BEFORE THERE WAS TELEVISION -- A PARLOUR GAME

As much as I am an admirer of Victoriana, this forfeit game has me completely bemused. It was invented in the early 1800s, and reminds one that Victorian writers also included Edward Lear and Lewis Carroll as well as Thomas Carlyle and Charles Dickens. Players took turns reading aloud, as fast as possible, and if anyone made a mistake, he paid a penalty (forfeit). The turns run down the letters of the alphabet; I can't imagine anyone getting past the letter "B".




ALDIBORONTIPHOSKYPHORNIOSTIKOS.

BOMBARDINIAN, Bashaw of three tails, who killed Aldiborontiphoskyphorniostikos.

CHRONONHOTONTHOLOGOS, who offered a thousand sequins for taking Bombardinian, Bashaw of three tails, who killed Aldiborontiphoskyphorniostikos.

DICKY SNIP, the Tailor, reading the proclamation of Chrononhotonthologos, offering a thousand sequins for taking Bombardinian, Bashaw of three tails, who killed Aldiborontiphoskyphorniostikos.

ELEPHANT peeping in, as Dicky Snip, the tailor, read the proclamation of Chrononhotonthologos, offering a thousand sequins for taking Bombardinian, Bashaw of three tails, who killed Aldiborontiphoskyphorniostikos.


Click HERE if you have the patience to read the whole thing.