Hand-in-cap
The following article will address the topic of Hand-in-cap, which has become very relevant in recent years. Hand-in-cap is a topic that has aroused the interest of many people, since it has a significant impact on different aspects of our daily lives. Throughout this article, various points of view on Hand-in-cap will be explored, as well as its importance today. In addition, the implications that Hand-in-cap has in various contexts will be analyzed, from politics to technology, including culture and society in general. Without a doubt, Hand-in-cap is a topic that deserves to be explored in depth to understand its scope and possible repercussions in the future.
Hand-in-cap is an old English trading procedure that gave rise to the modern word handicap.[1][2] It was used to fairly trade items of potentially unequal value.[3] Here’s how the procedure works:
- Appoint an umpire: An umpire is assigned who will evaluate the items being traded.
- Place forfeit money: The players and the umpire each put a small amount of forfeit money into a cap. This serves two purposes:
- It incentivizes the umpire to make a fair evaluation because the umpire can only collect the forfeit if certain conditions are met.
- It discourages players from being overly stubborn, as they risk losing their forfeit money if they don’t reach an agreement.
- Offer up an item: Each player offers an item the other might want.
- Evaluate the items: The umpire evaluates whether they are of equal value, and if not, estimates the value difference. The player who brought forth the less valuable item has to bring in the monetary difference in this case.
- Make the decision: Both players put their hands into the cap. And then they remove their hands at the same time:
- An open hand signals agreement with the umpire’s valuation.
- A closed hand signals disagreement.
- Determine the outcome:
- Both agree: The item trade occurs, and the umpire collects the forfeit money.
- Both disagree: No trade occurs, but the umpire still collects the forfeit money.
- One agrees, one disagrees: No trade occurs. The player who agreed with the valuation collects the forfeit money.
History
This game was played in Piers Plowman, a poem from the 14th century.[4] The concept of a neutral person evening up the odds was extended to handicap racing in the mid-18th century. In handicap racing, horses carry different weights based on the umpire's estimation of what would make them run equally. The use of the term to describe a person with a disability—by extension from handicap racing, a person carrying a heavier burden than normal—appeared in the early 20th century.[4]
References
- ^ Amundson, Ron. "The Meaning of 'Handicap'". University of Hawaii.
- ^ "Handicaprice". Snopes.com.
- ^ "Definition of handicap in Oxford Dictionaries (British & World English)". Archived from the original on August 24, 2012. Retrieved 12 April 2013.
- ^ a b "Online Etymology Dictionary". Online Etymology Dictionary. Retrieved 12 April 2013.
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