h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I always thought this was a German game. People I've run into that actually play it are usually from areas where germanic people settled. Several of the words used, such as Baurer an Euchre, are both German.

Hoyle's claims that it's french in origin, and came to northeastern North America with the french settlers. My experience verifies that it is most popular in the northeast, and the word "euchre" appears french - but I could be wrong.

Q. Is it French or German?
A. Yes

My understanding is that the game is based on the Alsatian card game Jucker, and Alsace has bounced between being French and German for millenia depending on who won the last war.

Incidentally, joker is derived from euchre and the card came into being thanks to the game, but I expect you already knew that .

So that's why those two countries are always at war. Boy, they're pretty serious about their card games.

Wars are never started about such interesting or important topics as card games - usually it's some rich guy's backyard or some such. Please, give card games the respect they deserve.

I can't believe that it's not mentioned that this game is commonly played in South West England and has been for a very long time. In fact, until perhaps the last twenty years, if you walked into a pub in Devon or Cornwall and found a card game in progress it would be almost guaranteed that it would be Euchre. Even now, with the march of tourism and gastropubs, the game may be found in many Westcountry inns and clubs with interpub leagues whose results are published weekly in the sports pages of the local papers.