That’s associates, not association. I thought of this last night as I was trying to drift off to sleep. Of course, fleshing out the idea was not particularly conducive to attaining that goal, but my sleep deprivation is your challenge. It’s a very simple game. Pick a word, any word, but preferably one with multiple definitions and usages. Slang is okay. Now, think of some examples of different ways in which it is used and present them as clues for the next person, who must guess the single word that is associated with all clues, and then present his or her own set. For example, if I were to present you with:
- Ability
- Storage
- A chorus line
- Loss of employment
- Buttocks
You could answer “things Al Gore blames global warming on,” but you’d be wrong, because that’s more than one word – and anyway, I’m pretty sure Al does hold buttocks partly responsible. In this instance, that word is “can.” (Ability: I can do that; Storage: A can of peas; A chorus line: Dancing the Can-Can; Loss of employment: I got canned; Buttocks: Kicked me right in the can.)
The number of clues will naturally depend on the word and how many you want to use, but there should be a minimum of three, just to keep it interesting. How you define “associated” is up to you, but the word should be as closely associated as possible without being an unrelated part of another word – so no “Weapon: Cannon” clues, but “Gasoline: Jerry can” is okay, as are the word forms that yours is the root of. (Canning, canned, cannery, etc.)
Sound simple? Have at it! I’ll start.
- Equipment
- Sailboat
- Tamper
- Truck
- Makeshift construct
