# Ouija board? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 10, 2024, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ouija-board/998661 "2024-03-10T01:47:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2024, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ouija-board/998661/41 "2024-03-10T20:20:00Z")
> [@SuntanLotion](#): > > I am not religious. I’m a christian. That’s a contradiction. If you’re a believing Christian, then you’re religious. ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2024, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ouija-board/998661/42 "2024-03-10T20:45:05Z")
> [@SuntanLotion](#): > > I am not religious. I’m a christian. … what? ---
**Author:** ![Knowed\_Out](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/knowed_out/32/7380_2.png) [@Knowed\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knowed_Out)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2024, 10:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ouija-board/998661/43 "2024-03-11T10:59:31Z")
In one game I heard about from a friend, the planchette spelled out “HP Lovecraft.” One of the players was a huge fan and kept pleading “I swear to God I didn’t do it” when confronted. The more times somebody invokes “I swear to God,” the more times he lies. ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2024, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ouija-board/998661/44 "2024-03-11T12:59:26Z")
> [@74westy](#): > > > [@markn\_1](#): > > > > I’ve never understood this mystique that Ouija has, that other similar games don’t. No one thinks that the Magic 8 Ball is communicating with spirits or demons, or that those paper cootie catchers that kids make are anything but play. But for some reason some people take Ouija seriously. > > As far as anyone can tell just from experiencing it, it just happens without anyone consciously guiding it. As I child, I could not explain it and as an adult, I can only explain it with ideas like ideomotor effect that I understand intellectually but is not something I actually feel. > > That doesn’t mean I have any concern that Ouija is supernatural but I do understand the difficulty people have believing it’s not. Yeah, there’s no great mystery behind the great mystery of the Ouija board. It was specifically marketed from the beginning as a way to talk to spirits. Also, movies like ‘The Exorcist’ and ‘Witchboard’ helped boost / maintain its rep and popularity. Fun fact: the name ‘Ouija’ comes from combining the words ‘oui’ and ‘ja’-- the French and German words for ‘yes’. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2024, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ouija-board/998661/45 "2024-03-11T13:10:27Z")
Not a creepy Ouija board story, but interesting. There’s a Ouija Board Museum in Salem, Massachusetts (where else?). It’s located in the back of the Harry Potter store there.(which also carries Hocus Pocus stuff and things from other Pop Culture sources). The guy really does have an incredible collection, and is well-versed in the history. There’s an online “Ouija Board Museum” , but this guy seems to have more stuff. Interesting thing – the Board and the Planchette were originally separate items. The first “talking boards” used different ways to get the message across, nd planchettes originally worked by themselves. Putting them together seems an obvious step in retrospect, but somebody had to think of it first. ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2024, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ouija-board/998661/46 "2024-03-11T15:31:41Z")
> [@solost](#): > > Fun fact: the name ‘Ouija’ comes from combining the words ‘oui’ and ‘ja’ According to Wikipedia, that’s an urban legend, although I’m not sure I believe what it presents as the actual origin of the name. > The popular belief that the word _Ouija_ comes from the French and German words for _yes_ is a misconception. In fact, the name was given from a word spelled out on the board when medium [Helen Peters Nosworthy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helen_Peters_Nosworthy) asked the board to name itself. When asked what the word meant, it responded “Good Luck.” ---
**Author:** ![SuntanLotion](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suntanlotion/32/16165_2.png) [@SuntanLotion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SuntanLotion)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2024, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ouija-board/998661/47 "2024-03-11T15:51:44Z")
@discobot fortune ---
**Author:** ![discobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/discobot/32/570_2.png) [@discobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/discobot)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2024, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ouija-board/998661/48 "2024-03-11T15:51:46Z")
> 🔮 As I see it, yes ---
**Author:** ![SuntanLotion](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suntanlotion/32/16165_2.png) [@SuntanLotion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SuntanLotion)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2024, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ouija-board/998661/49 "2024-03-11T15:58:51Z")
So…oui? Ja! ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2024, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ouija-board/998661/50 "2024-03-11T16:08:21Z")
> [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](#): > > I can’t believe people here honestly think a toy can communicate with the dead, or that such a thing is even possible. Exactly. Come back when they market the version where a plain wood planchette moves around _on its own_ and answers questions. Then I’m interested. ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2024, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ouija-board/998661/51 "2024-03-11T16:09:51Z")
Huh, my ignorance of that misunderstanding has been fought. Thank you. ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2024, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ouija-board/998661/52 "2024-03-11T16:23:20Z")
> [@chappachula](#): > > Magic 8 Ball and the cootie catchers only have 8 (or 16?) possible answers, all of which are known in advance. The magic 8 ball has 20 possible answers. There is an icosohedron ( a 20 sided die or D20 to us gamers) inside. If you break the clear plastic open (much harder to do than depicted on television), you are left with a white D20 with words (and one elipsis . . .) on the faces. I’ve seen ancient Roman icosohedrons with a single symbol on each face. The oracle rolled the D20, then checked the page in the manual marked with that symbol. The Roman D20’s are clear so they could not be loaded. I’ve read in other places of fortune telling dice that were loaded. ETA Zen Flesh, Zen Bones includes the story of a general saying ‘If this coin comes up heads, we know that we will be victorious!’. The coin comes up heads. His second in command says, privately, ‘you must really trust in destiny’. The general says ‘yes I do’ and shows that the coin has heads on both sides. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2024, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ouija-board/998661/53 "2024-03-11T16:28:29Z")
Well, the etymological dictionary etymonline backs you up, and it pretty much agrees with whatever the OED has (or at least I treat it as the free version of the OED): > [@](#): > > 1891, a trademark name (originally by Kennard Novelty Co., Baltimore, Md.) for a “talking board” with a planchette, used to record spiritual messages, etc.; the name is compounded from French oui and German ja, both meaning “yes.” Usually, if the etymology is suspect, it will note it was a hedge word like _purportedly_ or something similar. So one or the other needs to updated. Anyone have access to an OED and can check what’s in there, if there is an entry? The source appear to be this news piece from 2018, so I suppose it’s possible this etymology hasn’t been vetted yet, or etymonline (and possibly OED) doesn’t even know of the story. > **[The Ouija Board has a Denver connection](https://www.denver7.com/news/local-news/the-mother-of-the-ouija-board-a-denver-connection)** > > There’s a lot of mystery behind the famous Ouija Board. Some people view it as a way to connect to the other side. Others view it only as a board game. Either way, there is a lot of history when it comes to the Ouija Board. Some of... That said, it was always a little odd to me that the board would be named after two European language words for “Yes”. I would think yes/no would be a better name for the board, but “OUINEIN” or “JANON” doesn’t quite look as nice as “OUIJA”. ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2024, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ouija-board/998661/54 "2024-03-11T16:35:53Z")
My sister and I tried using a board, once. Being young and literal (and possibly not reading the instructions), we waited for the planchet to move. It didn’t. ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2024, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ouija-board/998661/55 "2024-03-11T16:46:13Z")
I have an OED subscription. The etymology section of the Ouija entry says “Origin uncertain” and has a note: > The word has been variously explained as (a) \< French oui [oui _adv._](https://www.oed.com/dictionary/oui_adv?tab=meaning_and_use#10929419) + German ja yes (see [yea _adv._](https://www.oed.com/dictionary/yea_adv?tab=meaning_and_use#13733310)), (b) \< an ancient Egyptian word for ‘good luck’ (although apparently no such word exists), and (c) \< the name of Oujda, the name of a city in Morocco. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2024, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ouija-board/998661/56 "2024-03-11T16:54:01Z")
> [@Balance](#): > > Once they’ve got a letter, they start looking at other letters, trying to guess what will be next…and sure enough, one starts moving the planchette toward the letter they’re looking at, which triggers the others to look there as well, and the process repeats. The original auto fill-in. ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2024, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ouija-board/998661/57 "2024-03-11T17:01:24Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > The original auto fill-in. Aargh! We will not be free of autocarrot, even in the next world! ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2024, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ouija-board/998661/58 "2024-03-11T17:31:08Z")
And now for our musical guest! [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/T8V82TXOzm0/maxresdefault.jpg "Morrissey - Ouija Board Ouija Board") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T8V82TXOzm0) ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2024, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ouija-board/998661/59 "2024-03-11T17:32:48Z")
> [@DocCathode](#): > > Zen Flesh, Zen Bones includes the story of a general saying ‘If this coin comes up heads, we know that we will be victorious!’. The coin comes up heads. His second in command says, privately, ‘you must really trust in destiny’. The general says ‘yes I do’ and shows that the coin has heads on both sides. There’s also the story (I think it’s Roman but am not sure) about the general who consulted an oracle. The oracle predicted a great victory. The general neglected to ask whether it would be his army or his opponents who would be victorious. The general in your story has more sense. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Undeposable\_Hand](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_undeposable_hand/32/8502_2.png) [@The\_Undeposable\_Hand](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Undeposable_Hand)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2024, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ouija-board/998661/60 "2024-03-11T18:00:14Z")
Don’t be silly. [Birds aren’t real.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Birds_Aren%27t_Real#:~:text=Birds%20Aren't%20Real%20is,to%20spy%20on%20American%20citizens.) Magic tricks commonly involve making someone see something that isn’t there…and vice versa. A hallucination, if you will. But no one really believes in them [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ouija-board/998661.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ouija-board/998661.md?page=4)