level-coil

A corruption of French lève-cul (“lift the buttocks”).

level-coil (uncountable)

1. (historical) A boisterous and rowdy game formerly played on Christmas, in which players must quickly switch seats at a signal.
   • 1600, Robert Armin, “How Leanard a leane Foole, playde at slide groate by himselfe after dinner, when his belly was full.”, in Foole Upon Foole, Or, Six Sortes of Sottes, London: William Ferbrand, published 1605:

     […] so they did, and entred the Parler, found all this leuell coyle, and his pate broken, his face scratcht […]

   • 1665, Andrew Marvell, The Character of Holland, London: T. Mabb, page 3:

     A daily Deluge over them does boyle: / The Earth and Water play at Level coyle.

   • 1656, Thomas Blount, “Level-Coile”, in Glossographia, London: Tho. Newcomb, published 1661:

     Level-Coile (from the Fr. leuer le Cul, i. to raise or remove the Buttock) is when three play at Tables, or other Game, where onely two can play at a time, and the loser removes his Buttock and sits out, and therefore called also Hitch-Buttock.

• musical chairs

• “level-coil, n.”, in OED Online ⁠, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Oxford University Press, launched 2000.
• “level-coil”, in Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, 1996–present.

• Coleville