Storyslingers Festive Party, Dec 18th 2012

Another wonderful Storyslingers holiday party! There were minced pies, delicious cupcakes, popcorn and drinks, as well as a selection of games. We played the Dictionary Game which was a lot of fun, so I thought it worth posting the rules here for anyone unfamiliar. It's a lot like the British TV show Call My Bluff, and is great fun if you're looking for a party game at any time of year. (I'm stealing most of this from Muriel, who helpfully explained the rules to Storyslingers.)

DICTIONARY: The aim of the game is to deceive others about the meaning of a strange word while resisting their efforts to deceive you. You will need a dictionary and non-distinctive scrap(s) of paper.

One player, the Dictionary Holder, chooses an obscure word unfamiliar to all. Example: "Pleymon".

In secret, each player then has to concoct a definition of the word and write it down. The Dictionary Holder writes the real definition, then collects all the definitions in a hat/pot. The Dictionary Holder then reads out all the definitions in a random order:

PLEYMON: a pale yellow star in the constellation Scorpio; the neck part of a suit of armour; a musical instrument from the Pyrenees; the fatty deposit in the second stomach of a cow; an ancestor of the porcupine; a gorge formed by melt water from a glacier.

Then players are to guess which one is the real definition. Bear in mind, thinking aloud is opportunity for mild gamesmanship.

Players then cast a vote each and announce it to the Dictionary Holder. You may not vote for yourself. Really wacky answers may get votes for sheer chutzpah.

Finally, the Dictionary Holder announces the correct definition. You score a point for a correct guess. You also score a point for each person who voted for your (false) definition. The Dictionary Holder scores a point for each player who didn't guess the right answer.

Then the dictionary is passed to the next player, who becomes the Dictionary Holder. Rinse and repeat.

(Note: "Pleymon" is a made-up word, so all definitions above are nonsense!)

We ended up playing this in a mix of individuals and small teams, which I think made it funnier as some of the discussions were absurd (and of course, at times a little naughty).

We also played some festive Dada. Here's one I captured on my phone:

A massive thank you to everyone who came along, bringing food and drink and making it an excellent evening!