# ACM's 20 Questions **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [July 16, 2010, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acms-20-questions/546927 "2010-07-16T16:25:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2010, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acms-20-questions/546927/1 "2010-07-16T16:25:20Z")
Quick rundown: There is always one person designated as the answerer. That person thinks of something (nothing \*too \*obscure!) and play begins. People start asking yes-or-no questions and the answerer (who should keep a list of what’s been answered so far) informs the group whether the answer is yes or no. There’s no hard limit to how often you can question the answerer but if your constant questioning is inhibiting others from playing you will be booed down and smited (your questions will be ignored). Pointless and repeat questions will beignored (“Is it a plant?” will be ignored if “Is it alive?” has already been answered in the negative, for example). Once 20 questions have been asked and answered no further questions may be asked. The others now have 3 guesses. Whoever correctly guesses what the answerer has in mind either becomes the next answerer and play begins anew. If you guess correctly but don’t want to be the answerer you can choose someone to take the title. If the group fails to guess what the answerer had in mind that answerer can pick who to pass his title to. Sample play: [spoiler]Player A: OK, I’m the answerer. Go ahead and start guessing. Player B: Is what you’re thinking of alive? Player A: Nope. 1: It is not alive. Player C: Would you find it in a kitchen? Player A: Nope. 1: It is not alive. 2: You would not find it in a kitchen. Player D: Is it a conflict diamond? Player A: No. 1: It is not alive. 2: You would not find it in a kitchen. 3: It is not a conflict diamond. Player E: Is it Alexander Haig, former United States Secretary of State? Player A: Yes![/spoiler] I’ll be the first answerer. Hopefully people are up to playing. Go ahead and start asking questions if you’d like to play. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2010, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acms-20-questions/546927/2 "2010-07-16T16:40:49Z")
Are you an animal? ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Scud](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f08c70/32.png) [@Tom\_Scud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Scud)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2010, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acms-20-questions/546927/3 "2010-07-16T16:48:18Z")
Are you drawn with a fine camel-hair brush? ---
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2010, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acms-20-questions/546927/4 "2010-07-16T16:57:31Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > Are you an animal? No. 1: It is not an animal. > [@Tom\_Scud](#): > > Are you drawn with a fine camel-hair brush? Is this a serious question? ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Scud](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f08c70/32.png) [@Tom\_Scud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Scud)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2010, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acms-20-questions/546927/5 "2010-07-16T17:02:05Z")
Actually, the question was dependent on whether it was an animal, so (given that it isn’t) you should ignore it. ---
**Author:** ![lost4life](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c4cdca/32.png) [@lost4life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lost4life)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2010, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acms-20-questions/546927/6 "2010-07-16T17:55:03Z")
Are you a person (well, not you, I’m assuming you’re a person…is the secret thing a person)? ---
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2010, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acms-20-questions/546927/7 "2010-07-16T18:00:53Z")
> [@lost4life](#): > > Are you a person (well, not you, I’m assuming you’re a person…is the secret thing a person)? No. 1: It is not an animal. 2: It is not a person. ---
**Author:** ![lost4life](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c4cdca/32.png) [@lost4life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lost4life)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2010, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acms-20-questions/546927/8 "2010-07-16T18:07:06Z")
Is it something typically found inside a house? ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2010, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acms-20-questions/546927/9 "2010-07-16T18:12:30Z")
Is it bigger than a microwave? ---
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2010, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acms-20-questions/546927/10 "2010-07-16T18:16:44Z")
> [@lost4life](#): > > Is it something typically found inside a house? No (iffy). > [@Skammer](#): > > Is it bigger than a microwave? No. 1: It is not an animal. 2: It is not a person. 3: It is not typically found in a house (iffy). 4: It is not bigger than a microwave. ---
**Author:** ![lost4life](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c4cdca/32.png) [@lost4life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lost4life)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2010, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acms-20-questions/546927/11 "2010-07-16T18:20:35Z")
Would you normally encounter this unknown item inside or outside? ---
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2010, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acms-20-questions/546927/12 "2010-07-16T18:24:40Z")
> [@lost4life](#): > > Would you normally encounter this unknown item inside or outside? Yes or no questions only. I’ll pretend you asked “Would you normally encounter this unknown item inside?” Yes (iffy). 1: It is not an animal. 2: It is not a person. 3: It is not typically found in a house (iffy). 4: It is not bigger than a microwave. 5: It is something you’d normally encounter inside (iffy). ---
**Author:** ![lost4life](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c4cdca/32.png) [@lost4life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lost4life)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2010, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acms-20-questions/546927/13 "2010-07-16T18:33:17Z")
Got it, sorry. Okay…Does it have moving parts (mechanical-like)? ---
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2010, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acms-20-questions/546927/14 "2010-07-16T18:35:35Z")
> [@lost4life](#): > > Does it have moving parts (mechanical-like)? Nope! 1: It is not an animal. 2: It is not a person. 3: It is not typically found in a house (iffy). 4: It is not bigger than a microwave. 5: It is something you’d normally encounter inside (iffy). 6: It doesn’t have moving parts. ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2010, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acms-20-questions/546927/15 "2010-07-16T18:45:02Z")
Is it some kind of tool? ---
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2010, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acms-20-questions/546927/16 "2010-07-16T18:53:41Z")
> [@Skammer](#): > > Is it some kind of tool? Nope! 1: It is not an animal. 2: It is not a person. 3: It is not typically found in a house (iffy). 4: It is not bigger than a microwave. 5: It is something you’d normally encounter inside (iffy). 6: It doesn’t have moving parts. 7: It isn’t a tool. ---
**Author:** ![lost4life](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c4cdca/32.png) [@lost4life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lost4life)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2010, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acms-20-questions/546927/17 "2010-07-16T18:55:56Z")
Is it recreational in nature? ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2010, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acms-20-questions/546927/18 "2010-07-16T18:57:21Z")
Do most people have this item? ---
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2010, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acms-20-questions/546927/19 "2010-07-16T18:58:48Z")
> [@lost4life](#): > > Is it recreational in nature? No. 1: It is not an animal. 2: It is not a person. 3: It is not typically found in a house (iffy). 4: It is not bigger than a microwave. 5: It is something you’d normally encounter inside (iffy). 6: It doesn’t have moving parts. 7: It isn’t a tool. 8: It isn’t used for recreation. > [@Mahaloth](#): > > Do most people have this item? Nope. 1: It is not an animal. 2: It is not a person. 3: It is not typically found in a house (iffy). 4: It is not bigger than a microwave. 5: It is something you’d normally encounter inside (iffy). 6: It doesn’t have moving parts. 7: It isn’t a tool. 8: It isn’t used for recreation. 9: Most people don’t have it. ---
**Author:** ![lost4life](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c4cdca/32.png) [@lost4life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lost4life)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2010, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acms-20-questions/546927/20 "2010-07-16T19:08:36Z")
Did it exist 100 years ago? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/acms-20-questions/546927.md?page=2)