There are some things that people with hearing loss are not particularly good at, generally speaking: taking the minutes at meetings, hearing a pin drop, working as a UN translator, and playing the Whisper Game.
In this game, also known as ‘Telephone’ or ‘Chinese Whispers’, a group of people sits in a circle or around the room. A written message is shown to the first person, who then whispers the words to the person beside them, and it passes similarly along the line. Out loud, the last person says what he or she heard – usually to shouts of laughter at how much the message has changed from the original written words. What started out as “This year, the Florida weather people are warning us to expect a big snow fall in July” may end up as, “Horrible stuff happens to people who know the government’s secrets.”
I want to say two things about the Whisper Game. The first is that it should tear to shreds the urban myth that says 10% of the population has hearing loss; it’s clear from the Whisper Game that the actual number is around 90%.
Secondly – welcome to my world.
When playing the Whisper Game, ‘hearing’ people are getting a lick of the everyday hearing loss life. What I think I heard may be completely and dramatically different from what was actually said, as illustrated in this exchange with a friend some years ago.
Friend: Gael, would you like a diet Pepsi?
Me: Oh no – fleas! That’s terrible.
Friend: (Pauses.) No, I’m asking if you would like some pop!
Me: Oh. I thought you said Digby has fleas.
Luckily I indicated what I thought I’d heard; otherwise other friends would have heard about how poorly Digby the dog was being cared for.
Whisper Game Phrases
But back to whispering, something that gives hard of hearing people the willies. Whispering is about intimate secrets just beyond our reach, just beyond our capability. When someone whispers into our ear, their message is instantly compromised. If people whispered at us the same way they talk to us – face to face, with reasonable lip movement and facial expression – we would have a fighting chance of comprehension.
But that’s not how people whisper. They move in close to our ear, their lips out of our sightline. ‘S’ and ‘F’ sound the same and emotions are colorless, because there is no tone of voice or facial expressions to help us out. The puffs of air we feel against our ear tell us nothing – they are just staccato bits of oxygen tickling our pinnas.
Some people, when we tell them we don’t understand whispering, will try whispering harder. This is like speaking loudly to a person who doesn’t understand your language – it doesn’t work. And if we jerk our neck to face the whisperer, it looks like we’re trying to kiss. We’re not, but we do worry that you’ll accidentally spit on our hearing aids or cochlear implant.
As a child or teenager with hearing loss, the announcement that we were going to play the Whisper Game immediately panicked me. What nine-year-old child is going to say, “Oh, let’s not play that game; I have hearing loss and it’s difficult to hear whispering. What about something else – anybody fancy five card stud?” Even adults aren’t that forthcoming – they say something mature like, “I have to go to the loo…so go ahead, don’t wait for me.”
Whispering has no voice. Words are formed the usual way with the tongue, lips and jaw, but instead of vibrating as in regular speech, vocal cords are adducted (move inward) to create audible turbulence, a hissing quality (Wikipedia). An interesting fact: while it uses less air and therefore less effort than normal speech, whispering tires the vocal cords more quickly. Actors or singers on vocal rest will not whisper for this reason. Vocal strain is also a good reason not to whisper to people with hearing loss. It’s like banging your head against a brick wall – it gets you nowhere and can possibly cause damage.
Some family doctors use the whispered voice test to detect possible hearing loss in their patients, so here’s a tip. During your next annual physical, if you feel little gusts of air coming at you from behind, say, “I hear you, doctor, there’s no need to yell.” If it was the doctor doing the whisper test, you just passed and are good for another year.
I love that term audible turbulence, because that’s how whispering can make me feel – anxious, upset and turbulent. Whispering is only 30dB (normal speech is approximately 60dB), so there’s no way I’m going to understand it without relying 100% on speechreading.
I wish I could understand it, because whispering looks intimate and beautiful, but I can’t. So to anyone who feels the urge to whisper in my ear, make us both happy – use your voice and show me the lips.
When You Whisper To Me
Pssstt!
If you whisper in my ear,
Or at me, face to face
Your words are as comprehensible,
As those uttered by a snake.
(Worse, actually, because when a snake hisses, its meaning is crystal clear.)
I wish I could hear whispering
It seems intimate, connecting
But when you start whispering to me
It’s an exercise in frustration.
(And, you know, it makes me want to hit you, because I’ve told you this before.)
There are alternatives to whispering
Such as facing me, or speaking low
You could write it down, perhaps
Or, simply put your thoughts on hold.
(Or do us both a favor – go whisper to someone else.)
So, when you start to whisper to me,
Please stop.
The page of funny sayings from various situations and aspects of our life. Find random things to say on this page and subpage of:
There is no point of running away form a sniper. You will die from exhaustion.
Sometimes even when you brake you can’t stop.
It is not bad if you got stood up, it is worse if you liked it.
I love to travel. It’s a way of meeting new people, opening the gates of new cities. Signed by Genghis Khan.
Everyone has a conscience: it doesn’t matter if he wants it or not.
It seemed like we were screwed. It appeared it didn’t seem like that.
A badge on the 150 kilo man: I’m tired of living; ask me if I want to lose weight.
After another crisis it is getting obvious why the spoon is used according to the design. However, we use it as a musical instrument.
Carlson is not that scary, only his propeller is.
According to the principle of the sandwich, if you put butter on both sides the sandwich will hang in the air.
The longer you sleep – the more sleep you need. The more you eat – the bigger is your appetite.
They look so much alike, like two drops from the same end.
If the answer to all questions is yes, so why not?
There is a lot of conscience in me, but there’s a lack of time.
‘Who the hell allowed me to be born in this stupid head?’ a Thought said and killed herself…
Not all the things are that bad, as everything that is wrong so bad.
Concerning the absence of toilet paper, there should be complaint books laid out at publicly used places.
The eyes are afraid of. And they do well.
If a person loses his head, why does it matter how many brains did he have?
It’s better to give birth once than to complain every day.
From two vices I always choose the one I haven’t tried yet.
There are lots of good people, but much less of useful ones.
There’s good climate in heaven, but a better company in hell.
What is Napoleon’s legacy? The cake, the cognac and psychos.
You were born yourself, now help the others.
So there would be something to be silent about, there is always something to talk about.
A trolley infected with a controller is like a rotten apple: not that bad from the outside, but used only in extreme cases.
Winged phrases are passed from mouth to mouth, and that way they multiply.
Color blind are lucky people! They don’t notice the greyness of the daily routine.
If you see green, it doesn’t mean the spring has come.
The row saw me and happily waged the tail.
During a hiking trip: these are not legs anymore, but a means of transportation.
Cleavage – is an art of being naked so that you’re still dressed up.
Summer, please go slower.
A bright mind is a necessity while shopping.
If you didn’t hear it with your own ears, didn’t see with your own eyes, then don’t think nonsense with your little brain and don’t talk with your big mouth.
For more funny sayings go to:
Browse through the most popular funny sayings categories:
As a funny random things to say you may also want to visit the pages of funny one liners and obvious facts. We would also appreciate if you shared your funny sayings with us. Please do that through the comments below.
To see never-seen colors and shapes,
To try to understand the imperceptible
Power pervading the world;
To fly and find pure ethereal substances
That are not of matter
But of that invisible soul pervading reality.
To hear another soul and to whisper to another soul;
To be a lantern in the darkness
Or an umbrella in a stormy day;
To feel much more than know.
To be the eyes of an eagle, slope of a mountain;
To be a wave understanding the influence of the moon;
To be a tree and read the memory of the leaves;
To be an insignificant pedestrian on the streets
Of crazy cities watching, watching, and watching.
To be a smile on the face of a woman
And shine in her memory
As a moment saved without planning.”
―
Where my cold ashes lie
And sadly murmuring tell thee
How in tears I did die”
―
―
―
―
―
―
Flowing so freely with every drop
Let my every emotion wonder,
No need to start, nor even stop
How I wish I was like the fire,
Burning with every flame up
Leaving a trace of hot desire
As a Phoenix raises its' wings up
How I wish I was like the earth,
Raising each flower from the ground
Seeing the beauty of death and birth
And then returning to the ground
How I wish I was like the wind,
Hearing each whisper, sound and thought
A lonesome and wandering little wind,
Shattering all that has been sought
Oh, how I wish I was where you are,
Not separated by empty space, so far
It seems like we're galaxies apart,
But we find hope within our heart
And how I wish I was all of the above,
So I can come below and yet forget,
The beauty of angels which come down like a dove
And demons who love with no regret.”
―
―
room.
“Holy shit!” Icka patted her head as if searching. “You think the nurse stole it? She looked shady.”
―
―
Telephone Whisper Game Phrases
―
'You'd better do it soon,' Owen whispered close to her ear, 'or I'm going to bend you over that table and break the club's no-penetration-in-the-lounge rule.”
―
And when we whisper, then the stars fall down
To be partakers of our honey talk.
(Dido, Queen of Carthage 4.4.52-54)”
―
―
―
![Whisper Game Phrases Whisper Game Phrases](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/mflgames-090311124454-phpapp02/95/mfl-games-38-728.jpg?cb=1236775741)
“Do what?”
“Exist.”
―
―
―
if we shout on the background.”
―
―
―
―
and he can also walk the streets,
looking for those listed,
or those he accidently meets.
A touch or a whisper,
the smell of his breath,
it's what lets us know,
he beckons that we're next.
And hide he doth find,
in a closet or a chest,
because our days were numbered,
'cause death doesn't jest.”
―
Did you see the rain
Falling down my dreams?
Did you felt the pain
Drying all my tears?
I've just seen the night
Washing the bad years...
I've just found my sight
Running from my fears...
Did you hear the wind
Blowing all the whispers?
I've been always blind...
I see now the answers...”
―
―
―
―
―
![Whisper Game Phrases Whisper Game Phrases](https://i5.walmartimages.ca/images/Large/319/827/6000197319827.jpg)
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What it is: A simple, silly talking game with no winners or losers. Great for kids.
Best for: Group of 6 to 12.
What you need: Just people to play.
How to play: Sit all of your players in a line. The player at one end of the line (we’ll call her Janna) thinks of a phrase or saying. It can be something made-up; in fact, it’s often funnier if it is. Something like, for example, “The cow ate the apple pie.” It can be as silly as Janna wants, about people in the room or about something random.
Once Janna thinks of her phrase, she whispers it quietly in the ear of the player next to her, Robby. Robby listens carefully, and then once Janna finishes whispering her phrase, he leans over and whispers it in the ear of the player next to him. The game continues like this, with the phrase being passed all the way down the line of players.
Now if Robby doesn’t clearly hear the phrase Janna whispers or it doesn’t make much sense to him, he CAN’T ask Janna to repeat it – that’s a rule. Each player is only allowed to say the phrase once. So if Robby didn’t hear right, he just has to guess the best he can at what the phrase might be and whisper it to the next player.
![Game Game](https://i0.wp.com/i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/t_original/oorfgo4fihyw01dffban.png)
That’s where the fun of the game comes in, because by the time the phrase reaches the end of the line, it’s usually so different from the original as to be silly. Once the last player (we’ll call him Benny) has the phrase whispered in his ear, he repeats it out loud to the other players, and then everyone laughs at the absurd differences in the sentences; perhaps as what started as “The cow ate the apple pie” ends as “Now Nate learns to fly.”
To play another round, have Janna move to the end of the line and let Robby start the next phrase.
Variations: Telephone is a good simple game, but there are some more involved – and fun – variations involving charades and drawing/writing.
Other Related Games and Posts
In this game, also known as ‘Telephone’ or ‘Chinese Whispers’, a group of people sits in a circle or around the room. A written message is shown to the first person, who then whispers the words to the person beside them, and it passes similarly along the line. Out loud, the last person says what he or she heard – usually to shouts of laughter at how much the message has changed from the original written words. What started out as “This year, the Florida weather people are warning us to expect a big snow fall in July” may end up as, “Horrible stuff happens to people who know the government’s secrets.”
I want to say two things about the Whisper Game. The first is that it should tear to shreds the urban myth that says 10% of the population has hearing loss; it’s clear from the Whisper Game that the actual number is around 90%.
Secondly – welcome to my world.
When playing the Whisper Game, ‘hearing’ people are getting a lick of the everyday hearing loss life. What I think I heard may be completely and dramatically different from what was actually said, as illustrated in this exchange with a friend some years ago.
Friend: Gael, would you like a diet Pepsi?
Me: Oh no – fleas! That’s terrible.
Friend: (Pauses.) No, I’m asking if you would like some pop!
Whisper Game Phrases Christmas
Me: Oh. I thought you said Digby has fleas.
Luckily I indicated what I thought I’d heard; otherwise other friends would have heard about how poorly Digby the dog was being cared for.
But back to whispering, something that gives hard of hearing people the willies. Whispering is about intimate secrets just beyond our reach, just beyond our capability. When someone whispers into our ear, their message is instantly compromised. If people whispered at us the same way they talk to us – face to face, with reasonable lip movement and facial expression – we would have a fighting chance of comprehension.
But that’s not how people whisper. They move in close to our ear, their lips out of our sightline. ‘S’ and ‘F’ sound the same and emotions are colorless, because there is no tone of voice or facial expressions to help us out. The puffs of air we feel against our ear tell us nothing – they are just staccato bits of oxygen tickling our pinnas.
Some people, when we tell them we don’t understand whispering, will try whispering harder. This is like speaking loudly to a person who doesn’t understand your language – it doesn’t work. And if we jerk our neck to face the whisperer, it looks like we’re trying to kiss. We’re not, but we do worry that you’ll accidentally spit on our hearing aids or cochlear implant.
As a child or teenager with hearing loss, the announcement that we were going to play the Whisper Game immediately panicked me. What nine-year-old child is going to say, “Oh, let’s not play that game; I have hearing loss and it’s difficult to hear whispering. What about something else – anybody fancy five card stud?” Even adults aren’t that forthcoming – they say something mature like, “I have to go to the loo…so go ahead, don’t wait for me.”
Whispering has no voice. Words are formed the usual way with the tongue, lips and jaw, but instead of vibrating as in regular speech, vocal cords are adducted (move inward) to create audible turbulence, a hissing quality (Wikipedia). An interesting fact: while it uses less air and therefore less effort than normal speech, whispering tires the vocal cords more quickly. Actors or singers on vocal rest will not whisper for this reason. Vocal strain is also a good reason not to whisper to people with hearing loss. It’s like banging your head against a brick wall – it gets you nowhere and can possibly cause damage.
Some family doctors use the whispered voice test to detect possible hearing loss in their patients, so here’s a tip. During your next annual physical, if you feel little gusts of air coming at you from behind, say, “I hear you, doctor, there’s no need to yell.” If it was the doctor doing the whisper test, you just passed and are good for another year.
I love that term audible turbulence, because that’s how whispering can make me feel – anxious, upset and turbulent. Whispering is only 30dB (normal speech is approximately 60dB), so there’s no way I’m going to understand it without relying 100% on speechreading.
I wish I could understand it, because whispering looks intimate and beautiful, but I can’t. So to anyone who feels the urge to whisper in my ear, make us both happy – use your voice and show me the lips.
When You Whisper To Me
Pssstt!
If you whisper in my ear,
Or at me, face to face
Your words are as comprehensible,
As those uttered by a snake.
(Worse, actually, because when a snake hisses, its meaning is crystal clear.)
I wish I could hear whispering
It seems intimate, connecting
But when you start whispering to me
It’s an exercise in frustration.
(And, you know, it makes me want to hit you, because I’ve told you this before.)
There are alternatives to whispering
Such as facing me, or speaking low
You could write it down, perhaps
Or, simply put your thoughts on hold.
(Or do us both a favor – go whisper to someone else.)
So, when you start to whisper to me,
Please stop.