Your Reputation is on the Line

Have you ever played the game "Things"? It's a popular game that is sold by some game publishing company. It's played with a group of people where one person is the moderator, a job that rotates every turn. The moderator picks a card from the pile and reads it aloud. Cards are categories like "Things You Can't Google in China" or "Things You Wouldn't Want Your Grandmother to Know about You". Each player, including the moderator, puts an answer on a strip of paper into the communal pot or hat. Then the moderator reads all the answers aloud, and going clockwise, players try to guess who wrote what. If you get guessed, you're out for the round, and if you guess wrong, your turn is up and it's the next person's turn to guess. Whoever is left standing at the end of the round wins a point, and the game rotates to the next moderator.

I played this once at a friend's house and realized how it could easily be replicated without the cards if you throw in a little imagination. I find my version even more fun: instead of picking cards, the moderator has to come up with their own topic, so much more hilarity ensues. Earlier this evening, I had a group of friends over and we were playing "Things". The topic was set by the moderator: "Alternate Uses for a Pair of Pants". Sniggering commenced, and people wrote answers and one by one put them into the bag. The moderator shook them up and then read them aloud; "A Tupperware container", "Measure wind velocity", "Food", "Condom", "Spinach casserole ingredient", "Party for 2".

An intense round of guessing ensued until it was just Jesse, the moderator, and me who had not yet been guessed. The answers left were "A Tupperware container", "Food", and "Party for 2". Jesse was guessing, and of course he knew which his was, and it wasn't "Party for 2".

"Okay, in five seconds I'm going to have much less respect for one of you, and I have to guess who I think that is," Jesse remarked. "I'm going to go with...party for 2, Sachi?"

"Nope!" I replied.

Jesse turned to Marena, and we all cracked up. "All respect lost, all respect, Marena."

Sachi