This is the first form of gambling a young South Philly kid was introduced to, besides Uncle Giuseppe betting the ponies at the local bar. Pitching pennies was a favorite pastime and kids would save their lunch and chore money to play.
The first step to pitching pennies would be to find a nice open wall [...]
Archive for the ‘Games’ Category
Pitching Pennies
Posted in Games on May 9, 2007 | 1 Comment »
Hide The Strap
Posted in Games on May 9, 2007 | 2 Comments »
Hide the strap may have been a little before my time, but talking to the old-heads (older folks in the neighborhood) gave me great insight to how hide the strap was played.
The game was played similar to hide and seek, but with a twist. A strap or belt was hidden somewhere in a predetermined neighborhood [...]
Buck-Buck
Posted in Games on May 9, 2007 | 1 Comment »
Buck-Buck was a fun and sometimes painful game we played for hours on end in Key School Yard (Francis Scott Key School on 8th & Wolf Streets). The game was played by one person being the wall cushion or anchor. The first person of the defending team would bend over and hold onto the anchors [...]
Dead Box
Posted in Games on April 18, 2007 | 4 Comments »
Ahh the game of dead box. What good fond memories, a simple game for a simple time…
This game has been played in inner cities for years, at least since the 20’s or 30’s. My father passed it on to me somewhere along the line and I decided I have to pass it on [...]
Chink
Posted in Games on April 18, 2007 | 8 Comments »
Not the most politically correct name for a game, but we didn’t think about that crap back then. Chink, which is basically poor peoples racquetball, gets its name for the sound the ball makes when it hits the crack where the wall and the ground meet. Chink kept us busy and active for hours on [...]
