Democratic Sentinel, Volume 1, Number 23, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 20 July 1877 — The Origin of Handicapping. [ARTICLE]

The Origin of Handicapping.

Most persons who take an interest in sporting events are well aware what tlie word “ handicap ” means, but perhaps very few of them know the origin of the expression. The origin of handicapping is td be found in a custom at one time, perhaps, as prevalent in England as the modern practice of raffling. One person, let it be supposed, had a pocket-knife which he wished to exchange for another person’s pencil-case. He would “challenge ” the owner of the pencil-case to make the exchange with him, and this being agreed to. a third person would be found to “ make the award,” or in other words to arbitrate as to the respective values of the two articles, and to award a certain sum by way of equalizing them. Before the award was made all three would deposit in a hat or cap a certain stake, which the arbitrator would appropriate in the event of his award proving satisfactory to both parties, or in the event of his award proving satisfactory to neither party. The way in which this willingness or unwillingness to abide by the decision of the umpire was expressed seems originally to have been this: The two exchangers were to stand each with a “ hand-i’-tlie-cap,” and on the award being uttered—after an amount of circumlocution purposely intended to confuse them—they were instantly to withdraw their hands and open them. If both hands held money in them, both were understood to accept the award, the exchange was made, and tlie arbitrator pocketed the stakes. If neither held money the bargain was not concluded, aud tlie stakes were still forfeited to tlie arbitrator. If only one of the two displayed a coin, that one drew drew the stakes, and tlie exchange was not made. According to modem rules, “ a handicap match is A, B and 0 to put an equal sum each into a hat; C, who is the liandicapper, makes a match for A and B, who, when they have perused it, put their hands into their pockets and draw them out closed; then they open them together, and if both have money in their hands the match is confirmed ; if neither have money, it is no match.” Tims it will be seen that, whereas the old practice was literally a “ liand-i’-the-cap,” the modern lias become a liand-i’-tlie-poeket.