Cribej yn Gymraeg!

You know, using numbers in Welsh is an odd thing. For more complex numbers, even first language speakers sometimes switch to English.

However, sometimes in our card-playing group in the pub whilst playing cribbage, we have had only Welsh speakers there, and the language for the numbers seems to have drifted into Welsh.

If you have to work out “fifteen two, fifteen four, a run of three and one for his nob” in Welsh, it is a really good way of practicing numbers in Welsh! Not to mention the hand before, where you have to add numbers up to thirty one.

(To anyone who doesn’t play cribbage, this is probably completely incomprehensible…)

After the first time this happened, a first language Welsh speaker said to me “that’s the first time I’ve played using the Welsh numbers!” (in Welsh, but never mind…), and I found it awkward for the first five minutes, but it really got so easy after that!

Just an idea for groups of Welsh learners- if people fancy playing cribbage or dominoes or… well, whatever! Darts! Anything with numbers! Keep to the Welsh and it is a wonderfully quick way of getting familiar with the them. Doing something you enjoy.

Anyhow, just an idea!

[Oh, if you play crib, and are playing with people with a certain sense of humour, please realise there will be many varied translations of “one for his nob”. It will increase your vocabulary, but you may not come out unscathed…]

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I’ll keep it in reserve I think. I still struggle to explain the rules to Scrabble yn Gymraeg, and Cribbage yn Saesneg!

But dominoes might work, and our new pub does have a dart board…

We have been using a set of hand drawn picture cards which have proved popular - I think they’re your handiwork, am I right? Lots of the stories seem to start in the pub…

I was in Ystradgynlais on Saturday morning canvassing in preparation for next year’s Westminster elections (I won’t say which party), and it was my job to organise the team and direct them to the likely most fertile ground. So at the same time as noting down responses from one canvasser (“Don’t Know/Yes - has voted for us in the past”), I was telling the next to “leaflet 21, 23 and 25 and knock on 27”.

It was much less stressful when I got a turn knocking after lunch (until rugby kick-off time loomed and people started to get a bit impatient with us) but I was rather chuffed to be able quite naturally to chat with anyone in whichever language they preferred.

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Canvassing in Welsh? That must have been UKIP, then…:wink:

You guessed it!..:wink:

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I am prepared to admit that it wasn’t UKIP, yes. :wink:

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I used to play cribbage, many years ago, and still have a couple of boards (somewhere…) but I can’t remember how to play. Plus, I don’t really have anyone to play with.

I do remember all that adding up to 15 and 31 - and i do have a cribbage board now but i was quite slow when i played without trying to think of welsh numbers

I move that cribbage be put on the list of compulsory Bootcamp activities.

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That’ll be the first five or so days sorted for activities just explaining the rules.

If anyone knows them.

Then it’s just the final night’s singing in the pub and home. :wink:

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I’ve found just playing cribbage naturally is a far better way of learning to play it than studying the underlying rules.

Oh, hang on… :wink:

That sounds like my stuff! I just write what I know…
(and yes, that does include bananas, gorillas and waking up in Singapore with a terrible headache… :wink: )

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Interesting topic.

We played scrabble in Welsh tonight in our Clwb Clonc. It is enjoyable but lack of vocabulary is a bit of a problem.

Does anyone know if it is possible to get Scrabble in Welsh for computers or iPads?