Balderdash: ESL Speaking Game

Balderdash is a word bluffing game in which you write definitions for weird words. The definitions may or may not be correct.

The ESL variation of the game is played very similarly. The PDF which you can download below, contains words that are balderdash, or nonsense. At least they seem to be. They are actually real words that sound silly. Each word has a real definition, the students will have to come up with two more definitions and the bluffing will begin.

If you like the game and would like to play the original, there are plenty of the game versions on Amazon. This one is the original Game. Or you can try this One.

How I played the game with my students:

1. Put the students in groups of three or four.
2. Give them the words that you cut into cards.
3. Each student draws a card.
4. They will read the true definition of the word and make up two more definitions which are not true.
5. They read three definitions of the word and the other students guess which definition is correct.
6. The student who guesses the correct definition gets a point.

ESL Game: Balderdash

Argle-bargle — (adj) copious but meaningless talk or writing

Bibble — (v) to drink often; to eat and/or drink noisily

Yarborough — (n) hand of cards containing no card above a nine

Ratoon — (n) a small shoot growing from the root of a plant

Ulotrichous — (adj) having wooly or crispy hair

Bumfuzzle — (adj) confused, perplexed

Cabotage — (n) coastal navigation; the exclusive right of a country to control the air traffic within its borders

Widdershins — (adj) a left-handed or contrary direction; counterclockwise

Poppycock — (n) nonsense

Discombobulate — (v) to disconcert of confuse

Salopettes — (n) high-waisted skiing pants with shoulder straps

Blatherskite — (n) a person who talks at great length without making much sense

Taradiddle — (n) pretentious nonsense

Finifugal — (adj) afraid of finishing anything