The James T. Callow Folklore Archive

HANGMAN

HANGMAN IS A GAME COMMON IN AMERICA. A GROUP OF
PEOPLE OR POSSIBLY ONE PERSON TRIES TO GUESS A
WORD WHICH ANOTHER PERSON HAS IN MIND. THE PERSON
DRAWS A FIGURE LIKE THIS: (LOOKES LIKE A LARGE
SEVEN) AND ALSO INDICATES THE NUMBERS OF LETTERS IN
THE WORD BY DRAWING ONE BLANK FOR EACH LETTER. PEOPLE
TRY TO GUESS THE LETTERS IN THE WORD. IF A PERSON GUESSES
CORRECTLY, THE OTHER PERSON INSERTS IT IN THE PROPER
BLANK. IF HE GUESSES A LETTER INCORRECTLY, A HEAD OF A
STICKMAN IS DRAWN HANGING FROM THE FIGURE LIKE THIS:
(PICTURE ON 5 X 8 CARD SHOWS A ROUND FIGURE, LIKE A
HEAD AT THE BOTTOM OF THE AFOREMENTIONED SEVEN-LIKE
FIGURE). AS MORE INCORRECT LETTERS ARE GUESSED
MORE PARTS OF THE STICKMAN ARE ADDED. THE PERSON
WHO GUESSES THE WORD BY THE CLUES GIVEN IN THE BLANK
SPACES, WINS THE GAME.

Submitter comment: I THINK THAT I LEARNED THIS GAME IN GRADE SCHOOL AT
ST. JULIANA PARISH IN DETROIT.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT

Date learned: NOT GIVEN