Roman numerals or poo bum dickie is a drinking game played by a moderate gathering of people, all with alcoholic beverages. The premise is that players must count upwards from one around the circle in Roman numerals

Roman numerals

The numeral system of ancient Rome, or Roman numerals, uses combinations of letters from the Latin alphabet to signify values. The numbers 1 to 10 can be expressed in Roman numerals as:...

. The Roman numerals are replaced by words chosen for their humour, with many variations. The most common version is:

• The word poo must be used instead of I.
• The word bum must be used instead of V.
• The word dickie must be used instead of X.

The game is started by any person clearly saying "poo" (relating to I). The next player clockwise must then say "poo poo" (II). This order then continues around the circle until:

• a player says the wrong thing, or;
• a player takes too long to say anything, or;
• a player laughs.

Players who violate one of these three rules will be forced to consume some of their beverage.

Reaching 40

The first time people play, they will often ask, "What happens when we get to forty?" This seems like a valid question, because forty is XL, and there is no word for L. In practice, the number forty is rarely ever reached in a typical game; however in the event that this does happen, the player whose turn it is must say: "dickie shank", with great emphasis on "shank". When this happens, all participants must consume.

Also, a lesser practiced variation exists where if 40 is reached everyone has to open a fresh can of beer and drink it entirely.