The Origin of Expressions Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Contents
• Object of the Game
• Preparing to Play
• Game Play
  • Author Hints
  • Reader Hints
• Scoring
• Team Play Variation
• Team Play Scoring

Contents

Age: 12 and up

Players: 3 or more

• 300 Game Cards
• 1 Score Pad
• 1 Timer
• 4 Answer Sheet Pads
• 4 Pencils
• 1 Set of Rules

Object of the Game

To make up a story explaining the origin of a phrase that will have other players convinced yours is the correct version.

Each player votes for the story he believes is the real origin of the phrase. Players can earn points by either writing a yarn good enough to fool the other players into voting for it or by guessing the correct one among those written by others.

Preparing to Play

1. Give each player an answer pad and pencil.
2. Place the Origin card box and the timer in the center of play.

Game Play

1. Choose one player to be the reader. The reader begins the game by drawing a single Origin card from the box and reading the phrase and meaning out loud.
2. The reader may read the card again if requested. Then he starts the round by turning over the hourglass timer and telling players to begin.
3. Each player, except the reader, has 90 seconds to write a version of the phrase's origin. Write the real origin if you know it or whatever you think will convince other players that your origin is correct. If you know the correct origin, you'll score points as well. Be as outrageous or creative as possible!

Author Hints

• Make your handwriting as legible as possible – printing is best. This will help the reader to not give away the fact that yours is not the true origin.
• Sometimes adding little details such as a time period ("in 17th century England") or settings ("sailing ships") can be quite convincing.

4. While the other players are composing their origins, the reader copies the real origin on an answer pad, and quickly turns the sheet over. The reader then replaces the Origin card to the card box at the end marked "discard here."
5. When complete, each player must print their name on the answer sheet.
6. When time is up, all players hand their answers to the reader face down. The reader then reviews each answer to make sure it can be read. If the reader cannot read an answer, return it face down to the player who wrote it to rewrite it legibly.
7. If one or more player's versions of the origin are close to the real one, the reader notifies the author(s) that they have a "close call". These answers are set aside and not read out loud during the guessing phase. 1 point is awarded the authors of close calls but they do not participate in the guessing. If all players have a 'close call', no points are awarded – the round is finished.
8. The reader shuffles all the answers, including the correct answer, together and reads each answer out loud in random order. The reader will likely have to pause after many of the answers so that he or she can be heard over the laughter.

Reader Hints

• Avoid revealing whether an answer is correct or incorrect.
• A little 'difficulty' reading the correct answer can help disguise it.

9. When the Origin stories are being read out loud, players should be very careful not to give away which answer is theirs. Use your poker face!
10. After reading the stories out loud, the reader then summarizes all of the answers in a single phrase one time only.
11. Beginning with the player to the left of the reader and continuing in a clockwise fashion, each participant chooses the answer that he or she believes to be correct. The reader writes each player's initials on the answer chosen. Players may vote for their own answer in order to confuse other players; however no points are awarded for voting for one's own version.
12. Once every player has voted which Origin version he or she believes is the correct one, the reader reveals the actual answer. The scores are tallied. The player to the reader's left becomes the new reader and play continues as described above.

Scoring

• 2 points are given to a player for each vote received for his or her answer.
• 1 point is given to each player correctly guessing the actual origin.
• 1 point is given to a player with a close call for an exact origin answer.
• 3 points are given to the reader if no players get the real origin.

The first player to 30 points wins!

Team Play Variation

1. With team play, teams alternate between authoring and guessing origins.
2. The authoring team selects one reader. Play proceeds as in regular play with the reader writing the real version and the other members of the authoring team writing their version of the origin on their answer sheets. No collaboration or discussion should take place.
3. The reader from the authoring team mixes the answers with the real origin and reads all the answers out loud.
4. The guessing team discusses the answers and comes up with a single team vote.
5. Teams alternate between authoring and guessing. Readers rotate to the left within the team.

Team Play Scoring

• 3 points are given to the authoring team if the other team guesses the wrong origin.
• 2 points are given to the authoring team for each 'close call' origin written by a player.
• 3 points are given to the team for correctly guessing the actual origin of the expression.

The first team to 30 points wins!