The game concept was originally developed in the 1590s, by fittingly, an unknown person. We sincerely thank him, or her, for one of the greatest games in the history of the world. We wonder what the game was first called. Perhaps the creator thought to call it “Bogus Banter,” but then paused, and realized that was balderdash, and then simply called it, the Dictionary Game.
Actually the creator wouldn’t have used the word, balderdash, since in the 1950s “balderdash” was used to define as a jumbled mix of liquors (alcohols, beer and wine,etc.). Hmmm… guess that was before the old saying, beer before liquor, never been sicker... So after careful induction we’ll take a stab and say the game creator was most likely a lighthearted, inebriated father, without the knowledge to explain the words of his neighbors to his son. Eventually the neighbors got involved, tired of hearing the father’s piffle, but amused by his creativity, and then joined in the fun, while teaching new vocabulary words to the children of village. Over the centuries of laughter, the game has been known as Fictionary, Wise and Otherwise, Dictionary Game, Dictionary Dabble, Flummoxed, Call My Bluff, Weird Wordz, Derivation and Bogus Banter™. The name Balderdash became synonymous with the Dictionary game concept after the release of the Balderdash Board game in 1984. The board game, published by Parker Brothers at the time, became the first successful commercial implementation of the game concept.
And like all great games, the dictionary game has evolved and grown into new versions so the game may be played anywhere, at any time, by the applauding wordsmiths, students, and comedians of the world.
Discover new ways to play the century’s-old parlor game. The various methods are described below.
Balderdash Board Game
Repackaging the dictionary game concept with a tangible, saleable element, Laura Robinson and Paul Toyne designed the first board game format in 1984, and Balderdash was born. We are not sure who coined the term Balderdash, but we give credit to Laura and Paul. Regardless, the game is aptly named, and no doubt attributable to its success. Balderdash according to most modern dictionaries means trivial nonsense, piffle, or worthless jargon. Balderdash, the board game, was originally published (and still is) by Parker Brothers and quickly became a commercial success, reinvigorating the parlor game concept in the United States.
So what is a parlor game anyway?
Simply put – a parlor or parlour (old English) game is a group game played indoors. During the reign of Queen Victoria (1837-1901), the communal games were exceedingly popular among the upper and middle class in Great Britain and in the United States. Most parlor games also involve deductive reasoning or creative word-play, and they are almost always competitive in nature. However, parlor games are considered gentlemen games; the goal is more to win the admiration of one’s peers while staying mentally sharp, than to actually win.
More About Balderdash
Balderdash the board game is still a popular and highly rated game today. In the classic board game, one person draws a card and selects a word, called the dasher. The dasher reads the word aloud to the other players. The board game allows for up to 10 players, but you can team up, making game participation unlimited. Then, the rest of the players make up the word's meaning using their imagination and knowledge of word roots. The fake out definitions are collected by the dasher and read aloud to the game participants. The dasher also reads the correct definition. Each player must choose which definition is the correct one. Points are rewarded for guessing the correct definition, bluffing others to vote for your definition, or submitting a definition which closely matches the real answer.In 2006, Mattel published Beyond Balderdash, a new version of the game concept incorporating more categories and game features. The new categories offer real, but unbelievable content about Words, People, Initials, Laws and Movies. The publisher recommends the game for players age 12 and upwards.
Balderdash Dictionary Game
It’s a classic for a reason. You can play it anywhere when you have a few friends around. It’s fun, educational, and unleashes your creative juices. Plus, you can play it on the smallest of budgets. Much like soccer, the dictionary game requires little to play, other than a few household items. In that light, we like to think of it as the world’s most popular verbal sparring event. All you need are scrap pieces of paper, writing utensils, and obscure words. A dictionary is usually necessary, unless you’re all Scrabble wizards. It’s a perfect activity for a family game night, fending off boredom while travelling, or a party extravaganza with friends.
The balderdash dictionary game follows the same rules as the board game, except there is no board. Scores may be kept or not. In some renditions of the game, the players are forbidden from submitting the real definition, hence eliminating the scoring opportunity, but allowing for more creative play. The challenge falls on the chooser of the word to pick one that his fellow players would not know. Typically the player selecting the word picks one with whom he or she has never seen written or heard used in conversation, to ensure the others will not know the meaning of the chosen word.
Balderdash Game Online
The century’s-old, hilarious game of wit and creativity, has joined the 21st century and is now available as a free online educational word game from BogusBanter.com! Adapted to fit the screen, the new online version of the balderdash-style, dictionary word game, Bogus Banter™ Definitions, published in 2009, combines the best features of the classic bluffing pastime with a new twist in recognition of the boos and giggles.
Often what makes the dictionary game fun are the laughs earned by the comedians in the group, taking the game less seriously, along with the stumped players having brain farts, leveling the playing field with ridiculous or bogus entries. In the Bogus Banter™ games, players are rewarded not only for bluffing others with fake out entries and/or identifying the correct answer, but also their funny and bogus entries! After all, most would agree that comedy is the most challenging form of entertainment. And what would comedy be without tragedy? Hence the bogus category – for soured jokes and true piffle.
The current edition of the free web-based game, Bogus Banter™ Definitions, is single-player; however, the group or multiplayer edition is currently in production and will soon be released.
The Bogus Banter games are quasi user-generated. The resultant game entries are logged in the Bogus Banter™ funny dictionary. The most voted entries rise to top, separated by category into best fake outs, funniest, and most bogus, though all submissions are listed (provided they are appropriate).
Traditionally, the game draws upon rare and obscure words from unabridged dictionaries, which most players would not know the meaning, but the game can also be used to help younger students study more commonly used, important vocabulary words. For this reason, the Bogus Banter games contain some higher level dictionary terms often found in high school and college textbooks.
The balderdash game also exists in other online formats. Here are a few:
Absolute Balderdash Game Online – published by Drumond Park, the flash-based game is more of a quiz than the classic bluffing game. There is no creative element. Players are unable to make up definitions, but nevertheless, it’s still fun. The online game uses the various categories from the Absolute Balderdash board game (law, people, initials) and offers a similar board game interface to record the scores.
LiveJournal.com Forum – the forum based edition allows for the creative element we love, and provides the multiplayer aspect. The interface is limiting, but the forum seems to be kept up to date.
Balderdash Game on TV
A version of the classic Balderdash game has also aired on PAX TV for a few years in 2004 and 2005. According to Wikipedia, it was hosted by Elayne Boosler and announced by John Moschitta. Apparently watching it is not as much fun as playing it, which reinforces our soccer comparison earlier.
Watch the Balderdash Game Show
In the United Kingdom, the word game was repackaged into Call My Bluff, which remains a popular daytime BBC television show.
Watch Graeme Garden & Tim Brooke-Taylor on Call My Bluff
In any case, Balderdash, Fictionary, Bogus Banter™, whatever you call it; the game is not really about knowing words. Rather, it is about learning new words, bluffing others, invoking a laugh, and being nonsensical thru imaginative game play. Knowing the true meaning of a word is not necessary to play, which levels the playing field for all to join in the fun, regardless of their verbal prowess. For that simple aspect, we will forever love the game’s unknown creator.
Source References
American Psychological Association (APA):
balderdash. (n.d.). Online Etymology Dictionary. Retrieved November 04, 2010, from Dictionary.com website: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/balderdash
Chicago Manual Style (CMS):
balderdash. Dictionary.com. Online Etymology Dictionary. Douglas Harper, Historian. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/balderdash (accessed: November 04, 2010).
Modern Language Association (MLA):
"balderdash." Online Etymology Dictionary. Douglas Harper, Historian. 04 Nov. 2010.
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE):
Dictionary.com, "balderdash," in Online Etymology Dictionary. Source location: Douglas Harper, Historian. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/balderdash. Available: http://dictionary.reference.com. Accessed: November 04, 2010.
