The photograph at the left is of a card game manufactured by John Waddington, Ltd., London, England. The copyright date is 1935, and the Museum's set carries Registration No. 52991. However, the set was given to the Museum in 1975 by a donor from the United States, and it is not known how old the set really is.
The slip box container (upper right in the photograph) is 9.8cm long x 7cm wide x 3cm thick. The box is composed of two pieces, one sliding inside the other. The outside box is open on the right side.The gold colored inside box which holds the cards and an "Instruction Book" is open on the left side. The "Instruction Book" (8.9cm long x 5.8cm wide) describes 23 different games that two to four players can play with this deck of cards.
There are 52 cards in the deck, plus two advertisement cards. Each card is 8.8cm long x 5.8cm wide. Card backs can be seen on the upper right of the photograph. While most of the cards appear as they do in the bottom row of the photograph - that is with a large alphabetic letter printed in the center of the card - one card (not shown) is called the "Master Card", and has various functions in several games presented in the "Instruction Book". The number of cards for each letter varies. For example: A-4, E-4, I-4, 0-3, U-3, H-3, R-3, S-3, T-3, W-3, B-1, C-1, D-1, and so on. Depending upon the game, points as printed on each card, are assigned.
The New Card Game of Skill, Laughter & Interest, Copyright John Waddington Ltd. October 16, 1933.
DEALER - To determine who shall be first dealer, one card is given each player and the player holding the highest card is the first dealer. "A", being high and "Z" being low, thereafter the deal is taken in rotation.
DEALING -Ten cards are dealt to one of the players. The remainder of the cards are placed in a heap face down on the table and the top card exposed and placed alongside. For five or more players it is necessary to use two packs.
PLAY - The player on the left of the dealer commences. The next player on the left then plays and so on round the table. Each player, after examining his cards, can do one of four alternatives:
Form one complete word and place it face up on the table.
He can discard one of his cards and take either the exposed card or the blind one from the heap. He must discard before taking up the exposed or blind card. The discarded card is placed on top of, or in the place of, the exposed card and this becomes the exposed card on the table.
When a word is exposed on the table he can insert a card, or cards, in any such word. In doing this the order of the letters must not be disturbed or the word reversed. The other letters must be added at either end, or inserted. Only one word can be attacked at the same turn.
(Example) Mother - Smothered, Hat - Thatched, Far - Fairy, Man - Many.
When a word is exposed on the table he can take a card, or cards, out of his own hand and change it, or them, for a letter, or letters in a word provided the word left on the table is complete, viz: He could take the "E" out of the word "EXPERT" and make it into "Export" by the substitution of the "O" out of his own hand. Only one word can be attacked at the same turn.
No player is allowed to PASS HIS TURN without doing one of these four alternatives, but he is not allowed to do more than one in the same turn. A player's turn ceases when he has done one of the four actions: "A", "B", "C", or "D".
The object of the game is to get rid of your cards as quickly as possible. The first player to do this ends the round and the other players count their scores from the numbers on the cards left in their hands. The score is then entered against that particular player's name and then the cards are dealt out for another round. The first player to reach 100 retires from the game, the others going on till by elimination one only is left - the winner.
Only words found in Nuttall's or any other Standard Dictionary are to be used. Proper nouns are not permitted unless given in the dictionary you are using. A word can be challenged by any player who thinks it is not in the dictionary or is mis-spelt. If the challenger prove to be wrong, 10 points are added to the challenger's score. It the challenger prove to be right, 10 points are deducted from the challenger's score and the player who placed the word on the table takes the cards back and forfeits a turn. The "Master" represents any letter.
If the pack runs out it can be lifted, shuffled, and put down on the table in its original position and the game goes on as before.
HOW TO ARRANGE A LEXICON DRIVE
[a party or tournament]
Owing to the increasing popularity of Lexicon Drives the following suggestions may prove of assistance to hostesses in their organization.
Tables should be arranged to accommodate four players each. The play is individual and not partner, so any four persons may commence together. A Steward should be appointed for each group of 10 tables.
Dealer: To determine who shall be first dealer all four cut and the one who cuts the highest card deals, counting A as high down to Z low. In case of a tie the persons who tie must re-cut.
The dealer shuffles and deals by the left in rotation until 10 cards have been dealt to each of the four players. The rest of the cards are then stacked in the centre exposing one card alongside as in the rules.
The player on the left of the dealer plays first as in the rules and play continues until one player runs out or alternatively until the bell rings to stop. Seven minutes (or less if arranged) is the maximum time allowed for each hand. Each player must then total up the cards remaining in his or her hand and the figure must be marked on the score card. The player on the left must check and initial the marked score of the player on the right in each case.
The player who runs out or who totals the lowest score at each table is the winner and must move on to the next table, 1 to 2, 5 to 6, etc. The winner at each table must shuffle and deal at the next table on arrival.
At the end of the Drive the winners are the players who total the lowest score.
SPECIAL NOTE
If a word is put down wrong it may be challenged by any other player on the table. The challenger must call the Stewards to adjudicate. If a word proves to be wrong, other than spelled wrongly, the player putting it down is fined 50 points and this will be marked on the card by the Steward. The player must also take back the cards and lose his or her turn. The challenger does not receive any points. The player of the wrong word only is subject to the 50 points penalty. Mistakes in spelling do not incur any penalty, but the person making the mistake must take up the cards and lose his or her turn. If a spelling mistake, or a word subject to disqualification, passes undetected and the player next in turn has played, the mistake cannot be rectified but must allowed to stand.
REMEMBER THE LOWEST SCORE IS THE WINNER.
Last update March 9, 2010