10 Fascinating 42 All-Time Classics Facts!
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1. Koi Koi (game no. 33) is normally played using traditional Japanese 'hanafuda' cards. Nintendo started out as a manufacturer of 'hanafuda' cards in the 1880s.
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2. In the traditional version of Pig (game no. 6), instead of making a grab for coins, players must rush to put their finger on their nose, often resulting in painful mishaps!
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3. Backgammon (game no. 26) is one of the oldest board games in the world; originally played by Egyptians. Its name has nothing to do with bacon, however. It comes from the words 'back' and the Old English 'gamen', meaning 'game'.
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4. Chinese Checkers (game no. 19) doesn't originate from China at all. It was first invented in Germany as 'Sternhalma'; a variant of the game 'Halma' with a star-shaped board. Upon its release in America it was given the 'Chinese' name to make it sound more interesting.
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5. The card game I Doubt It (game no. 3) has a number of different names around the world, such as 'Peanut Butter' and 'Cheat'. But because it requires players to bluff or lie, it is more often known as 'Bulls**t'!
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6. The exact history of poker is unclear but the name is thought to derive from the French word 'poque', a descendent of the German word 'pochen', both meaning 'to knock'. 'Pochen' also means 'to brag' in Dutch. 'Brag' is also the name of an English poker variant.
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7. The traditional version of the card game President (game no. 9) takes its name not from the winner but from the loser. Therefore it is known variously around the world as 'Scum', 'Butthead', 'A**hole', 'Rich Man Poor Man', and even 'Landlord'!
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8. In Chess (game no. 27) the bishop gets its English name from its shape, which looks like a clergyman's tall hat. The piece was originally supposed to represent an elephant but when the game was first introduced to Europe, players didn't know what an elephant was.
9. Ludo (game no. 30) is known around Europe under very different names. In France it is called 'Petits Chevaux', or 'little horse', while in Germany and Holland it is known as 'Mensch ärgere dich nicht' and 'Mens erger je niet' meaning 'Don't lose your temper, man'.
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10. Have you noticed that, in a modern deck of (Anglo-American) playing cards, the King of Hearts is the only King without a moustache? The reason is that the woodblocks originally used to print playing cards became distorted through the years. Along the way, the King lost his moustache!
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