Loan sharks...they're gonna get ya!

Has anyone ever played the game Apples to Apples?  If you haven't, I highly recommend it.  If you have, then you might be able to relate to this post.  The way you play the game is that people take turns being "the judge" and that judge puts down a card with a word on it.  The other players have other cards with various words on them and each players is required to put down a card from their hand that they feel best fits with the word played by the judge.  Each player then has the opportunity to make an argument as to why their word is best suited to the judge's word.  For example, let's say the judge's word was "creative" and someone threw down a card that said "Picasso" while another threw down one that said "Pizza".  Each player then has to argue why they believe their word best fits with "creative" and the judge has the final decision as to who wins.  Everyone get it?  Too bad if you don't cuz we're moving on!

While on vacation with my friends, we were playing this game and, while it was fun, it was a bit heated at times.  You see, we're quite a competitive group.  Essentially, we're the people who won't let our kids beat us at checkers unless they've actually earned it (well, maybe not all of my friends are that way; maybe that's just me...whatever).  Anyway, we're playing this game and I noticed an interesting phenomenon that started to develop, particularly when people did not have very good words to choose from in their hands.  Essentially, what starting happening was that people simply started using their word in a defining sentence with the judge's word.  So, for example, let's say the word was "jovial" and someone put down "bone spurs".  Now, in my world, jovial and bone spurs don't go together at all, but you could actually hear people making an argument like, "You could be jovial if you had bone spurs"................huh?  (this was not an actual example used in the game.  If it had been, this blog entry would have been much shorter).

Needless to say, I did not share my observation with people about what was happening for a while because I was enjoying it and, we were playing with two of the oldest children on the trip (who are around 8 and 9) and I figured out that if you I used some of the words that were included in the definition listed on the judge's card in my argument for my own chosen card, I could sway the children's decision about 50% of the time.  What?  Like you wouldn't do the same.  Don't judge me.  It worked....did I mention that I'm competitive? 

I let the game go on for a bit with my little observations tucked in my head until it happened.  A card was played that pushed me right over the edge and I had to simply point out the absurdity of what I was hearing.  We are sitting at our table, playing our game and the judge's card was thrown: Dangerous.  Now, people started throwing out things that could be dangerous (I wish I could remember some examples, but they all escape me now).  Finally, it comes to my beloved Nicole's turn and she throws down "Loan Sharks".  Ok.  Granted, I can see where getting involved with loan sharks could be dangerous on some level and an argument could definitely be made.  However, when it came to  her turn to defend her selection, her response was, "Loan sharks!  They're gonna get ya!" and she leans in across the table closer to the judge as if this was some intimidating gesture that was going to sway the vote.  Now, in hindsight, the situation was maybe not incredibly absurd, but...well...we come back to my competitive side.  I believe my response started with uncontrolled and exaggerated laughter followed by a "What?!?!  Did you just say, 'They're gonna get ya?'  Is that really your argument?"  Then I started making up my own sentences to go with that ending..."Disney Princesses!  They're gonna get ya!...Unicorns!  They're gonna get ya!...Bunions!  They're gonna get ya!"  Thankfully, Nicole has an excellent sense of humor and laughed along with me because, quite honestly, had the roles been reversed...I may have become as dangerous as.....as dangerous as.....well, I guess as dangerous as a loan shark.