Investigating the origins: The creators behind the popular games of 'squopping' and 'squidging', known to many as tiddlywinks.
Tiddlywinks: A Game with Victorian Origins
Tiddlywinks, a popular game played on a flat felt mat, originated in late 19th-century England [2][4]. The exact inventor and the date of its first creation are not definitively known, but the game was patented during this period.
The game began as a simple children's pastime, involving the flicking of small discs or "winks" into a target area using a larger disc called a "squidger." Over time, it evolved into a game with strategic and competitive elements.
In 1889, Jaques and Sons, a British toy manufacturer, published the game of Flitterkins, a modification of lawn tennis, and secured the first tiddlywinks-based patent (GB 1888/18789A) [4]. This marked a significant milestone in the formalization of the game's rules and play equipment.
Just six days before Flitterkins' patent, another variant called Spoof was published and produced by F H Ayres [4]. This game involves players trying to flip their counters into a Spoof cup using a larger counter, with each player taking turns to shoot all their men.
Joseph Assheton Fincher, a 25-year-old from Hampshire, is credited with inventing the game and calling it Tiddledy-Winks in 1888 [4]. Fincher's patent for the game was accepted on October 19, 1889, and the trademark was approved on March 6, 1890 [4].
George Scott's Golfette or Table Golf, another tiddlywinks-style game, was granted a patent in England on March 22, 1890, shortly after Fincher's [4]. The modern version of the game was established in 1955 by a group of undergraduates at Christ's College, Cambridge [2].
The game's objective is to shoot a wink (colored disc) into a pot using a squidger (larger disc), with a defensive element called 'squopping' [2]. Sporting variants such as Spoof Golf, Cricket, Tennis, Croquet, and Quoits were marketed until the turn of the century [2].
The rules of the game were formalized on January 16, 1955 [2]. J W Spear & Sons published variations around the tiddlywinks theme, including Sweet Wedding Bells, North Pole, Over the Garden Wall, and Chronowinks [2].
An early advertisement for the game appeared in The Evening Standard on March 1, 1889 [4]. The game was published by Jaques and Son of Hatton Gardens and featured wooden winks cups [4]. The antecedents of the modern game of tiddlywinks can be traced back to the late 19th century [2].
Golfette, another variant of the game, consists of a course made from felt or other elastic material, a series of hazards, and some 'springers' or clubs used to propel counters around the field of play [2]. The object of Golfette is to sink the counter in the hole in the fewest shots, similar to golf [2]. The object of Spoof is to shoot the most counters in an agreed time into the cup [2].
In summary, Tiddlywinks originated in 19th-century England, was patented in the 19th century, started as a children's game, evolved into competitive play, and has since developed into both a casual children's game and a serious competitive sport with organized championships [2][4]. The game's rules were formalized in 1955, and various sporting and themed versions have been marketed over the years.
The game's evolution led to the creation of variants, such as Golfette and Spoof, which can be categorized under the home-and-garden lifestyle due to their tabletop nature. The game's popularity grew beyond its initial children's pastime, earning it a place as a competitive sport with organized championships, reflecting changes in the overall lifestyle in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
