Dinner Table Party Game/Drinking Game: "Thumper"

by Yago
(Gloucester, formally Ludlow)

This party drinking game is usually played around the dining room table after dishes have been cleared.

Each chair is assigned an animal. The head of the table's chair is the game master and that seat is issued "The Elephant" designation. Seated next to the right of The Elephant is the lowly "aardvark". Any of the following animals are assigned to the rest of the chairs: unicorn, shark, spider, bat, rhino, white tailed deer, snake, moose. Feel free to come up with your own animals.

Each animal has a sign that I will cover below, after the play is described.

The play is simple. The Elephant starts the game by first thumping the table with both palms (once The Elephant begins thumping, all of the other animals thump too, thumping continues during each "Parliament" - round of play).

The Elephant then does The Elephant sign first, followed by any of the other animal signs. The person who The Elephant chooses, simply does his/her sign followed by any other animal sign (The Elephant included). Only two people can communicate with each other, during the Parliaments. Whoever does not do the sign correctly, or out of order, or mistakenly thinks her/his sign was displayed and responds in error; drinks then moves to the aardvark's seat (an example of play is far below).

The Signs:

The Elephant: Left index finger and left thumb pinches nose, index finger of right hand goes though left arm twice. You must make an elephant noise. If you hit your left arm or use any other finger, or deviate in any way, you drink and move to the lowly aardvark's seat!

Aardvark: both hands on side of head, nod down three times while screeching "REEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!"

Shark: Two hands from chest are to extend all the way out while clapping the heels of your hands together and keeping the fingers on each hand touching.

Unicorn: Make your right hand into a karate chop position. Touch the finger tips to the top center of your head.

Rhino: Right index finger pointed out. Touch your forehead with the top of your right wrist.

Bat: Cross your thumbs over each other and have your hands "fly"
out from your chest.

White tailed deer: Nod your head quickly down while loudly sniffing, then shake your head to the right.

Giraffe: Stick out your index and pinky fingers on your right hand. Place the top of your right wrist on your forehead while saying "MEEEEEUUUUUU..." and making a weird face.

Eel: Right karate chop positioned hand goes from chest straight out while weaving like an eel back and forth.

Fish: Like eel, only two hands are put together.

Spider: Right hand runs like a spider from chest out.

There are many more, but feel free to devise your own signs.

Whoever fowls the parliament by making a mistake, is banished to the aardvark's chair. The displaced aardvark moves to the chair to his/her right. Then the next displaced person person moves to the chair to his/her right This happens until you reach the chair of the person who was banished to become the aardvark. Oh, the person that erred, must drink prior to moving.

Other conditions:

NO POINTING!!!! If one points, (ie: Sebalius points to Susan K. while saying "You blew it!") Sebalius drinks but does not have to move.

Anyone can call this offense by pointing to the offender with his/her right elbow. The fist of your right hand is placed on your right cheek, as you "point" your elbow to the offender.

If someone was correct in the displaying of his/her animal sign and some believed the sign was correct. The term "False Accusation" is uttered by anyone except the person who issued the disputed sign. The Elephant then acts as a judge and deems the punishment by saying (in your deepest voice solemnly); "Drink Swine!" to the one that The Elephant decides is guilty. No one speaks when The Elephant is judging.

An example of a Parliament:

The Elephant is the one who has dined at the head of the table. The rest of the diners remain in the chair in which they supped. The Elephant designates the signs, by starting with the aardvark. The Elephant traditionally points to the aardvark in disgust and orders the display in a basso voice filled with venom.

The Elephant has decided that the time to begin is now. He smugly looks around the table and orders each person to display their sign beginning in the aforementioned tradition with the Aardvark.

If you forget your sign, you drink then are expelled to the aardvarks seat.

The Elephant thumps; then all thump.

The Elephant performs his/her sign, then displays the spider's sign. The spider does her/his sign then returns the Elephant's sign. The Elephant looks to the giraffe, but does the unicorn's sign. The giraffe errs by falling for The Elephant's deke and does the giraffe sign, when he/she should not have; because the unicorn's sign was given. The unicorn played right by performing the unicorn sign.

The giraffe sat three seats to the right of The Elephant. The person seated at the giraffe seat drinks, then moves to the aardvark's seat. The spider seat is to the right of the aardvark. That person moves to the displaced giraffe seat. The object of the game is to get to The Elephant's Throne. You will know when it is time to stop the game!