Charades

Charades, riddles consisting of a word of two or more syllables, which are to be guessed from the representation, by word of mouth or by pantomime, of a meaning suggested by the separate syllables and then by the entire word. Spoken or written charades may be verse or prose. The British poet Winthrop Mackworth Praed was noted for his witty written charades. The following is an example of the spoken charade.

The acted charade consists of a pantomime in which the various syllables of a word, or an entire word or phrase, are acted out. If the answer to the charade is “football,” the syllables foot and ball are pantomimed. Pantomimic charades are a popular game at parties in the United States and the United Kingdom. The participants are generally divided into two competing groups, each group acting out a number of charades that the other must guess. Charades reputedly originated in France in the 18th century.