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The International Telephonist's Society

A society that has been playing one game of Telephone for six centuries.
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The goal of this illuminati-like secret society is to carry on one continuous game of Telephone, or Chinese Whispers, for as long as possible. Membership is extremely exclusive, by invitation only from a member of the society; and members may only invite one person in their entire lifetime.

Lord Mondegreen started the International Telephonist’s Society, or La Société du Téléphoniste International, in France in the fourteenth century. On his deathbed, he called his faithful ward, Jacques, over to his bedside. There, he whispered a phrase in Jacques's ear, and told Jacques that when his own time came, Jacques would have to whisper the phrase in someone else's ear. The phrase can only be whispered once; therefore, the phrase has been distorted and misheard many times through the centuries.

Each member of the society studies his or her successor diligently in secret; usually, the person who is being considered is not even aware of that fact. Nevertheless, they are chosen because they are deemed to be the person most likely to continue the game. Then, one day, a tottering octogenarian approaches the person on the street. This is the previous member of the Society. The previous member of the Society pulls their successor’s head down to mouth level, informs them of the Society, and then gurgles a barely comprehensible sentence in their ear. As this sentence is only murmured once, the charge must make sense of it as well as they can. Over time, they will become resolved in their mission, and choose their own successor.

Public: Society category requested.

DrWorm, Nov 27 2009

Deliberately Misunderstand The Last Person Deliberately_20Misu...The_20Last_20Person
Seems similar somehow. [csea, Dec 01 2009]

[link]






       I'm not sure anything that originated in 14th century French would be at all intellegible even with good comprehension at each relay point...
csea, Nov 27 2009
  

       That's the point of Telephone. Even if it makes no sense, you need to say what you *think* it is.
DrWorm, Nov 27 2009
  

       <scratches International Secret Whisper Game off of unposted idea list> (+)   

       This idea is a bit mahumbam thim satpat.   

       [+]
wagster, Nov 27 2009
  

       "Eh ?"   

       [+]
8th of 7, Nov 27 2009
  

       //Lord Mondegreen// [+]
mouseposture, Nov 28 2009
  

       Hello [mouseposture] and welcome.   

       Great idea, I suggest the phrase to be: The fishbowl moves.   

       (it does you know)
zeno, Nov 28 2009
  

       //Chinese Whispers// - sp. Japanese Whispers - Javanese Hipsters - Janet's Slippers - James Flipper.
gnomethang, Nov 28 2009
  

       //Lord Mondegreen// Sp.: Lady Mondegreen.
MaxwellBuchanan, Nov 28 2009
  

       //Darth Greenmond// sp: Large duckpond.
DrBob, Nov 30 2009
  

       ////Lord Mondegreen// Sp.: Lady Mondegreen// [stet]   

       It would have been Lord Mondegreen who caught his wife with the Earl of Murray, shortly before fleeing to France to escape legal complications.
pertinax, Dec 01 2009
  

       Incidentally, what was this idea originally about?
pertinax, Dec 01 2009
  

       //Incidentally, what was this idea originally about?//
Lady Marmalade (itchy-kitchy-yaya-dada).
But don't tell anyone.
coprocephalous, Dec 01 2009
  

       Here's what I thought you lot were on about [link].
csea, Dec 01 2009
  
      
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