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Gomme suggests that " 'Kiss in the Ring' is probably a relic of the earliest form of marriage by choice or selection. She also connects it to similar games such as French Jackie and Cat after Mouse. Gomme describes Drop Handkerchief as a variant in which there is no kissing. Gomme describes various regional variations: In Shropshire, the two players run in opposite directions and compete to be first to reach the starting point around London, the chase weaves in and out under the clasped hands of the other people in the ring.
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The original picker then takes the chaser's place in the ring and the chaser becomes the picker for the next round. Once the chaser catches the picker, the chaser is entitled to lead the picker into the centre of the ring and claim a kiss. The picker then runs around the outside of the circle pursued by the chaser. In this version of the game, as described by the British folklorist Alice Gomme in 1894, the picker touches the shoulder of each person in the ring with a handkerchief saying "not you", "not you", until the picker reaches the desired chaser, places the handkerchief on the person's shoulder, and says "but you". Variations Kiss in the Ring or Drop Handkerchief If the chaser (goose) tags the chasee (it), the chaser (goose) may return to their previous spot and the original chasee (it) restarts the process. If the chasee (it) succeeds, the chaser (goose) becomes the chasee and the process begins again. The chaser (goose) then stands and tries to tag the chasee (it), while the chasee tries to return to and sit where the chaser had been sitting before.
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