One of my Christmas presents two years ago was the word game Orijinz. (Why do so many manufacturers and websites feel impelled to misspell words? Should I change the blog name to Da BuKChuK?) I'm sorry it's taken me so long to tell you about Orijinz, which I really like. Orijinz is aimed more at adults and teens than under-12s. If you have teens who like word play, I think they'll enjoy it. I know my family and friends do. Basically, Orijinz involves one person reading aloud the origin of a word or phrase, and the others must guess the way we use it now. So for instance, I might read aloud: "Guess the Phrase. Origin: Before the era of electric light, lighthouses and theatres burned a mineral to create a strong spotlight effect." If nobody makes a correct response, I give them a little more help by reading: "Definition: A focus of public attention." People can call out answers and then usually someone clever works out that the phrase is "In the limelight". I think Entspire have done a good job with this game. Yes, it tends to be US-centric. But with the world's exposure to US culture via TV and movies, that's not such a huge problem. I like that even if you don't know the origin of a word, and very often you don't, you can make an intelligent guess. And the product itself is a sturdy box of good quality cards that can be purchased online, and is small enough to pop into a backpack or flight bag.

read more: Review, Orijinz