Lourche

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Lourche or Lurch (French: jeu du Lourche) was a French board game similar to backgammon that was played in the 16th or 17th century.[1] The rules of the game have been lost. The game is referred to in the English expression 'left in the lurch', parallel to the French demeurer lourche, referring to the hopeless losing position a player of the game could end up in.[2]

History[]

The game was listed by Rabelais in his work, Gargantua and Pantagruel, in 1534.[3] Shakespeare also alludes to Lourche, both in Coriolanus and the Merry Wives of Windsor.[4]

References[]

  1. ^ Quinion, Michael. "Left in the Lurch". World Wide Words. Retrieved 9 January 2020.
  2. ^ Skeat 1893, p. 262.
  3. ^ Rabelais 1534, p. 403.
  4. ^ Shakespeare 1893, p. 302.

Literature[]

  • Irving, Henry and Frank A. Marshall, eds. (1889). The Works of William Shakespeare. Vol. VI. NY:Scribner & Welford.
  • Rabelais, Francois (1534). Gargantua and Pantagruel in Oeuvres de Rabelais: éd. variorum, augmentées de pièces inédites..., Volume 1. Paris: Dalibon.
  • Skeat, Walter William (1893). A Concise Etymological Dictionary of the English Language. NY: Harper.
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