Knurr and Spell
Preserved but no longer current.
A game resembling trapball, and played with a wooden ball (the knurr} which is released by means of a spring from a little brass cup at the end of a tongue of steel called a spell or spill. After the player has touched the spring, the ball flies into the air, and is struck with a bat.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Knurr and Spell” mean?
A game resembling trapball, and played with a wooden ball (the knurr} which is released by means of a spring from a little brass cup at the end of a tongue of steel called a spell or spill. After the player has touched the spring, the ball flies into the air, and is struck with a bat.
Is “Knurr and Spell” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.