Mumbly-peg

There is a rather amusing post over at Arcadian Del Sol (sort of a blog for gamers). The post deals with violence in video games and how previous generations were not lacking in violet games themselves. But what really got me was "Membly-peg":
 
If you aren't familiar, here is a summary: Mumbly-peg is a game where you throw a knife in the dirt near the outside edge of someone's shoe. They move their foot to the knife, pick it up, and do the same to you - as the game proceeds, your feet get further and further apart until someone falls down; last man standing is the winner. My father explained the one wrinkle in the rule set as follows: "you had to be careful not to stab the other guy in the foot because if you do, you lose."

Lets make sure we all understand this: If you are stabbed in the foot, you are the winner of the game. Victory is yours; celebrate and revel in it on your way to the emergency room.

I was never very athletic as a child but if winning had meant having a screw driver impaled into my big toe I think I would have been more ok with loosing.

Then I got to thinking, can you imagine if this game gone professional?

   Reporter: Well Champ, you have just won the Mumbly-peg World Series for the 8th year in a row. To what do you attribute your success?

   Champ: Good aim, solid balance, and really fat feet.

9 Comments

  • HAHA I HEARD ABOUT MUMBLY PEG FROM THIS 4 WAY STREET SONG AND IM LIKE WTF!!! I THOUGHT IT SAID MUMBLY BAG OR TAG.

  • Ah.. those were the days. nobody said a thing to the boys when they took out their pocket knives on the school playground.

  • Not only boys played Mumbly Peg in grade school. I, being a farmers daughter (LOL), played with the gents that helped shell my Dad's corn. My first knife was bought by one of the farmers who felt sorry for the little girl that didn't have a knife. He felt sorry for me until I beat him at the game.

    Deb

  • I just remembered mumbly peg out of the blue after a few beers and googled it. I played it for hours with my friends. I remember balancing it on my shoulder, elbow and other foot and flipping it. I forgot how but I remember part of it. I'll have to go to the rules and try it again. It should be a blast if I can find any of my biker buddies that would remember and try. Sure is great reminesing about those long hot summers with out video games, vcr and dvd movies and computers. We sure did a lot of creative stuff.MUMBLY PEG FOREVER!!!!

  • I seem to remember mumbly peg as a game with a jack knife being flipped both from point and handle from different parts of the body, elbow, knee, wrist, ankle and it had to turn once then twice and stick in the ground. and there was one with sticking it next to the others foot and forcing them to do the splits and fall. the one with flipping the knife end over end and then pulling a peg out of the groune with your teeth. this was about 1949 or 1950. and yes we played it at school during recess.

  • I remember Mumbly-peg and stretch 'em as two distinct games, both of which are mentioned in other comments. Stretch 'em involved trips to the hospital or shoe store. Never play it barefoot!

  • yep, I played mumbly peg..I was the only girl in the neighborhood..gave the boys a run for their money..it was the late 40's and early 50's..I do remember one time though that I had to pull up the peg..it was really a good time to be young..anyone ready for a game?
    Jan

  • EgYKPA Looking forward to reading more. Great article.Thanks Again.

  • Unfortunately at some parts it becomes a minor too off subject, such
    because how that they guys change their minds on and off.

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