Why are clovers called clubs

There are four Tens in a deck of cards. In the standard deck of cards, there are four suits — spades, diamonds, hearts, and clubs. Each has a suit of 13 cards and in each suit, there is one Ten.

In other words, there are four 10s, which are the 10 of hearts, 10 of spades, 10 of diamonds, and 10 of clubs. Playing cards may have been invented during the Tang dynasty around the 9th century AD as a result of the usage of woodblock printing technology. In a forced duel, Kings and Jokers beat all other cards but are equal to each other.

That was the year England began to tax sales of playing cards. The ace was stamped to indicate that the tax had been paid, and forging an ace was a crime punishable by death. To this day, the ace is boldly designed to stand out. The king of hearts offers another curiosity: The only king without a mustache, he appears to be killing himself by means of a sword to the head. As printing spurred rapid reproduction of decks, the integrity of the original artwork declined.

When printing blocks wore out, Bostock explained, card makers would create new sets by copying either the blocks or the cards. This process amplified previous errors.

Hand craftsmanship and high taxation made each deck of playing cards an investment. As such, cards became a feast for the eye. Fanciful, highly specialized decks offered artists a chance to design a kind of collectible, visual essay. Playing-card manufacturers produced decks meant for other uses beyond simple card playing, including instruction, propaganda, and advertising.

Perhaps because they were so prized, cards were often repurposed: as invitations, entrance tickets, obituary notes, wedding announcements, music scores, invoices—even as notes between lovers or from mothers who had abandoned their babies. In this way, the humble playing card sometimes becomes an important historical document, one that offers both scholars and amateur collectors a window into the past.

While collectors favored ornate designs, gamblers insisted on standard, symmetrical cards, because any variety or gimmickry served to distract from the game. For nearly years, the backs of cards were plain. The innovation offered advantages.

Years later, Bostock told me, card makers added corner indices numbers and letters , which told the cardholder the numerical value of any card and its suit.

This simple innovation, patented during the Civil War, was revolutionary: Indices allowed players to hold their cards in one hand, tightly fanned. Viewed 1k times. Improve this question. NVZ DaG DaG 1, 2 2 gold badges 12 12 silver badges 20 20 bronze badges.

It's likely a bad case of false friendship. I think so too, even more so since it appears in an Italian novel, as said by an English-speaking character. But I'd rather be sure it is not an unusual or regional legitimate form. Add a comment. Active Oldest Votes. The word is actually, clover. Improve this answer.

Kris Kris Community Bot 1. I knew that and it's "hearts", not "earths". But do you know about possible variant names such as the one I asked about?