This is based on a BBC Radio game. It seems too complicated for a casual, quick game, but if you get the basic idea, you can play it much more simply – just try to go for a minute and you either make it or you don’t. Or, you can do it as teams – if one team member falters, another takes over.
A ref picks a topic (e.g. “eggs”) and times you while you try to speak about that topic for one minute. You get a point for every second. You’re out if you hesitate, repeat a word (other than small, common words like “the”) or go off topic.
Other players call you on fouls, and if the ref agrees you’ve screwed up, the caller gets to take over your original minutes. After each round, choose a new ref.
Example:
Ref: The topic is “grandmothers.” Go.
A: My grandmother died five years ago. She was my favorite relative. Before she died, I…
B: Repetition of “died”!
Ref: I agree. B takes “grandmothers” for 50 seconds.
B: Grandmothers deserve more credit than they get, because … um …
C: Hesitation!
Ref: Right. C takes over for 45 seconds.
C: My grandmother used to bake me chocolate chip cookies. They were really tasty. I used to take them with me to school and give them to all my friends, which made me really popular, and…
A: Deviation! He’s not talking about grandmothers.
Ref. Right. A wins back “grandmothers” for 32 seconds. Go…
Learning Happens 
Jun 27, 2010 @ 15:43:09
Reminds me of a game we call “Not to be confused with.” Some starts with a word or phrase:
1: “Kojak”
2: Not to be confused with “car jack”
3: Not to be confused with “Cracker jacks”
1: Not to be confused with “Jack-in-the-Box”
Etc., etc., it ends up being free association with lots of puns and funny connections thrown in. We once played a continuous game from Madison, WI to St. Paul, MN. It required effort, but hey, sometimes a challenge is fun!
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Jun 28, 2010 @ 00:51:59
Love this – we’ll play it on our next car trip!
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