THE HOME.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 11950, 26 April 1902, Page 5 (Supplement)

THE HOME.

HOW TO ARRANGE THE AMUSE. MENTS AT AN EVENING PARTY. " Funny nouns" is a good gome. The leader is provided with a newspaper, from which he must choose a descriptive piece to read aloud to the company. " . Each player choose the name of some trade or profession, and rapidly reviews in his own mind all the names of things connected with that trade. Thus a' carpenter may think of a plane, a saw, a- bench; and a blacksmith may think of bellows, horseshoes,, and so on. The ;leader reads slowly, and each time he comes to a noun stops and looks at the players in turn. The last playerhas no trade, but has a piece of paper and c pencil instead. As the reading proceeds, he writes down the words. The reader omits all the nouns in the piece, leaving them to be supplied by the "players to whom he nods. . Thus he reads a description of a bazaar, say which begins,-" The large hall was decked in. the most gorgeous colours imaginable, each stall being laden with a profusion of lovely goods, which made one fancy oneself in. fairyland, etc," The writer supplies the missing nouns from those given by the players, and the con« fusion that results is delicious. Thus, "at • carpenter may give the first noun, a pigjobber the next, a builder the next, a rat* *> catcher the next, a chimney-sweep the next*, and so on. The result would read something like this: "Tlio large screwdriver was deck-, ed in the most gorgeous swill tubs imagin- 1 able, each cottage being laden with a trap of lovely soot, which made one fancy oneself in il horseshoe" (a blacksmith giving this latter noun). Quite a long description may be given, and much fun is created when the result is read out in its new shape. * "Five minute lists" are good for wit sharpening and -moving. The players are given pencil and paper, and are- sharply timed. The lest is to write m many names of things and places and people beginning with a chosen letter "8 possible. The 5 ' one who has the largest list wins. ~- ■ * " Crambo" is such a general favourite that it ought to be mentioned. A player leaves the room, while the others fix on a word he is to guess. It must be a word that rhymes with a good many others, such as "round," or "light," or "cake." The player comes in and begins to ask questions,. He may ask anything whatever, and it is the business of the one questioned to so frame the answer that it rhymes with the' t chosen word. For instance, he is asked by the guesser, "Do you like dancing?" He has to answer something that will rhyme with "plate," if that was the word chosen,. So he. says, "Yes, if one doesn't stay out very late." Charades need pre-arrangement. They give a great deal of amusement to the ■ guessers, but it is fatal to success to leave the arrangements till the evening has ar- ', rived. The players in each charade must have settled on their words beforehand, and if time be given to think them out, a good deal of interpolated dialogue can be got in. Witty dialogue, well thought out beforehand, will always make success in charades sure. Something that can be easily imitated ... or acted should be chosen. " Nightingale" is a good word to choose, as it can be divided into the three sections,' "night," r "inn," "gale," and, of course, the whole word maket the fourth. "Ladybird," ''inhabitant," " fishing-smack," are other favourite words. The game of " Post" is an active one which can alternate with quieter ones easily, and need only last ten minutes. Each 'player takes the name of a town, and the leader, being blindfolded, is the postman. He says he lias a letter for Oxford from Cambridge. , At once Oxford and Cambridge jump up, and try to change places. It is the post* man's province to try to catch one of the two as hey.change chairs The player, he ' catches must then be the postman! The game goes on with spirit, but it must never be continued too long.' ;, " Telegram-sending' may at once follow. This is a ten-minute game, and is played thus: A word is given, such as "fender." The players then write a telegram of con- : gratulation to their hostess, say, each word beginning with one of the letters of "fen- ; der." Sometimes a toast to the King is to be the telegram. The sender of the best wins "the. game... '•:'■ '-• ■■■■' >■ ■' £ ■ -u- ■'-.•■•''-■ *'"-W