# "Punch Buggy" or "Slug Bug"? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 18, 2010, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/punch-buggy-or-slug-bug/543701 "2010-06-18T19:31:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**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:** [June 18, 2010, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/punch-buggy-or-slug-bug/543701/1 "2010-06-18T19:31:13Z")
Simple one today: know that game where you punch someone when you see a Volkswagon Beetle ([and _not_ any other VM model](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=567051))? What do you call that game? Let’s head off “I call it stupid! Hur hur hur!” right now, ok? ---
**Author:** ![TWDuke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e495f1/32.png) [@TWDuke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TWDuke)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2010, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/punch-buggy-or-slug-bug/543701/2 "2010-06-18T19:34:10Z")
“Punch buggy,” but only because that’s what they called it on “The Simpsons.” I don’t really remember playing it as a kid. ---
**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:** [June 18, 2010, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/punch-buggy-or-slug-bug/543701/3 "2010-06-18T19:35:26Z")
And for the record, the only correct answer is “Punch Buggy”. “Slug Bug” is for people who _need_ things to rhyme. You know – like four-year-olds. ---
**Author:** ![lost4life](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c4cdca/32.png) [@lost4life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lost4life)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2010, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/punch-buggy-or-slug-bug/543701/4 "2010-06-18T19:54:02Z")
Sorry, it’s **Slug Bug** and any other answer is wrong, and I’m sticking my fingers in my ears so I can’t hear you LA LA LA LA LA LA LA… ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2010, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/punch-buggy-or-slug-bug/543701/5 "2010-06-18T19:56:00Z")
Well as of now all is right and true in the world as Slug Bug is winning the poll as it should. ---
**Author:** ![Maggie\_the\_Ocelot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@Maggie\_the\_Ocelot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maggie_the_Ocelot)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2010, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/punch-buggy-or-slug-bug/543701/6 "2010-06-18T19:58:47Z")
Either one. Some people call it one thing, some call it another, both are right. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2010, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/punch-buggy-or-slug-bug/543701/7 "2010-06-18T20:00:08Z")
When the RhymerSiblings were young, it was generally, “What alternate reality do you hail from that you don’t expect me to kick your ass for hitting me when you see a car?” But actually Puncho-Puncho. ---
**Author:** ![Ogre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecb155/32.png) [@Ogre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ogre)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2010, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/punch-buggy-or-slug-bug/543701/8 "2010-06-18T20:01:44Z")
Neither. We called it Peanut. I have no idea why, but the usual protocols were followed, except that we called out “Peanut!” before punching living hell out of our opponent. ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2010, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/punch-buggy-or-slug-bug/543701/9 "2010-06-18T20:02:33Z")
I’ve never heard it called “Slug Bug” before today. So do people shout out “Slug bug green, no returns”, for instance? ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2010, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/punch-buggy-or-slug-bug/543701/10 "2010-06-18T20:04:49Z")
We always called it “slug bug” where I grew up. It was just “slug bug”. No color, nothing else except the accompanying slug in the arm. All the kids where I am now call it “punch buggy” and just to make it more complicated it is “(color) punch buggy no punch back”. If you get the color wrong, the punchee can punch the puncher back in the arm. If you forget to say “no punch back” the punchee can punch the puncher back in the arm. ---
**Author:** ![Daithi\_Lacha](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/daithi_lacha/32/5430_2.png) [@Daithi\_Lacha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daithi_Lacha)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2010, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/punch-buggy-or-slug-bug/543701/11 "2010-06-18T20:05:25Z")
I first heard it as **Beetlebug _X_** , where _ **X** _ is a color of the Bug that has been seen. ---
**Author:** ![lost4life](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c4cdca/32.png) [@lost4life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lost4life)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2010, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/punch-buggy-or-slug-bug/543701/12 "2010-06-18T20:07:30Z")
> [@hogarth](#): > > I’ve never heard it called “Slug Bug” before today. > > So do people shout out “Slug bug green, no returns”, for instance? We have a long list of rules: Old ones are double punches, yellow ones are double punches, anything unusual are double punches, and they combine, so Slug Bug Yellow Old is 4 punches (we’re a violent family). We sometimes play a variation, where someone calls Slug Bug, and the last one to see it is the one that gets whacked. Also, if you call Slug Bug and it isn’t one, everyone gets to hit you! Fun times… ---
**Author:** ![Maggie\_the\_Ocelot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@Maggie\_the\_Ocelot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maggie_the_Ocelot)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2010, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/punch-buggy-or-slug-bug/543701/13 "2010-06-18T20:07:38Z")
We call it “Jack Sparrow” and instead of a VW on the road, it’s whenever you see a customer dressed up as Jack Sparrow at Ren Faire. A couple years back, there were LOTS of bruised arms. ---
**Author:** ![Ionizer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/5daacb/32.png) [@Ionizer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ionizer)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2010, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/punch-buggy-or-slug-bug/543701/14 "2010-06-18T20:09:34Z")
I know it as “Slug Bug” and a big punch to the other’s shoulder. Learned it early-70’s (as a kid) while on vacation in Dayton/Chicago, staying with Mom’s folks. Upon returning to Texas (just north of Houston) a month or so later, I found out that plenty of other kids already knew the Slug Bug routine and were happy to play along (usually on a school bus!). Punch Buggy just sounds so wrong. So very, very wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2010, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/punch-buggy-or-slug-bug/543701/15 "2010-06-18T20:30:21Z")
I voted for “slug bug”, but I never heard it until I was about 15 or 16, from a friend. I was startled as hell when she punched me while we were in the car one day. I didn’t play it growing up. (I can’t imagine my hippie parents encouraging a game that involved punching people.) ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21825_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2010, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/punch-buggy-or-slug-bug/543701/16 "2010-06-18T22:13:46Z")
Before the commercial, I’d never heard of this practice. I don’t get it… ---
**Author:** ![Raguleader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@Raguleader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raguleader)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2010, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/punch-buggy-or-slug-bug/543701/17 "2010-06-18T22:37:34Z")
In my family, we always played “Bebop”. It was a few decades before I considered this might be a reference to the sound the horn might make (I’ve never had someone in a Bug honk at me, I’ll have to find one to try that…) Now I got a funny visual of a Volkswagen Beetle wearing a big cowboy hat. ---
**Author:** ![NinetyWt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/cc9497/32.png) [@NinetyWt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinetyWt)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2010, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/punch-buggy-or-slug-bug/543701/18 "2010-06-18T22:48:04Z")
I never played it as a kid; I think my kids may have played it with their friends. But I don’t remember which thing they called it. ---
**Author:** ![jackdavinci](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackdavinci/32/3259_2.png) [@jackdavinci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackdavinci)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2010, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/punch-buggy-or-slug-bug/543701/19 "2010-06-18T23:17:13Z")
I’m just happy I got a spin-off. ---
**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:** [June 18, 2010, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/punch-buggy-or-slug-bug/543701/20 "2010-06-18T23:22:12Z")
“Punch bug” here, not “buggy.” Born raised Chicago, 34. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/punch-buggy-or-slug-bug/543701.md?page=2)