The players are provided with pencil and paper. Each player selects the name of some animal, fish, or bird, and mixes the letters so as to spell other words. For instance, if one chooses elephant, the words might be "pent heal"; if monkey, "o my ken," while mackerel may be "mere lack."
Allow five minutes for making the "confusion," no letter can be used twice, and words must be formed. Then the hostess rings the bell and each player in turn reads his "confusion" to the rest who guess what his chosen word is. Each puzzle is carefully timed. The one whose puzzle takes longest to guess is the winner, therefore, each person must mix the letters as much as possible.
Sides may be chosen if preferred, the players taking turn alternately, the side which has taken the least time to guess the puzzles is the victorious side.
VERBAL AUTHORS.
The players sit in a circle. One is chosen as judge and he keeps tally. Each player in turn, rises, and names some well-known book. The first one to call out the name of the author scores a point. The game continues until the interest ceases or the store of literary knowledge is exhausted. The player having the most points is the winner.
This game may be played in another way. Instead of calling out the author as the book is named, provide each guest with pencil and paper and announce that as a book is named, each player must write down the author and the name of some character in that book.
Examples:
"The Taming of the Shrew"--
Wm. Shakespeare--Petruchio."Nicholas Nickleby"--
Chas. Dickens--Mr. Squeers."Ivanhoe"--
Sir Walter Scott--Rebecca.