Mad Gab

Read nonsense word strings aloud and hear the real phrase hiding in the sound before the timer runs out.

Designer: Terry White
Published by: Drumond Park Ltd.
Editions by: Mattel, Inc., Mega Bleu, Patch Products

Say it fast, and it turns into something else. In Mad Gab (1996), teams get strings of unrelated words that, read aloud quickly, sound like a completely different phrase. It is not about what you read, it is about what you hear. One team reads a puzzling phrase out loud, for example 'Ace Lip Puff The Tongue', which comes out as 'A Slip of the Tongue', and the teammates have thirty seconds to guess up to three phrases. If they fail, the other team can steal the point. Expect a lot of laughter over misheard words. For two to twelve players, best with six to ten, about forty-five minutes.

Word strings that sound like a hidden phraseThirty seconds to guess up to three phrasesThe other team can steal a missed point

Who it's for

You are six to ten people split into two teams, in the mood for silly misheard phrases and a bit of team shouting.

Not for you if…

You are not at ease with English or you dislike being put on the spot in front of a team. The rules' example is an English phrase, so expect the puzzles to lean on English sounds.

Vibe's take

Silly and loud. The reader stumbles through the words, the team squints at the sound, and the answer lands with a groan once someone finally hears it.