This is a mean game we played when I was young. The first requirement is that someone is eating an apple. That is how you get the apple core. If more than one person is eating apples, so much the better.
A person who is down to the apple core yells,
"APPLE CORE!"
Everyone tries to be the first to answer,
"BALTIMORE!"
The person with the apple core says,
"WHO'S YOUR FRIEND?"
If you are not the person to say "Baltimore," you better scramble.
The person who responded "Baltimore" names a friend in the group.
Then, the person with the apple core throws the apple core at the person named as a friend.
I thought about this as I considered how my hen would love the apples cores from my apples.
I don't think I ever ran away.
We did not have phones back in those days, so we chunked apple cores at people.
Your turn
Have you ever played this game? If not, you can teach it to your children.
Linda, never heard of this game so I googled it and found it was from a Donald Duck/Chip n Dale cartoon from 1952. Here's the link:http://wdccduckman.blogspot.com/2007/12/applecore-baltimore-whos-your-friend.html
ReplyDeleteI think it sounds like more fun than
Marco Polo :)
Tom,
DeleteThat link did not work, but I found it. 1952? That's surprising. I don't know Marco Polo.
It definitely did not originate with Donald Duck or Chip n Dale. From the way the characters go through the game, you can tell they've both played it before, and they expect the audience to be familiar with it. My siblings and I used to play this game. I've seen an article that said it's possible it was being played as early as the 1920's, long before that cartoon was made.
DeletePadget,
DeleteThanks. I did not know that.
No I have not played this game but I know others.
ReplyDeleteUr=spo,
DeleteI'll bet you do...lol.
I remember playing this when I was a kid. But we just sort of played a form of "Duck, Duck, Goose"' where you just ran around the outside of a circle and tried to get back before you were tagged. No throwing of apple cores. Someone could have lost an eye.
ReplyDeletetana,
DeleteWhere's the sport if it's not dangerous? I never played "Duck, Duck, Goose."
tana,
DeleteMy children played it.
Never heard of this game. Marco polo is a swimming pool game.
ReplyDeletecarol,
ReplyDeleteI had have never heard of Marco Polo until I heard people yelling it on tv. I still don't know what it is.
I played it all the time except we played Apple core, Baltimore First to say Baltimore was asked, who's your friend. ( said friend was safe) who' s your enemy? Enemy got chunked with the apple.
ReplyDeleteAnd they say people from Alabama are rednecks
Ever had monkey spear wars?
Anne,
DeleteWell, that is an interesting twist or maybe the way I played it was the twist.
It so happens I am not from Alabama. I've just lived here 40 years. No, tell me about monkey spear wars.
Monkey spears are the dried remnants of a weed that grows very well here. They are about 2 1/2 inches long with a little barb on the end. It will not penetrate skin but hooks nicely into clothes. The rules were to have one official caller who would yell BEGIN. You had until she/he yelled stop to gather your weapons. Then you divided into teams and waited until the leader yelled WAR. You battles until everyone was out of weapons then you counted the number of monkey spears stuck in your clothes. The totals for each team were added and the team with the most "kills" won. It helped if you lived on a street with one lot that had not been built so the weeds would grow. When our neighbor finally built his house our source of ammo disappeared
ReplyDeleteAnne,
DeleteNo, I have not and have no idea of the kind of weed. I wish I knew. Do kids still make up games like that, I wonder? Thanks for telling me about this game and explaining it. Fun times!
My Daddy was born in 1926 in Texas. He played “Apple Core, Baltimore” when he was a kid long before any Disney cartoons. He taught it to us when we were kids.
ReplyDeleteI learned it as a child, too, in 50's.
DeletePlayed it many, many times...especially when I lived near Baltimore.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely played Applecore Baltimore. I can't eat an apple or hear either word without a giggle thinking about it.
ReplyDelete