# Help me cheat at Scattergories **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 30, 2005, 10:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-cheat-at-scattergories/333353 "2005-11-30T10:15:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![fusoya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecccb3/32.png) [@fusoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fusoya)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2005, 10:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-cheat-at-scattergories/333353/1 "2005-11-30T10:15:22Z")
It is a holiday tradition at my mother’s house for the family to sit around the dining room table and play Scattergories. Somehow, I always cave under the pressure and NEVER manage to win…so many times I have lost by one point. For those of you unfamiliar with the game, you get a list of 12 categories, and one of the players rolls a 20 sided die (Q, U, V, X, Y, Z are left off…we always find H and K to be the most difficult) and then everyone has 2 minutes to think of a word that suits that category. The same word, or part of word can not be used twice in the same round (Bird-Bluejay and Flower-Bluebell would be against the rules), the category can’t be used in the answer (no Kitchenware for Kitchen) and the big kicker is that the word doesn’t count if more than one person writes it down, so besides thinking of the words, you also need either think of something so obscure that nobody would write it, or gamble that it’s so obvious that everyone else would be afraid to. That’s why I offer the challenge of thinking of the most obscure words to fit these categories, and hopefully I’ll be able to commit them to memory in time for Christmas. Unfortunately I don’t have a copy at home so I can’t list the categories myself (if anyone reading this does have the game, would you mind listing some, particularly cards 7 and up?), but a couple off the top of my head are: Things Associated with Money Things You Replace Things You Throw Away Things That Are Cold Items Found in a Kitchen Things Found at the Beach Things Found in a Purse/Wallet Terms of Endearment Things you Shout A Flower (this one always kills me) A Type of Sandwich A Type of Car Ways to Get Somewhere …and what the heck do you put for A Country when W is rolled, since everyone else is going to put West Germany? ---
**Author:** ![TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tellmei_mnotcrazy/32/3419_2.png) [@TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TellMeI_mNotCrazy)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2005, 10:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-cheat-at-scattergories/333353/2 "2005-11-30T10:30:04Z")
I think I’d be much more likely to put “Wales” than West Germany. ---
**Author:** ![bluecanary](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bluecanary/32/3614_2.png) [@bluecanary](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bluecanary)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2005, 10:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-cheat-at-scattergories/333353/3 "2005-11-30T10:58:56Z")
A country: **W** allis & Futuna Islands. West Germany is not a country. **H** ungary or **H** aiti; **K** azakhstan. A flower: **H** emlock; **K** alanchoe. Look in a gardening book for common garden flowers. Things that are cold: **H** eadstone; **K** londike? **K** iller (as in cold-blooded)? Terms of endearment: **H** oney; **K** isses? Type of sandwich: **H** am and cheese, **H** oney Mustard Ham; **K** ebab??? (donner meat in pitta bread–could be classed as a sandwich I guess). Ways to get somewhere: **H** overcraft. ---
**Author:** ![metj](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6a8cbe/32.png) [@metj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/metj)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2005, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-cheat-at-scattergories/333353/4 "2005-11-30T12:33:57Z")
Don’t forget about creative adjectives. We play pretty lenient rules, so **H** oney **H** am sandwich with **H** orseradish would count as three points. Good names to remember too Herbert Hoover Calvin Coolidge Woodrow Wilson Ronald Reagan Betty Boop Donald (Daisy, Daffy) Duck Mickey (Minnie) Mouse Bugs (Babs) Bunny Beavis and Butthead Tom Terrific Wonder Woman Klu Klux Klan Christopher Columbus Jessie Jackson ---
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2005, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-cheat-at-scattergories/333353/5 "2005-11-30T16:18:55Z")
My Scattergories secret weapon: pray that when you’re playing the card with “songs”, you roll a “D”. _De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da_ – The Police Woot! Eight points! ---
**Author:** ![Avarie537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/48db29/32.png) [@Avarie537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Avarie537)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2005, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-cheat-at-scattergories/333353/6 "2005-11-30T19:35:47Z")
😃 The only friends we know who have and like to play this game always give up after about 5 rounds. They can’t beat me (or get anywhere near my scores), and so they decide to move onto something else. Things Associated with Money: Hundred, Knox (as in, the Fort) Things You Replace: Hat, Kite Things You Throw Away: Hefty (the garbage bag), Things That Are Cold: Heart Items Found in a Kitchen: Hotplate Things Found at the Beach: Hottie, kids Things Found in a Purse/Wallet: Handkerchief, Kotex Terms of Endearment: Honey, Kissyface Things you Shout: Hell, Kill A Flower (this one always kills me): Heather A Type of Sandwich; Honey Ham A Type of Car: Hyundai, Kia Ways to Get Somewhere: Honda, ---
**Author:** ![KSO](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f07891/32.png) [@KSO](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KSO)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2005, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-cheat-at-scattergories/333353/7 "2005-12-01T00:04:08Z")
Things Associated with Money: Keogh (a type of retirement plan) Things You Replace: Kleenex, Keds, kites Things You Throw Away: Kleenex, Kotex Things That Are Cold: hail Items Found in a Kitchen: knife, ham, honey, Things Found at the Beach: hibachi, kite, halter tops, hardbodies A Flower (this one always kills me): hollyhock ---
**Author:** ![Anne\_Neville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Anne\_Neville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anne_Neville)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2005, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-cheat-at-scattergories/333353/8 "2005-12-01T00:41:37Z")
Type of car: Hummer, Honda, Hatchback Way to get somewhere: Houseboat If a country can be a country that once existed but no longer does (I don’t play Scattergories, so I don’t know the rules, but if they can use West Germany, it sounds like this is OK), [Westphalia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westphalia) or [Wallachia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wallachia) A country: Kyrgyzstan Things that are cold: Hockey rink ---
**Author:** ![Anne\_Neville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Anne\_Neville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anne_Neville)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2005, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-cheat-at-scattergories/333353/9 "2005-12-01T00:48:20Z")
And just after I hit submit, I thought of another one. Things found at the beach: [Horses](http://www.nps.gov/asis/) (at least on Assateague Island in Maryland and Chincoteague Island in Virginia, plus I’ve seen mounted police officers on the beach in Ocean City, Maryland). ---
**Author:** ![davmilasav](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9bcb4/32.png) [@davmilasav](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davmilasav)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2005, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-cheat-at-scattergories/333353/10 "2005-12-01T01:58:34Z")
Mine’s not an H" or a “K” answer but I did once win a round by thinking outside the box. Category: States Letter: B General response: There’s no state that starts with “B.” My answer: Boredom 😃 To mix my game metaphors, “Circle gets the square!” ---
**Author:** ![Rhiannon8404](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rhiannon8404/32/17929_2.png) [@Rhiannon8404](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhiannon8404)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2005, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-cheat-at-scattergories/333353/11 "2005-12-01T02:22:16Z")
Things found at a beach: **K** elp ---
**Author:** ![Opus1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/858c86/32.png) [@Opus1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Opus1)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2005, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-cheat-at-scattergories/333353/12 "2005-12-01T18:28:37Z")
W country: Western Sahara. That ought to get you a point. ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2005, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-cheat-at-scattergories/333353/13 "2005-12-01T19:03:57Z")
I once scored five points with the letter D: Musical group: **D** uran **D** uran Clothing: **D** irty **D** isposable **D** iapers ---
**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:** [December 1, 2005, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-cheat-at-scattergories/333353/14 "2005-12-01T19:16:29Z")
I played this once with my friends after having moved from the northeast. The category was “Desserts” (I think) with a D and I was all excited to think of “Drakes Devil Dogs.” Apparently these are a regional snackfood, and the other players refused to give me my three points because they never heard of them… Ten years later is still ticks me off. ---
**Author:** ![Trunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/87869e/32.png) [@Trunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trunk)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2005, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-cheat-at-scattergories/333353/15 "2005-12-01T19:22:45Z")
> [@ivylass](#): > > I once scored five points with the letter D: > > Musical group: **D** uran **D** uran > > Clothing: **D** irty **D** isposable **D** iapers You’re allowed to just tack on adjectives? ---
**Author:** ![TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tellmei_mnotcrazy/32/3419_2.png) [@TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TellMeI_mNotCrazy)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2005, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-cheat-at-scattergories/333353/16 "2005-12-01T19:57:16Z")
Yeah, I think some people play with very loose rules. I mean, I could easily say “Disgusting, dingy, dirty disposable diapers” or “excellent, effective enemas” but that seems to be a bit over the top for me. ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2005, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-cheat-at-scattergories/333353/17 "2005-12-01T20:53:08Z")
> [@Trunk](#): > > You’re allowed to just tack on adjectives? I only played it once, but IIRC, you were allowed to tack on adjectives, and place fast and loose with the definitions. So if the clue called for a state that started with an E, you could write “state of ennui” and get a point. ---
**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2005, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-cheat-at-scattergories/333353/18 "2005-12-02T00:18:42Z")
> [@ivylass](#): > > I only played it once, but IIRC, you were allowed to tack on adjectives, and place fast and loose with the definitions. So if the clue called for a state that started with an E, you could write “state of ennui” and get a point. I once took the points for the following clue (paraphrased, it was a long time ago): Clue: A liquid, starts with F Answer: Fluid Fart ---
**Author:** ![Idle\_Thoughts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/838e76/32.png) [@Idle\_Thoughts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idle_Thoughts)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2005, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-cheat-at-scattergories/333353/19 "2005-12-02T00:54:43Z")
I used to play this game every night with a “usual” crowd and sometimes it’d get so silly that we had to start not accepting answers. For example…if it was M and “Things found in this room” a typical answer we’d use would be “Many, many, many muli colored mugs meekly moping in the maze of cuboards” ---
**Author:** ![c\_carol](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e79b87/32.png) [@c\_carol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/c_carol)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2005, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-cheat-at-scattergories/333353/20 "2005-12-02T01:01:01Z")
> [@Trunk](#): > > You’re allowed to just tack on adjectives? No. You’re not. My family enforces this rule very strictly. Any time we play, there are a lot of shrieks of “No! Adjective! Adjective! You can’t do that!”, and game-show style “buzzer” noises, and thumbs-up/thumbs-down voting on the legitimacy of the answers, and loud, enthusiastic arguments. It’s tremendously fun, but it makes it hard to play with people outside the family who Just Don’t Understand The Rules. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-cheat-at-scattergories/333353.md?page=2)