Darkstorm's post in 'For Sale' calling dibs just made me wonder where that word came from. According to http://www.geocities.com/etymonline/ :

dibs - 1730, contraction of dibstone "a knucklebone or jack in a children's game," of unknown origin.

Why on earth would that term endure for almost 300 years? Is the oral culture of children that strong & enduring?

Anybody else find this interesting?

-Zeke