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Thursday, March 11, 2010

definition: Fooliards

Fooliards
-noun
1. A special version of billiards that is universally played by the mentally ill. It is first mentioned (by this name - it's suggested it has gone by many others) in a letter by an English bartender in 1834. He complains of two mentally ill men who came into his tavern and played two full games of billiards without once utilizing the balls or cues (he thus dubbed their game 'fooliards' and this label has stuck). They seemingly pantomimed the games, only using the "real" table. When other patrons wished to play an actual game of billiards they became hostile. This phenomenon has occurred across the world on many occasions when the mentally ill have wandered into taverns. Carl Jung has a short book on the subject entitled Archetypical Games, Rules, and Delusions (1913, Pub: Random House).
2. When one is "winding-up" his mates, he is said to be playing a game of fooliards with them. Example: "You're a liar, Harry. I know James ain't gone to India. That's nuts. You're playing a game of folliards with me, are ya?"

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