West Fargo Pioneer
Hilary Rhodes
December 2006
USA

DROPLET -- An Apples to Apples day keeps the dictionary away

All the rules roll out the window. Pigeons are "distinguished," atomic bombs are "dull," and Bart Simpson might be "charming." Matching nouns and adjectives has never been so fun. OK, I admit it: It's never been particularly fun at all. But in a fast-paced, energizing board game called "Apples to Apples," created by Out of the Box Publishing, it becomes a worthwhile recreation, often inspiring endless hilarity and amusement -- or at least a playful way to pass an hour. The game involves a lot of shouting, some improvisation, a sprinkling of strategy and a pinch of luck. Players pick a card at random that has an adjective on it, like "corny." When you place it on the table, everybody else has to choose the noun card in her hand that best applies. Sometimes it's easy: Cards like "carnival rides" or "walks on the beach" both easily fit the descriptor "corny." It's comparing apples to apples. But sometimes the only options are absolutely inapplicable to the adjective, like "AIDS" or "hiccups." There's nothing corny about either of those, but you still have to defend the pairing as if you completely believe it. What's funny about the game is seeing the kind of twisted logic that people use to explain why they have the best match, especially when they clearly don't -- and the twisted logic the "judges" use to determine which card best fits the adjective they picked.

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