Fictionary
Encyclopedia
Fictionary, also known as the Dictionary Game or simply Dictionary, is a word game
in which players guess the definition of an obscure word.
A turn consists of one player picking a word from the dictionary
and each other player composing a fake definition. A round is completed when each player has selected a word to be guessed.
Players earn points (1) by guessing the correct definition of a word, (2) by composing a fake definition that other players guess is the correct one, and (3) as Picker, selecting a genuine definition that no players vote for.
The winner is the player who has earned the most points after a pre-determined number of rounds.
may vary when playing Fictionary, but play usually proceeds like this:
One player, the Picker for the turn, chooses an obscure word from the dictionary and announces and spells it to the other players. The chosen word should be one that no other player knows. If a player is familiar with the chosen word, he or she should say so and the picker should choose a different word. (Cheating only gains one point for the cheater anyway.)
If a word has more than one definition listed, the Picker privately chooses which one to use, but in such a case must specify, "X, when it does not mean so-and-so." Generally, the Picker can edit the dictionary definition as s/he thinks is most strategic.
Each player writes a crafty and credible definition of the word, initials it, and submits it to the word picker. The Picker shuffles the definitions, including their own, which is the correct one. As definitions are handed to him, the picker should check them over to ensure that they can read the handwriting
and to clarify any questions. (Stumbling over or misreading a definition is usually a sign that it's not the correct one—unless the picker is trying to bluff.)
Once all definitions have been handed in, the picker reads the list aloud, once. The Picker may read the definitions in any order. On a second reading, each other player in turn then votes for the definition he or she believes is correct. Because the picker selected the word and knows the definition, the picker does not vote.
One variation allows a player to vote for the definition he submitted, although he doesn't get points for doing so. (This can encourage other people to vote for that definition as well, and the player would get those points.) Another variation does not allow a player to vote for his own definition.
The Picker earns three points if no one selects the correct definition. There are variations where the picker earns no points during their round as picker, fairness being achieved by ensuring that all players take equal numbers of turns as picker.
Play then proceeds with the dictionary going to another player, which starts a new turn. A full circuit of the dictionary constitutes a round.
roots.
Phrases like "Any of several..." or "One or more..." sometimes lend authority to definitions. Players may decide beforehand whether fields are to be included: "(obsolete), (Geology), (dialect)," etc. The dictionary might be passed around first, to remind players of its characteristic style.
Playing for laughs, especially with friends, can be even more fun than getting the most points. Depends on the definition of winning.
s Balderdash
, Dictionary Dabble, Flummoxed, and Weird Wordz are based on Fictionary. In one round of the board game Derivation, players describe or fabricate a word's etymology
; players who provide a correct etymology receive one point for doing so, but their entries are then removed from play, and they lose their chance
to receive multiple points by drawing multiple votes from other players. Similarly, in the board game Wise and Otherwise
, the Picker randomly chooses a quotation and reads the beginning, and other players try to create realistic endings to the quotation.
Fictionary is featured as a segment on the weekly US
National Public Radio quiz show Says You!
, where it is known as the bluffing round.
In the UK
, Call My Bluff is a popular daytime BBC
television panel game
based on Fictionary. Two teams of three players (journalists, B and C list celebrities, etc.) compete. A player from one team has to decide between the three proposed definitions provided by the opposing team. If the first player correctly identifies the true definition of the word, they earn their team a point. If they are wrong, the team which provided the definitions are awarded the point. Call My Bluff was first aired in October 1965, with Robin Ray
as chair. Presenter, Robert Robinson, chaired it for many years. the programme is chaired by Fiona Bruce
, and rendered immortal by Sandi Toksvig
.
Several television game show
s have used the concept as a basis for their games: please see Call My Bluff, Take My Word For It
, Wordplay
.
In Japan, featured the game under the same name. The 30 minute late night game show aired on Fuji TV in 1993, and was rebroadcast on Fuji TV 739 satellite channel
in 2008. Tahoiya, originally meaning "a cabin used for boar hunting", was one of the chosen words in early game play.
One variation uses a book of assorted poems instead of a dictionary. A rhyming quatrain
is chosen by the picker. The first three lines are read and a fake fourth line must be made up by the other players which acts like the fake definitions.
Another variation asks players to write the first line of a novel using the title and the blurb
read out from the back of the book as clues.
A variety of Fictionary called Dixonary has been on-line for over 2000 rounds, for the first fifteen years on CompuServe
in its Tapcis Forum. It is believed that this game is the longest-running on-line game, having begun July 4, 1989. At the end of May, 2005, the game moved to tapcis.com when CompuServe disconnected the forum. Since May 2007 it is played on the Dixonary Google Group but is also accessible at tapcis.com.
Word game
Word games and puzzles are spoken or board games often designed to test ability with language or to explore its properties.Word games are generally engaged as a source of entertainment, but have been found to serve an educational purpose as well...
in which players guess the definition of an obscure word.
A turn consists of one player picking a word from the dictionary
Dictionary
A dictionary is a collection of words in one or more specific languages, often listed alphabetically, with usage information, definitions, etymologies, phonetics, pronunciations, and other information; or a book of words in one language with their equivalents in another, also known as a lexicon...
and each other player composing a fake definition. A round is completed when each player has selected a word to be guessed.
Players earn points (1) by guessing the correct definition of a word, (2) by composing a fake definition that other players guess is the correct one, and (3) as Picker, selecting a genuine definition that no players vote for.
The winner is the player who has earned the most points after a pre-determined number of rounds.
Supplies
- A large, preferably unabridged dictionary
- A pencilPencilA pencil is a writing implement or art medium usually constructed of a narrow, solid pigment core inside a protective casing. The case prevents the core from breaking, and also from marking the user’s hand during use....
, penPenA pen is a device used to apply ink to a surface, usually paper, for writing or drawing. Historically, reed pens, quill pens, and dip pens were used, with a nib of some sort to be dipped in the ink. Ruling pens allow precise adjustment of line width, and still find a few specialized uses, but...
or other writing implement for each player - Notecards or identical pieces of paperPaperPaper is a thin material mainly used for writing upon, printing upon, drawing or for packaging. It is produced by pressing together moist fibers, typically cellulose pulp derived from wood, rags or grasses, and drying them into flexible sheets....
for each player
Order of play
Individual house rulesHouse rules
House rules are rules applying only in a certain location or organization. Bars and pubs in which games take place frequently have house rules posted...
may vary when playing Fictionary, but play usually proceeds like this:
One player, the Picker for the turn, chooses an obscure word from the dictionary and announces and spells it to the other players. The chosen word should be one that no other player knows. If a player is familiar with the chosen word, he or she should say so and the picker should choose a different word. (Cheating only gains one point for the cheater anyway.)
If a word has more than one definition listed, the Picker privately chooses which one to use, but in such a case must specify, "X, when it does not mean so-and-so." Generally, the Picker can edit the dictionary definition as s/he thinks is most strategic.
Each player writes a crafty and credible definition of the word, initials it, and submits it to the word picker. The Picker shuffles the definitions, including their own, which is the correct one. As definitions are handed to him, the picker should check them over to ensure that they can read the handwriting
Handwriting
Handwriting is a person's particular & individual style of writing with pen or pencil, which contrasts with "Hand" which is an impersonal and formalised writing style in several historical varieties...
and to clarify any questions. (Stumbling over or misreading a definition is usually a sign that it's not the correct one—unless the picker is trying to bluff.)
Once all definitions have been handed in, the picker reads the list aloud, once. The Picker may read the definitions in any order. On a second reading, each other player in turn then votes for the definition he or she believes is correct. Because the picker selected the word and knows the definition, the picker does not vote.
One variation allows a player to vote for the definition he submitted, although he doesn't get points for doing so. (This can encourage other people to vote for that definition as well, and the player would get those points.) Another variation does not allow a player to vote for his own definition.
Scoring
Players earn one point for voting for the correct definition, and one point for each vote cast for the definition they wrote. (Other traditions for scoring award more points for guessing the correct definition than you get for picking your own.)The Picker earns three points if no one selects the correct definition. There are variations where the picker earns no points during their round as picker, fairness being achieved by ensuring that all players take equal numbers of turns as picker.
Play then proceeds with the dictionary going to another player, which starts a new turn. A full circuit of the dictionary constitutes a round.
Strategy
Often simple words (Strunt) are more successful than complicated words with detectable LatinLatin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
roots.
Phrases like "Any of several..." or "One or more..." sometimes lend authority to definitions. Players may decide beforehand whether fields are to be included: "(obsolete), (Geology), (dialect)," etc. The dictionary might be passed around first, to remind players of its characteristic style.
Playing for laughs, especially with friends, can be even more fun than getting the most points. Depends on the definition of winning.
Other versions of the game
The board gameBoard game
A board game is a game which involves counters or pieces being moved on a pre-marked surface or "board", according to a set of rules. Games may be based on pure strategy, chance or a mixture of the two, and usually have a goal which a player aims to achieve...
s Balderdash
Balderdash
Balderdash is a board game of bluffing and trivia created by Laura Robinson and Paul Toyne. It is based on a classic parlor game called Dictionary.-Gameplay:The game begins by all players rolling a die, with the high roll chosen to be the first "dasher"...
, Dictionary Dabble, Flummoxed, and Weird Wordz are based on Fictionary. In one round of the board game Derivation, players describe or fabricate a word's etymology
Etymology
Etymology is the study of the history of words, their origins, and how their form and meaning have changed over time.For languages with a long written history, etymologists make use of texts in these languages and texts about the languages to gather knowledge about how words were used during...
; players who provide a correct etymology receive one point for doing so, but their entries are then removed from play, and they lose their chance
Risk aversion
Risk aversion is a concept in psychology, economics, and finance, based on the behavior of humans while exposed to uncertainty....
to receive multiple points by drawing multiple votes from other players. Similarly, in the board game Wise and Otherwise
Wise and Otherwise
"Wise and Otherwise" is a board game published by WiseandOtherwise.com Inc. The game includes a game board, six pawns, and a set of cards containing the beginnings and ends of obscure proverbs, shown on opposite sides of the cards.- Gameplay :...
, the Picker randomly chooses a quotation and reads the beginning, and other players try to create realistic endings to the quotation.
Fictionary is featured as a segment on the weekly US
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
National Public Radio quiz show Says You!
Says You!
Says You! is an American panel radio show distributed by Pipit & Finch in the United States. Although many NPR stations carry it, it is independently produced. It was created by host Richard Sher, and is produced in Boston, Massachusetts, by Pipit & Finch...
, where it is known as the bluffing round.
In the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, Call My Bluff is a popular daytime BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
television panel game
Panel game
A panel game or panel show is a radio or television game show in which a panel of celebrities participates. Panelists may compete with each other, such as on The News Quiz; facilitate play by guest contestants, such as on Match Game/Blankety Blank; or do both, such as on Wait Wait.....
based on Fictionary. Two teams of three players (journalists, B and C list celebrities, etc.) compete. A player from one team has to decide between the three proposed definitions provided by the opposing team. If the first player correctly identifies the true definition of the word, they earn their team a point. If they are wrong, the team which provided the definitions are awarded the point. Call My Bluff was first aired in October 1965, with Robin Ray
Robin Ray
Robin Ray was an English actor, musician and broadcaster, the son of comedian Ted Ray and the brother of actor Andrew Ray.-Career:...
as chair. Presenter, Robert Robinson, chaired it for many years. the programme is chaired by Fiona Bruce
Fiona Bruce
Fiona Elizabeth Bruce is a British journalist, newsreader and television presenter. Since joining the BBC in 1989, she has gone on to present many flagship programmes for the corporation including the BBC News at Six, BBC News at Ten, Crimewatch, Call My Bluff and, most recently, Antiques Roadshow...
, and rendered immortal by Sandi Toksvig
Sandi Toksvig
Sandra Brigitte “Sandi” Toksvig is a Danish comedian, author and presenter on British radio and television.-Career:...
.
Several television game show
Game show
A game show is a type of radio or television program in which members of the public, television personalities or celebrities, sometimes as part of a team, play a game which involves answering questions or solving puzzles usually for money and/or prizes...
s have used the concept as a basis for their games: please see Call My Bluff, Take My Word For It
Take My Word For It
Take My Word For It is a 30-episode TVB drama broadcast between November 2002 and December 2002.-Synopsis:The story follows the lead characters through their experiences as members of the Police Negotiation Cadre...
, Wordplay
Wordplay (game show)
Wordplay is an American game show which ran on NBC from December 29, 1986 to September 4, 1987. It was hosted by Tom Kennedy and announced by Charlie O'Donnell...
.
In Japan, featured the game under the same name. The 30 minute late night game show aired on Fuji TV in 1993, and was rebroadcast on Fuji TV 739 satellite channel
Satellite television
Satellite television is television programming delivered by the means of communications satellite and received by an outdoor antenna, usually a parabolic mirror generally referred to as a satellite dish, and as far as household usage is concerned, a satellite receiver either in the form of an...
in 2008. Tahoiya, originally meaning "a cabin used for boar hunting", was one of the chosen words in early game play.
One variation uses a book of assorted poems instead of a dictionary. A rhyming quatrain
Quatrain
A quatrain is a stanza, or a complete poem, consisting of four lines of verse. Existing in various forms, the quatrain appears in poems from the poetic traditions of various ancient civilizations including Ancient Greece, Ancient Rome, and China; and, continues into the 21st century, where it is...
is chosen by the picker. The first three lines are read and a fake fourth line must be made up by the other players which acts like the fake definitions.
Another variation asks players to write the first line of a novel using the title and the blurb
Blurb
A blurb is a short summary or some words of praise accompanying a creative work, usually used on books without giving away any details, that is usually referring to the words on the back of the book jacket but also commonly seen on DVD and video cases, web portals, and news websites.- History :The...
read out from the back of the book as clues.
A variety of Fictionary called Dixonary has been on-line for over 2000 rounds, for the first fifteen years on CompuServe
CompuServe
CompuServe was the first major commercial online service in the United States. It dominated the field during the 1980s and remained a major player through the mid-1990s, when it was sidelined by the rise of services such as AOL with monthly subscriptions rather than hourly rates...
in its Tapcis Forum. It is believed that this game is the longest-running on-line game, having begun July 4, 1989. At the end of May, 2005, the game moved to tapcis.com when CompuServe disconnected the forum. Since May 2007 it is played on the Dixonary Google Group but is also accessible at tapcis.com.
External links
- Bruno Faidutti's Ideal Games Library describes other variants.