The sun., 1907-03-03

tells us that the original French name for
this meld Of the queen Of spades and jack
OF diamonds was "binage.' just what
this word meant is not clear. Whether il
was derived in any way from the old French
'biner,' from which we get "binus. two by
two. and afterward -bls twice. or encore
or whether IL was a corruption Of some term
the meaning OF which is lost to us, is matter
OF conjecture
The curious thing about it is this: Was
it soon after the introduction Of this new
meld. binage. that the Swiss got hold OF
the game OF cinq cents? II it was the most
striking part OF the game. the one thing
different from all other card games, would
be that meld OF the spade queen and the
diamond jack called binage.
Show this word -binage7 10 a German.
without telling him that it is a French
word. and ask him 10 pronounce it. and he
will Immediately say, "bee-hah-ge.T Now
go to another German and ask him II he
plays @bee-hah-ge' and see how quickly
he will say, Sure. blay beenochle."
The authorities who derive "binocle." :"
which is to-day the German spelling Of the
word pinochle. from bis, double, and oculVs.
an eye, or those who think it is simply the
French word biHocIe. a double eyeglsss
contend that the term refers to the fact
that the same combinations can be held
twice over. or seen double. But this is an
anachronism: because, while such an ex-
PLANTATION might be true Of pinochle as it is
played to-day, when the word was first
used there were no double combinations.
as cinq cents was played with a single pack
OF cards. The double pack is modern.
Another explanation that is frequently
offered is that the word binocle is a COM
pound Of bis, until, and knOckte, 20 knock
with the knucklee This seems much more
reasonable to some persons. especially
az the Germans and card players generally
do not usually go to Latin for the elements
of a compound name when their own
vernRcular is sufficient
II Is on the supposition that one or other
OF these two origins, Latin or German,
is correct that the spelling Of the word
is based. There is so slight a difference
in the sound Of ~p' and @b7 in German
that an A merican might easily confuse
them and call "binocle" pinochle
II the original meaning Of the word was
"to see double" the @h' should be left out.
If II means until one knuckles' the IN"
should be retained. All such spellings as
-penuchle' are absurd. German would
give that the Irish twist, and pronounce IL
Ipaynuckle"
But the most curious thing about the
matter is the similarity between the French
word -binocle.' double eyeslass, and the
probable origin OF besigue, which We spell
bezique. This game is almost identical
with pinochle; but IL is French game.
while pinochle 10 Swiss.
All writer's on be2ique tell US that the origin
Of the word 10 Obscure. which means that
they cannot find il. Some Of them have in
dulged in little guessing, however.
The most popular explanation Is that II
is from the Spanish. @besico," a little kiss.
in allusion TO the meeting OF the queen
and jack. This il the derivation given
in the mint h edition Of the Enyclopedia
Brit annica, and IL has been widely quoted
ever since.
and it is impossible 10 recall a single game
which owes it's name to any such concep-
tion as that OF a little kiss being an alusion,
in foreign language, to the meeting ~
two cards in a meld. Why should the
French go to the Spanish for a word to
contract into "besi,S whcn they already
had the " ord in their own language?
"Besi" ~ probably a contraction of
-besicles." eyeglass; .. F, beYicLe: NJ. l..
beryLIVs. spectacles; from which the Ger
possible that when the French got back
the revised game from the Sw iss, with
tie new name, "binocle," AZ they already
had such a word in their own language,
meaning a double eyeglase, and as they
could not see anything double about the
game with the single pack, they should
call " a single eyeglass. or bSsi' From
that 20 spelling II besigIe, and 90 Anglicise
this again into bezique, are natural steps,
Just like out own tITniIR "binocls into
-pinochle.
As the game Of Cinq cents spread IL
soon became evident that its great defect
lay in the fact that there we're not enough
cards to make a really good game, so they
shuiiied two packs together. At what
exnct period Of time this was done il ia
hard 70 say. but the game was made OOO
up about the same time.
Apparently il became popular SHINE time
in the sos. as il was brought 10 England
i'm 1851 by Dr. Pole who wrote II up in an
article In "A magazine Some years later
many textbooks on the game wsre pub
lished.
Taking IL altogether il looks as II neither
of the scientific explanations OF the origin
of the name -pinochle' were correct and
that IL has nothing 10 do with seeing double,
nor with until "knUrkling. but is. like many
other names Of popular card games simply
n1ispronuncation NJ the word binaRe
~ this Ia true all our spellings are wrong.
and a. IL is too late 10 90 back TO the orgi-
nal ono is as good a. the other. "Pinochie"
seems TO be the hest established and "pi-
npchle' II will probably rematn.