The Best of Creative Computing Volume 1 (published 1976)
MADLIB (Madlibs party game, BASIC computer game, sample run)
MADLIB ~ A GAME
Madlibs are a creation of Roger Price and were designed as a hilarious party
game. In playing the
game, the leader has a sheet of paper similar to the one below, with a short
story written on it but
with certain words missing. In turn, he asks each person in the room to supply
one word, before reading the story. The first person may be asked for an
adjective, the second for a noun, etc., until all the blanks are filled in. The
leader then reads the story to the group in a hearty, booming voice.
FABLE
Once upon a time a__________________dog got hold of a __________________bone. He
was walking across a
adj. adj.
______________ bridge and saw his ___________________________reflection in the
water. "_________________!"
adj. adj.
exclamation
he said, there is another _____________dog with another ________________ bone.
I'll make a ______________
adj. adj.
adj.
grab, take his and then I'll have two ______________________bones." With that
the ____________________dog
adj.
adj.
jumped in to the water and __________________drowned. MORAL: A_______________in
the _________________is
adverb noun
noun
worth two in the __________________.
noun
With Madlib, you can exercise some real creativity with synonyms. Consider:
instead of saying "big" use another word like "huge," "tremendous," "enormous,"
"bulbous," "bulging," "massive," or "boundless."
Exercise 1
For each of the following words, write 10 synonyms. Use the most ludicrous
synonyms you can think of. Try to do it by yourself, or use a dictionary or
Roget's Thesaurus. Compare your word lists with those of other class members.
small rough
old ugly
witty brain
Exercise2
Play MADLIB on the computer. Set the tone of the finished story by using all
ugly sounding words or all political words or all buzzwords from one profession.
Compare your stories with those of other class members.
The MADLIB program was originally written by Henry Gallo, a high school
student in Huntington, NY. It was extensively modified by David Ahl.
SAMPLE RUN
RUN MADLIB
MADLIB STORY-WRITER BY DAVE AHL BASED ON PROGRAM ORIGINALLY WRITTEN BY HENRY
GALLO, JOHN HS.
O.K. WE'RE GOING TO WRITE SOME MAD-LIB STORIES TOGETHER. YOU SUPPLY THE WORDS,
I SUPPLY THE PLOT.
FIRST I NEED 11 ADJECTIVES. ADJECTIVES MODIFY
A NOUN, E.G., RED, DIRTY, LARGE, ETC.
? HORRENDOUS
? UNUSUAL
? UGLY
? RANCID
? OVERFLOWING
? SMELLY
? IMPROPER
? DIRTY
? UNDIGESTED
? GROTESQUE
? FRANKFURTER
HOW ABOUT TWO FIRST NAMES OF MEN
? FRANK
? WOLFGANG
THE FIRST NAME OF A GIRL
? BERTHA
AND SOMEONE'S LAST NAME
? WASHINGTON
? GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION
? ROXBURY SLUMS
? LIQUID
? MOXIE
AND FINALLY, AN EXCLAMATORY WORD OR TOW
? OH PSHAW
VERY GOOD! WOULD YOU LIKE A NEWSPAPER AND (1), A WESTERN (2), A STORY ABOUT THE
ARMY (3), OR A WATERBED(4), WHICH ONE, 1,2,3, OR 4? 1
DAILY URGENT CLASSIFIEDS
FOR SALE: 1957 SEDAN THIS HORRENDOUS CAR IS IN UNUSUAL CONDITION. IT WAS
FORMERLY OWNED BY A UGLY SCHOOL TEACHER WHO ALWAYS DROVE IT SLOVENLY. THERE IS
A RANCID GROUNDHOG IN THE BACK SEAT. IT HAS A CHROME BEER CAN ON THE HOOD. A
OVERFLOWING PAINT JOB, SMELLY TIRES AND THE BACK OPENS INTO A IMPROPER GARBAGE
CAN WILL CONSIDER TAKING A SLIGHTLY USED INSECT IN TRADE.
LOST IN THE VICINITY OF ROXBURY SLUMS, A DIRTY FRENCH POODLE WITH UNDIGESTED
HAIR AND A GROTESQUE TAIL. IT ANSWERS TO THE NAME OF BERTHA WHEN LAST SEEN IT
WAS CARRYING A AARDVARK IN ITS MOUTH. A BLEEDING REWARD IS OFFERED.
AN ADULT WESTERN
TEX WASHINGTON, THE MARSHALL OF FRANK CITY RODE INTO TOWN. HE SAT GREEDILY IN
THE SADDLE, READY FOR TROUBLE. HE KNEW THAT HIS HORRENDOUS ENEMY, WOLFGANG THE
KID WAS IN TOWN. THE KID WAS IN LOVE WITH TEX'S HORSE, BERTHA. SUDDENLY THE
KID CAME OUT OF THE IMPROPER NUGGET SALOON.
'DRAW TEX,' HE YELLED HEAVENLY.
TEX REACHED FOR HIS INSECT, BUT BEFORE HE COULD GET IT OUT OF HIS AARDVARK THE
KID FIRED, HITTING TEX IN THE BELLY BUTTON AND THE KNEECAP.
AS TEX FELL HE PULLED OUT HIS OWN DECTAPE AND SHOT THE KID 17 TIMES IN THE
PIGTAIL. THE KID DROPPED IN A POOL OF MOXIE.
'OH PSHAW,' TEX SAID, 'I HATED TO DO IT BUT HE WAS ON THE WRONG SIDE OF THE
FRANKFURTER.
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