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[the Earl of Whirl]

It is getting close to Hanukkah so I made a dreidel today.  It is OK but it does not spin very long.  I guess that works out for games but I was still interested in one that spun a bit longer.

Speaking of games, what are some words/phrases/directions that are on tops from around the world.  Of course, we have the typical words on a dreidel (Nun, Gimel, Hei, Shin).  There have to be many others that I have forgotten or not ever seen.  Ta0 has talked about a top from Uruguay (or Spain or Mexico) that said "eat today, don't eat today" and some other things.  And, naturally, there are numbers one can put on a top that show how many spaces one can move on a board game. 

There have to be other directions/phrases/ words.  We are doing a sale of Christmas items at our church on Saturday so I thought I would have some tops there to throw when things got slow.  I could have just Hanukkah type tops but I can just hear someone getting worried about us being "too Jewish".  With some other different style of tops with words/directions/phrases I don't think anyone can say anything!

What have you seen?  Maybe this is a good time to make up our own words for these four sided tops?

[the Earl of Whirl]

I finished my second dreidel with less mass in the main section.  It spins longer but still under 20 seconds.

I also remembered and found the top about eating.  Ta0 is leaning on it in his ta0.com website under visions, where it says "top places".  It says HOY and COME UNO.  Isn't this in Uruguay's capital city of Monetvideo?  Do you remember what is on the other sides?

[ta0]

The teetotum comes from classical times, likely made popular through Europe by the Romans. There are conflicting versions of when the dreidel version started, but it is probably only a few centuries old. From Wikipedia:

In its earliest form the body was square . . . marked on the four sides by the letters A (Lat. aufer, take) indicating that the player takes one from the pool, D (Lat. depone, put down) when a fine has to be paid, N (Lat. nihil, nothing), and T (Lat. totum, all), when the whole pool is to be taken.

I also remembered and found the top about eating.  Ta0 is leaning on it in his ta0.com website under visions, where it says "top places".  It says HOY and COME UNO.  Isn't this in Uruguay's capital city of Monetvideo?  Do you remember what is on the other sides?

Somewhere I have the original photo, but I am not sure if I photographed the other side. It was an art piece protesting against hunger: some days your family eats, some days it doesn't, depending on your luck. The other 4 sides probably said something like: nadie come, comen dos, comen todos, mañana. 

I propose you put the letters: I, T, S, A. When they ask you what they mean, you answer: "It's a top!" 

[the Earl of Whirl]

Thanks for that information.  It is very helpful.

I can't believe we didn't put all the potential names for our organization on a top and then spun it a thousand times to see which came up the most!

[the Earl of Whirl]

Here is an interesting video about making a metal teetotum:

[ta0]

That is a nice video. It may have been a test run for kickstarter. The same guy had two successful kickstarter campaigns (1, 2) with metal finger tops (one just finished). The difference between his tops and the other ones on kickstarter is that they are not made on a CNC lathe: the metal lathe is controlled free-hand!

PS: I edited my post about the teetotum in Montevideo to reflect the fact that it is a six-sided top.

[Kirk]

That is a nice video.

And a Great song!

[the Earl of Whirl]

Bunches of teetotums and miscellaneous items:

http://www.dicecollector.net/JM/MISC.HTM

[the Earl of Whirl]

We had a good day at our bazaar of gently used Christmas items.  Bunches of boxes of items went out the door to good homes that will appreciate them.  I set up a table of dreidels, dreidel doo dads and other teetotems.  I challenged everyone who came near to try some spinning.  I was busy the whole time (about a couple of hours). It was interesting to see those who stopped by.  They were mostly elementary age boys but there were a few girls who tried. 

I felt like we made some good connections and, besides, I enjoyed a day of spinning!!!

[the Earl of Whirl]

One boy showed up at church with a very sad face and a five dollar bill.  I had given him a wooden finger spinner the day before.  When I saw them today his mom said "Go ahead.  Tell him what happened."  The young boy choked out the words (between sobs) that the dog got ahold of the top and chewed it up.  They were prepared to pay me for the damaged top!

That's OK, I said.  I will be happy to make you another and please keep your money.  "Look!  It can still spin.  I can still practice with it."  "Perfect.  Keep practicing!"

[Jack]

One boy showed up at church with a very sad face and a five dollar bill.  I had given him a wooden finger spinner the day before.  When I saw them today his mom said "Go ahead.  Tell him what happened."  The young boy choked out the words (between sobs) that the dog got ahold of the top and chewed it up.  They were prepared to pay me for the damaged top!

That's OK, I said.  I will be happy to make you another and please keep your money.  "Look!  It can still spin.  I can still practice with it."  "Perfect.  Keep practicing!"

thanks for sharing that story mike