Punch Line Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Object
• Equipment
• Playing
• The Timer
• Scoring
• Winning
• Special Notes
• A Strategy Hint

Object

To complete an incomplete sentence with a word of the highest possible point value.

Equipment

1. Each player takes a SLIDE HOLDER and a sheet of 10 STRIPS OF LETTERS. a) Each slide holder has ten slots. The slots are numbered 1 through 10 next to the windows in the center column. Turn your slide holder so that the number 1 appears at the top. b) Separate the letter strips on your own sheet and insert one strip into each slot of your slide holder. Your letter strips may be inserted in any order but must have a center column of a single color — all red, for example.
2. A deck of 28 ACTIVITY CARDS. Each card shows writing on both sides. The top line on each side directs you to "switch" two lines on your slide holder. The rest of each side consists of four incomplete sentences.
3. A 30-second TIMER.

Playing

1. Shuffle the activity cards and select a player to read the top card.
2. The reader announces the line switch. On your own slide holder, reverse the two appropriate letter strips.
3. The reader reads the appropriate sentence on the card: A game consists of a number of rounds. A round is the completion of a single sentence. During each round of the first game, the reader reads sentence #1 on each card. During each round of the second game, the reader reads sentence #2 on each card, etc.
4. The reader places the card on the bottom of the pile. (At the start of a new round, the top card is read by the player to the previous reader's left.)
5. On your slide holder try to create a word that somehow completes the sentence that was just read. The word you create must run from top to bottom in the center column. To select a letter for a line, simply move that line's letter strip to the left or right.
6. The word you create must be a single word. You are not required, however, to create a 10-letter word, and you may skip spaces between letters. Example: The printed example shows the word C-A-T written vertically in the center column, with empty slots between the letters.
7. Each incomplete sentence lends itself to a wide variety of responses. In this respect, the word you create need not be appropriate to the usual or expected meaning of the sentence that's read. Sometimes the least appropriate response earns the highest score and produces the loudest laughs. Example: "It was raining cats and ____." Some players might complete this sentence with the word "dogs." The words "money," "caviar," "pajamas," "mice" and "halibut" would be just as acceptable and might earn a higher score.

The Timer

Whenever you think you've created a word that's a winner, you may start the timer by turning it over. By doing this, you put your opponents under pressure: they then have only 30 seconds to complete their own words before the round ends.

When you start the timer, you are: a) responsible for watching it; and b) not allowed to adjust your own word while the timer is running.

Scoring

1. Your base score is the total of all points that appear on the letters in the center column. To this total add any bonus points that you've earned.

   Bonus Points

   a) Your own color in any of the eight square windows earns a double-letter score. b) A yellow letter in one of the two circles earns a double-word score. c) A yellow letter in both circles earns a triple-word score. d) The player who starts the timer earns 5 bonus points. e) Any player whose word is 6 letters or longer also earns 5 bonus points.

   Remember: If you've earned any double-letter scores, add them to your base score before figuring double-word or triple-word bonuses. If you've earned bonus points for starting the timer or creating a long word, add these points after figuring all other bonuses.

2. If you misspell a word, or fail to create a complete word, you score zero (0) for the round.

3. During a single round more than one player might create the very same word. If this happens, each player receives full credit for his or her own score.

Winning

The first player to reach a total of 250 points is the winner.

Special Notes

a. Proper names are acceptable in this game. b. Contractions, abbreviations and hyphenated words are not acceptable. c. When in doubt about a word, you may use a dictionary — but only after the round has ended. d. Whenever a blank follows the word a, assume that the a can also be the word an. Example: "Give me a ____." Some players might complete this sentence with the word "kiss." The word "apple" could also be used and might earn a higher score.

A Strategy Hint

The letters in this game are valued according to their frequency in everyday words. Commonly used letters carry a low point value, while letters that appear infrequently carry a higher value. The letters a and i, for example, are worth only 1 point each, while a v is worth 5 points and a z is worth 10.

To increase your score, use as many high-value letters as you can. Better still, use high-value letters in your own color and yellow whenever possible.