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Actually, your definition for SASTRUGA ("sastruga - n. - A member of
the squash family with long strands of pulp.") won on 10/15/96, and
you responded by choosing the word NOTORNIS.<br>
<br>
But yeah, it looks like that may have been followed by a 15 year
losing streak.<br>
<br>
On 12/18/2011 10:08 PM, Lawrence Miller wrote:
<blockquote
cite="mid:CAK-OQOgfLUNyJXxr=93zpTk6vwnwwP5K4N+tzTZcjHMHbNtA6w@mail.gmail.com"
type="cite">Hi, everyone,<br>
<br>
Whereas I've been subscribed to this list off and on for something
on the order of 15 years, and<br>
<br>
Whereas I have no memory of every having won,<br>
<br>
I do not have any "this would be a good fictionary word" words
saved up. So I beg your patience and I will send out a word by
Monday afternoon. Thanks, Jim, for a very enjoyable round!<br>
<br>
-Larry<br>
<br>
<div class="gmail_quote">On Sun, Dec 18, 2011 at 2:27 PM, Jim
Moskowitz <span dir="ltr"><<a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="mailto:jim@jimmosk.com">jim@jimmosk.com</a>></span>
wrote:<br>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0
.8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">
Thanks to all who participated in this variant round. Before I
announce the winner let's review the entries and the comments
they generated...<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
Eric: Initial reaction: no way! Not one of those is a real
game.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
1) A large circle is drawn on the ground or floor in the
center of the play space. At either end of the ground a goal
is marked off. One player, chosen to be stone, sits on the
floor in the circle. The other players stand around outside
the circle, taunting the stone by stepping over into his
territory. Suddenly, and the more unexpectedly the better, the
stone rises and runs for the other players, who are only safe
from tagging when behind one of the goals. Any one so tagged
becomes a stone and joins the first stone in sitting near the
center of the circle. They also join him in chasing the other
players whenever he gives the signal. This continues until all
the players have been tagged.<br>
<br>
Eric: Would not want to play.<br>
Ellen: One point, because I like the writing style<br>
J-J: A combination of Duck-Duck-Goose and Red Rover that's too
similar to my hayfield version.<br>
Linda: I like that a kid is the stone. Plus the cumulative
effect.<br>
Elliott: Completeness: Check. Playability: Check.
Compelling reason to involve ``stone'': Not found.<br>
--a total of 1 point for The Real Rules [see the end of this
message for details]<br>
<br>
<br>
2) This is a game for 3-5 players. Everyone stands along a
line to start the game and throws in the same general
direction. In turn, each player throws a certain flat stone
(with a letter or number painted onto or scratched into the
top) chosen blindly from several in a small sack, tosses the
stone away from the group, along the playing area, trying for
the longest distance from the line. The one who is IT uses a
knotted or marked rope to measure the distances. The player
who tosses it the farthest wins and becomes IT for the next
round. A more exciting alternative is to toss the stones
toward a goal, like a stick in the ground, or another stone
that can moved by IT with each round. The player who hits
another player's stone or the goal stone gets an extra point.
If you are near a body of water, stones can be pitched
towards a target placed into the water, either floating or
anchored.<br>
<br>
Eric: Would not want to play.<br>
Pierre: If the stone is chosen blindly, what happens if the
player forgets which stone<br>
he chose?<br>
J-J: The first variant is shot put with random handicaps. The
second is bocce with balls that don't roll. And the third
version is probably pretty hard to score.<br>
Elliott: Completeness: Not complete (what are points good
for?). Playability: Check. Compelling reason to involve
``stone'': Check.<br>
--a total of no points for Linda<br>
<br>
<br>
3) An outdoors game, best played on leaves or turf. The
players sit in a circle except for one player, the "stone
mason" who goes off a distance. While the stone mason is
absent, the players sit in a circle, with one of them sitting
an a stone the size of two men's fists or larger. The players
then call the mason to return, and he must detect which player
is seated on the stone, the other players, of course, trying
to seem as solid and comfortable in their seats as possible.
A good game for a mixed group of boys and girls, as this is
one game in which girls may excel, by reason of their
crinolines.<br>
<br>
Pierre: Two points.<br>
J-J: Just a liiiiittle creepy. But after reaching bottom
without finding anything I believed in, I have to give this
one point.<br>
Ranjit: One point.<br>
Linda: Like that this is a seated game and someone is a stone
mason. We used to play a circle game called, Button, Button,
Who's Got the Button? A button is in one player's hand while
It is out of the room. Once It comes back into the room, he
others pretend to move the button from hand to hand around the
circle while It watches. It must guess who is holding the
button.<br>
Elliott: Completeness: Check. Playability: Check.
Compelling reason to involve ``stone'': Check. Two points
for plausibility.<br>
--a total of 6 points for Eric, our silver medalist<br>
<br>
<br>
4) Three players each have a tire in front of them; the tires
are fifteen feet apart in a triangle. The boundaries between
the players' territories are marked with sticks or ropes,
halfway between the tires. Each player starts with 30-40
stones in a pile next to his tire and throws stones at the
other two players' tires. If a stone lands outside the tire,
it may be thrown again by the player in whose territory it
lands. Once a stone lands in a tire, it is out of play. The
game ends when all stones are in tires. The winner is the
player with the fewest stones in his tire.<br>
<br>
Eric: Plausible, except wasn't the game Victorian? No tires.<br>
J-J: I might have voted for this except for the likely lack of
availability of Victorian-era tires<br>
Linda: Were there so many spare tires so long ago as the book
was written?<br>
Elliott: Completeness: How are the territories established to
begin with? Playability: What if you hit someone in the head?
Compelling reason to involve ``stone'': Check.<br>
--a total of no points for Pierre<br>
<br>
<br>
5) Players gather in a circle around a large tree suitable for
climbing. A small stone is required. On his turn a player must
throw the stone over a target bough, called the WHIP. If the
throw is not high enough, or the player misses the tree
completely, he is out. After making his throw, the current
player, or CRACKER, must climb to the WHIP to mark its
location. Spectators and players alike should cat-call the
CRACKER during climbing; if he falls, he is out. Previous
CRACKERS already in the tree may attempt to dislodge the
current CRACKER as he climbs, but may not leave their WHIP to
do so. The next player must throw the STONE over a new WHIP at
least as high as the previous CRACKER. The first CRACKER in a
round can choose a WHIP at any height he believes he can throw
over and reach by climbing. Play begins with the shortest
player, and proceeds in increasing height order, so as to
ensure a fair chance to all. One round is complete once the
tallest player takes his throw; all players should come down
out of the tree, and the next round begins anew with the
shortest remaining player. Play continues until all but one
player is eliminated. If any player hits any other player with
the stone, they are both immediately out; if a throw causes a
player sitting on a previous WHIP to fall without hitting him
with the STONE, such as by cowardly flinch, only he who fell
is out.<br>
<br>
Eric: Would not want to play. Ten creativity points.<br>
J-J: Good lord! This reminds me of the stories that my friend
Jimmy used to tell me in college, which invariably ended
"...and then Floyd went to the hospital". This will probably
turn out to be real, and I'll be deeply disturbed.<br>
Linda: Kids used to play dangerous games in the olden days and
you weren't supposed to be afraid of a little blood and a few
bruises. 2 points for danger. But isn't Cracker a derogatory
term?<br>
Elliott: Completeness: Check. Playability: Risky!
Compelling reason to involve ``stone'': Wouldn't a nice,
soft ball be better? One point for creativity.<br>
--a total of 3 points for Nick, good for the bronze medal.<br>
<br>
<br>
6) The players form a pentacle surrounding the victim. They
chant the appropriate words. Should the victim attempt to
break free, restrain him, but do not shed his blood. When It
comes to feed, the players plead for parts of the victim. It
will toss one part to each player. The players then use these
as blunt instruments upon each other, but do not shed one
another's blood. The surviving player offers the bodies of the
others to It, uttering "stone," but must take care not to
enter the pentacle. It then will grant a desire; but be
careful to formulate that desire carefully, for It has a sense
of humor.<br>
<br>
Eric: Would not want to play. Ten creativity points. One
real point.<br>
Pierre: This doesn't sound like a children's game. Witch
fictioneer came up with it?<br>
J-J: Yeah! But no, I don't think so.<br>
Ranjit: One backing-away-slowly.<br>
Linda: Too zombie-like.<br>
Elliott: Completeness: Cryptic. Playability: Risky!
Compelling reason to involve ``stone'': None that I can see.<br>
--a total of 1 point for David<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
7) The players array themselves as they wish around an open
yard. One player closes his eyes and counts aloud to twenty
whilst each other player selects a stone from the ground,
remove a boot, place the stone into the boot, and replace the
boot upon his foot. Upon the count of twenty, the counting
player opens his eyes and all players begin walking about the
yard. The counting player then attempts to guess in which
boot each player placed his stone. A player whose stone is so
located retires from the yard. The game ends immediately upon
an incorrect guess from the counting player, the player
winning who fooled the counting player, or the counting player
himself if none fool him. In common practice, a number of
games are played consecutively, with the winner of a game
serving as counting player for the next.<br>
<br>
Eric: Two real points. Also, maybe I would play this.<br>
David: 1 point<br>
Pierre: One point.<br>
Ellen: Two points.<br>
J-J: Somewhat similar to the "guess what I have under my
skirt" game, but less creepy, so two points.<br>
Ranjit: Two points<br>
Linda: Sounds uncomfortable but 1 point for "whilst."<br>
Elliott: Completeness: How small can the stone be?
Playability: Check. Compelling reason to involve ``stone'':
Check.<br>
--a total of 11 points for Larry, the running-away (hopefully
without a stone in his shoe) winner!<br>
<br>
<br>
8) This game is played in a field of tall grass, ideally
taller than the players. One player is chosen to start the
game as the "stone", while the others are initially "ploughs".
The ploughs avert their eyes in order to allow the stone to
hide somewhere in the plot of grass. After an agreed upon
time (perhaps a count to ten), the ploughs form a line and
march across the field. The stone attempts to grab one of the
ploughs by the ankle, while the ploughs try to spot the stone.
If a plough is caught, he drops into the grass and becomes
another stone. If the stone is spotted, the plough may
attempt to run away. All of the ploughs who arrive at the far
edge of the field form a new line on an adjacent side and
begin another march, perpendicular to the previous one. Play
continues until there is only one plough remaining, who
becomes the starting stone for the following round.<br>
<br>
Eric: Most Likely To Be By Elliott Award. Also, consistency
points for the spelling of "plough". Might play this,
depending on the insect situation in the grass.<br>
David: 2 points<br>
J-J: Mine. So obviously not right. Basically Red Rover, with
added excitement for those who are afraid of snakes.<br>
Linda: Like the cumulative effect of this one. Sounds a bit
like Snake Pit from New Games.<br>
Elliott: Completeness: Check. Playability: You'd need to
luck into a field of the right size and shape. Compelling
reason to involve ``stone'': Well, OK.<br>
--a total of 2 points for J-J<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
The actual game rules are taken verbatim from __Games for the
Playground, Home, School and Gymnasium__, copyright 1909 by
Jessie H. Bancroft, specifically its "Active Games" section.
(There are also "Quiet Games" and "Singing Games" -- which is
what really indicates that the word "games" is being used
broadly enough to include what we'd today call "activities".)
You can read the book here, thanks to Project Gutenberg: <a
moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://www.gutenberg.org/files/25660/25660-h/25660-h.htm"
target="_blank">http://www.gutenberg.org/files/25660/25660-h/25660-h.htm</a><br>
<br>
Another game from the same book, which was my backup choice in
case some of you actually knew the rules to STONE, was:<br>
<br>
SPOONING<br>
All but one of the players stand in a circle. The odd player
is blindfolded and placed in the center. He is given two
silver tablespoons. The players in the circle clasp hands and
move around until the blindfolded player clicks the spoons
together, at which signal the circle must stand still.<br>
The blindfold player then goes up to any one in the circle,
and by feeling over the face and head with the bowls of the
spoons must identify the player. He may not feel on the
shoulders or around the neck, only on the face and head. A
player may stoop to disguise his height for this, but
otherwise may not evade the touch of the spoons. If the
blindfold player correctly identifies the one before him, they
exchange places. If incorrect in his guess, the play is
repeated.<br>
<br>
<br>
May I suggest that when we organize the Fictionary Real-world
Get-together (for instance, this July?), we try a few of the
invented games from this round? I'd like to play the winner,
the real one, and Pierre's #4.<br>
<br>
The reins of Fictionary are all yours, Larry!<br>
<font color="#888888">
<br>
-Jim<br>
</font></blockquote>
</div>
<br>
</blockquote>
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