# What's the name of that "game" where you put your hand on a table and stab a knife... **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 2, 2002, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-name-of-that-game-where-you-put-your-hand-on-a-table-and-stab-a-knife/106959 "2002-05-02T23:31:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![KidCharlemagne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ed8c4c/32.png) [@KidCharlemagne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KidCharlemagne)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2002, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-name-of-that-game-where-you-put-your-hand-on-a-table-and-stab-a-knife/106959/1 "2002-05-02T23:31:07Z")
in between your fingers? It’s called the Devil something, or beat the devil, I can’t remember. ---
**Author:** ![Celyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9dc877/32.png) [@Celyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Celyn)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2002, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-name-of-that-game-where-you-put-your-hand-on-a-table-and-stab-a-knife/106959/2 "2002-05-02T23:34:02Z")
Silly? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Silentgoldfish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@Silentgoldfish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silentgoldfish)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2002, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-name-of-that-game-where-you-put-your-hand-on-a-table-and-stab-a-knife/106959/3 "2002-05-02T23:38:30Z")
We always called it that cool thing from Aliens. ---
**Author:** ![Silentgoldfish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@Silentgoldfish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silentgoldfish)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2002, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-name-of-that-game-where-you-put-your-hand-on-a-table-and-stab-a-knife/106959/4 "2002-05-02T23:42:47Z")
Ok, here we go: [Five Finger Fillet](http://www.gamespyarcade.com/software/webgames/sicktwisted//fivefinger/fivefinger_index.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Incubus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c68b51/32.png) [@Incubus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Incubus)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2002, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-name-of-that-game-where-you-put-your-hand-on-a-table-and-stab-a-knife/106959/5 "2002-05-02T23:43:27Z")
“Polish Roulette” ---
**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2002, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-name-of-that-game-where-you-put-your-hand-on-a-table-and-stab-a-knife/106959/6 "2002-05-02T23:54:18Z")
I thought it was mumblety-peg, but I just looked that term up and discovered that mumblety-peg is another knife game that involves flipping the knife so it lands with the blade stuck in the ground. How many stupid knife games are there? ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2002, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-name-of-that-game-where-you-put-your-hand-on-a-table-and-stab-a-knife/106959/7 "2002-05-03T00:22:55Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Lamia \* > How many stupid knife games are there? Tough to say. Most folks who are good at them don’t have all their fingers. 🙂 ---
**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:** [May 3, 2002, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-name-of-that-game-where-you-put-your-hand-on-a-table-and-stab-a-knife/106959/8 "2002-05-03T00:33:14Z")
**KneadToKnow,** I just have to say that that was both sneaky and hilarious! You cracked me up. :D:D:D ---
**Author:** ![whistlepig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/73ab20/32.png) [@whistlepig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whistlepig)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2002, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-name-of-that-game-where-you-put-your-hand-on-a-table-and-stab-a-knife/106959/9 "2002-05-03T00:37:40Z")
Back in my younger and stupider days we used to call it “Courage”. But I’ll be racking my name to think of the other name that’s somewhere between the dust, cobwebs and brain cells going, “Hey dude!” We always played with left hand on the table, right fist cocked. If you felt a scratch, you could drill the other guy in the face as hard as you wanted. Kinda kept the game at a reasonable level. (hijack) Am I the only one who played the game of buying a round of the worst tasting shots you could think of, then, if anyone made a face, everyone else got to punch then in the chest? (end hijack) ---
**Author:** ![occ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8c91f0/32.png) [@occ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/occ)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2002, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-name-of-that-game-where-you-put-your-hand-on-a-table-and-stab-a-knife/106959/10 "2002-05-03T05:54:59Z")
I always heard it called “mumbledy-peg”, as well. I’ve heard of that game where you pitch the knife into the ground, though I forget what it was called. ---
**Author:** ![DeadlyAccurate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ac91a4/32.png) [@DeadlyAccurate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeadlyAccurate)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2002, 11:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-name-of-that-game-where-you-put-your-hand-on-a-table-and-stab-a-knife/106959/11 "2002-05-03T11:21:31Z")
In a novel trilogy I read, one character was particularly good at mumblety-peg, and the description the author gave was the same as the OP described.