Sunday, May 13, 2007

What is wink?

PB wants to know what Wink is. As wikipedia notes, there are many variations on the basic theme. This is merely how my group does it. Ok, you start in the position in Fig. 1 below.



As you can see, people are in pairs and there is an "outside" (represented by diamonds) line and an "inside" (represented by octagons) line. On a predicided command, presumably a wink, though I have never actually been close enough to the fray to witness the actual wink, the "winker" signals the "inside row" to leap forward. The people on the inside hurl themselves forward and try to be the first to kiss the "winker" on top of the head. They can only crawl, crawling all over everybody is an accepted part of the game. Indeed, it's really the point.

Meanwhile, the folks on the "outside" row (who were not allowed to touch the inside row folks until they moved) must try to keep their inside row partner from delivering the winning kiss. The usual method is a sort of low-speed tackle and then a lot of wrestling around.

Soon everybody is throwing each other every which way an a huge pile of raging hormones. I can imagine a wink game gedtting violent if the wrong people played, but among my group maximum bodily contact is more important than the actual winning. Everybody's fully clothed, of course.

Eventually, somebody actually delivers the winning kiss to the winker's head and the winker yells "Smooch!" (Fig. 2)


That indicates the round is over. The outside person who had been gaurding the winner becomes the new winker unless, you know, somebody else wants to.

It must be seen to be believed and having seen it half a dozen times, I'm like "Wow, y'all I want to play that."

Just not with fifteen-year-olds.

CC

5 comments:

Lilylou said...

Sheesh, we used to play a variation of that in high school, back in the 50's, but I don't think it was quite that much fun!

Chalicechick said...

Does that mean you're in?

CC

Anonymous said...

Lol, that's a pretty good explanation. One variation is the pairs make a circle and the winker has two pairs of guards to half-heartedly protect the winker. Also, usually winks aren't used in large groups but rather the winker calls out things like "everyone wearing socks" or more directly "Jim Bob". Pointing also replaces the wink. Those days were fun, we had to stop when someone broke a toe.
There's also a pretty deep background story that either involves god or a bar scene.

Lilylou said...

I don't know---are you going to have any cute winkers in my age bracket?

PeaceBang said...

Oh my heavens. Thank you for the very detailed explanation!

I just keep thinking that I know I would throw out my back.

As I said when I got cast in the role of Rizzo in "Grease" when I was 30, "I'm too old to hand jive."