The Last Word: Gilbert Harding's Party Game

Contents. 17 sheets, on each of which several 4-letter words are printed; one sheet on which the solutions are printed, and 12 answer cards.

The host keeps the solution sheet, and places the 17 sheets around the room separately so that each one can easily be seen. Each player is then given an answer card and a pencil. The players write their names at the head of their cards. On line No. 1 on each answer card appears a 4-letter word, and on line 11 a different 4-letter word is printed. The players have to write in each of the 10 spaces (Nos. 2 to 10) on their answer cards a 4-letter word, each one different by one letter only from the word immediately before it, so that the tenth word has only one letter different from the word printed at the foot of their answer cards.

The words they require all appear on the 17 sheets distributed about the room; so, on the word “ Go! ” the players examine the sheets until they see on one of them a word different by one letter from the word at the top of their answer cards. They write this down on line No. 2 and then proceed to look for the next word, which will be one letter different again from what they have just written, and so on.

The winner is the player who first completes a correct answer card. He takes it to the host for checking. N.B.—The words on the 17 sheets are not, of course, in correct order.

Note Gilbert Harding (1907 - 1960) became a TV celebrity mainly thanks to his regular appearances on the BBC version of What's My Line? He was cantankerous and had volatile outbursts against contestants he found rather dull. This character trait made the show compulsive viewing in the 1950's.