Coconut shy
A coconut shy (or coconut shie) is a traditional British game frequently found as a sidestall at funfairs and fêtes. The game consists of throwing wooden balls at a row of coconuts balanced on posts. Typically a player buys three balls and wins when each coconut is successfully dislodged. In some cases other prizes may be won instead of the coconuts.
The word "shy" in this context means to toss or throw.
Origins
[edit]The origins of the game are unclear, but early references to it appear in the late 1800s. It probably derives from the game of Aunt Sally, with coconuts being seen as an exotic prize in the late 19th century and into the 20th century. The National Fairground Archive holds a photograph of a coconut shy dating from 1890.[1] The game is mentioned by Graham Greene in The Ministry of Fear in 1943,[2] H. G. Wells in The Invisible Man in 1897,[3] by E. Nesbit in The Story of the Treasure Seekers in 1899,[4] and by P.G. Wodehouse in the short story "The Purity of the Turf". The term is first listed in the Oxford English Dictionary in 1903.
One theory suggests the coconut shy may have originated at the annual Pleasure Fair in Kingston upon Thames in 1867.[1] That event took place on the town's Fairfield, not far from a coconut fibre mill on the Hogsmill river. The Surrey Comet reported how "for the small sum of one penny, you could have three throws with sticks with the prospect of getting a cocoa nut..." The coconuts could have come from nearby Middle Mill, which advertised in the Surrey Comet as "The Patent Cocoa Fibre Co Ltd the only cocoa nut fibre manufactory in Surrey. All descriptions of mats in cocoa nut fibre made to order wholesale". Today the only reminder of Kingston's association with coconuts is a pub in Mill Street, which was the principal route between Fairfield and Middle Mill for several centuries. Called "The Cocoanut", it is not only spelled the old way but is furthermore the only pub in Britain with that name.
However, there is a similar game shown in etchings by Thomas Rowlandson. Sketch on York Race Ground (1804) shows a carnival game in which sticks are thrown at various shaped objects atop posts; the drawing was etched and printed in 1805 titled Gaffers at a Country Fair, and a revised version was printed in 1808 titled Doncaster Fair the Industrious Yorkshirebites.[5] An image in the lower left corner of A Prospect of Greenwich Fair, from Manners and Cvstoms of ye Englyshe in 1849, no 13, Getty Images, shows the same game with taller poles and the coconuts shown atop them.
According to a source described as an official from the Showman's Guild, coconut shies began at the Cambridge Midsummer Fair with cockerels as the targets rather than coconuts.[6]
Popular culture
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In Rumer Godden's short story "Candy Floss," the titular Candy Floss is a doll who "assists" in running a coconut shy along with her owner. The story describes the set-up and management of an early 20th century coconut shy and life on the road as the group follows the fair in a van.
Other countries
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In German-speaking countries the game of Dosenwerfen (throw cans) is popular for school parties, as well as in professional stalls at fairgrounds. It involves throwing balls at stacks of empty tin cans.
In France, a similar game known as Chamboule-Tout is frequently found at fun fairs.[citation needed]
In the U.S. and Canada, milk cans are commonly used.[7][8]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b Harries, Hugh C. (2004). "Fun Made The Fair Coconut Shy" (PDF). Palms. 48 (2). The International Palm Society: 77–82. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 July 2012. Retrieved 8 May 2012.
- ^ The Ministry of Fear by Graham Greene page 11 isbn 9780099286189
- ^ Wells, H.G. (1897). "XII". The Invisible Man. ISBN 1-58734-078-X.
The first to appear was the proprietor of the cocoanut shy, a burly man in a blue jersey
- ^ Nesbit, Edith (1899). "12". The Story of the Treasure Seekers.
This was the case with H. O.'s idea of setting up a coconut-shy on this side of the Heath, where there are none generally. We had no sticks or wooden balls, and the greengrocer said he could not book so many as twelve dozen coconuts without Mr Bastable's written order. And as we did not wish to consult my Father it was decided to drop it.
- ^ source: British Museum
- ^ "Cambridge Midsummer Fair's surprising 800-year history and how it's changed". Cambridge-news.co.uk. 12 June 2020.
- ^ Thompson, Tisha (18 August 2012). "Tricks of the Trade Behind Carnival Games". Nbcwashington.com. Retrieved 3 March 2022.
- ^ "Family Time -- Steve Smith". Daily Pilot. 13 July 2002. Retrieved 3 March 2022.
External links
[edit]- British National Fairground Archive at Sheffield University