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Dictionary Night

Three short lessons for an old parlour game: one rare word, everyone writes a believable false meaning, and the table votes for the real one.

For grown-ups, from what BluffForge teaches children at Spark & Anvil.

  1. Lesson 1How the game works
  2. Lesson 2Writing a believable fake
  3. Lesson 3What the game teaches
At the table · three to eight people, 9 or older

Five rounds

You'll need: a dictionary (or the word on Wordplay), slips of paper and pencils.

  1. The host picks a rare word and reads it out without the meaning.
  2. Everyone writes a believable meaning; the host writes the real one.
  3. The host reads all the slips aloud in a shuffled order. Everyone votes.
  4. Score, reveal, and pass the dictionary to the next host.

Print the guidebook (all lessons + the table activity) →