“And then I thought about the game, the game”

As I mentioned yesterday, one of the fun parts of my Mensa weekend was—The Game!
To start the Game (and if you already know, I won’t be offended if you stop reading here), each player writes five names—anyone you choose, whether friend or famous, real or fictional—and drops them into a bowl. Someone reads out the names; if there’s a name fewer than three people have heard of, out it goes. At no time do you explain the names to people who don’t get them.
Divide into teams. The bowl then passes around the table; when it gets to your turn, you try to clue your teammates in to the name you’ve drawn. You have 30 seconds and can draw as many names as you can get through in that time, but if you’re stumped, you’re stuck—there’s no passing.
First round, you can say anything, use gestures, whatever works (the round structure isn’t fixed—I’ve played in different games that work it differently). Second round, you can use gestures and one word (and get a minute, I think). Third round, gestures only. Of course by that time, you’re more familiar with the names involved, which helps your team guess … sometimes. Doing charades for Zephod Beeblebrox proved beyond my abilities, alas.
But we won anyway. TYG, me and a Mensa friend formed one team and we ended with a respectable lead, despite the Beeblebrox fiasco.