puss in the corner

American  

Or pussy wants a corner

noun

1. a parlor game for children in which one player in the middle of a room tries to occupy any of the positions along the walls that become vacant as other players dash across to exchange places at a signal.

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Etymology

Origin of puss in the corner

First recorded in 1705–15

Example Sentences

It was like the game of "puss in the corner."

From The Naturalist in Nicaragua by Belt, Thomas

Oh, yes, there was one more, puss in the corner, and whom do you suppose was the puss?

From Lulu, Alice and Jimmie Wibblewobble by Garis, Howard Roger

V. interchange, exchange, counterchange†; bandy, transpose, shuffle, change bands, swap, permute, reciprocate, commute; give and take, return the compliment; play at puss in the corner, play at battledore and shuttlecock; retaliate &c.

From Roget's Thesaurus of English Words and Phrases by Roget, Peter Mark

In Yorkshire, we find the Inchbalds, the Siddonses, and Kemble retiring to the moors, in the intervals of business, to play blindman's buff or puss in the corner.

From A Simple Story by Strachey, G. L.

After "puss, puss in the corner" came "blind-man's-buff;" and this was played with great spirit, the two most distinguished being Nancy and Dan Dennison, though Miss Fortune played admirably well.

From The Wide, Wide World by Warner, Susan