reason) to post a blog today, I decided to get organized and put up a post in advance — a quiz.

A lot of people enjoyed the first Regency Slang Quiz I created, so, since there's no shortage of regency slang, here, for a little bit of fun, is Regency Slang Quiz No. 2. You'll need paper and pen to note your answers, then check them by clicking on the link at the end. 

 1) To darken someone's daylights means:
       a) to draw the curtains
       b) to give someone a black eye 
       c) to ruin someone's reputation
       d) to put coins on the eyelids of a corpse

A Scandalous Interview with Cara Elliott

by Mary Jo
 
Today's guest needs no introduction, since she's the Wenches' own Cara/Andrea!  Her last Cara Elliott Regency historical, Too Dangerous to Desire, was a RITA finalist as well as a Booksellers Best finalist, so it's a delight to see that the books of her new trilogy, The Hellions of High Street, will be published one after another in January, February, and March.
 
First up is Scandalously Yours, which I've had the pleasure of reading. An early review  describes the book as "Another hit for Cara Elliott!" The story is smart and sexy and has a lightness of touch that reminds me of the Signet Regencies where she and I got our start in publishing.  Here's an excerpt.