Chinese whispers en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- (Southern-England) audio
Meanings
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(UK, uncountable) A game for several players in which a phrase, whispered by each person in turn to their neighbour, is often unwittingly misunderstood as it is transferred, to humorous effect by the time it reaches the last person and is compared with the original phrase.
Some members made it clear that they were not going to participate at all, because it was the last Bullring, and brought in books to read or played games like ‘Chinese Whispers’, totally ignoring any remarks that were made.
1965, A. J. Grainger, “The Bullring”, in The New Era in Home and School, volume 46, London: New Education Fellowship, page 216:This is no doubt the reason why children play Chinese Whispers. One child whispers a message to another and it travels around the circle of children, only to be revealed by the last member of the chain.
2014, Darian Leader, Introducing Lacan: A Graphic Guide, Icon Books Ltd, →ISBN:
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(figuratively, uncountable) A situation where something is changed or misunderstood as a result of passing through successive people or processes.
Rightly famed for their year 2000 project, RMX//A Visual Remix Project, for which they remixed each others' work in a Chinese Whispers-style process, they have also printed T-shirts with their eye-catching graphics […]
2004, Helen Walters, 200% Cotton: New T-Shirt Graphics, page 141:The UN would rather not be associated with blowing mosques to smithereens in a part of the world where propaganda is everywhere, and information spreads like Chinese whispers.
1999, Tom Owen, “Israel in South Lebanon”, in The Jewish Quarterly, volume 43, number Spring 1999, London: Jewish Literary Trust, page 15:
Synonyms
telephone game · a whisper down the lane · pass it down · telephone · telephone · Russian scandal · operator · broken telephone
Translations (51)
tt ватык телефон (game in which a phrase, whispered by each person in turn to their neighbour, is often unwittingly misunderstood as it is transferred) · ja 伝言ゲーム (game in which a phrase, whispered by each person in turn to their neighbour, is often unwittingly misunderstood as it is transferred) · sk telefón (game in which a phrase, whispered by each person in turn to their neighbour, is often unwittingly misunderstood as it is transferred) · nb hviskelek (game in which a phrase, whispered by each person in turn to their neighbour, is often unwittingly misunderstood as it is transferred) · de Flüsterpost (game in which a phrase, whispered by each person in turn to their neighbour, is often unwittingly misunderstood as it is transferred) · fi rikkinäinen puhelin (game in which a phrase, whispered by each person in turn to their neighbour, is often unwittingly misunderstood as it is transferred) · es teléfono estropeado (game in which a phrase, whispered by each person in turn to their neighbour, is often unwittingly misunderstood as it is transferred) · bg развален телефон (game in which a phrase, whispered by each person in turn to their neighbour, is often unwittingly misunderstood as it is transferred) · ga cogarnach Shíneach (game in which a phrase, whispered by each person in turn to their neighbour, is often unwittingly misunderstood as it is transferred) · pt telefone estragado (game in which a phrase, whispered by each person in turn to their neighbour, is often unwittingly misunderstood as it is transferred) · cs telefon (game in which a phrase, whispered by each person in turn to their neighbour, is often unwittingly misunderstood as it is transferred) · ca telèfon (game in which a phrase, whispered by each person in turn to their neighbour, is often unwittingly misunderstood as it is transferred) · cmn 傳話遊戲 /传话游戏 (game in which a phrase, whispered by each person in turn to their neighbour, is often unwittingly misunderstood as it is transferred) · nl doorfluistertje (game in which a phrase, whispered by each person in turn to their neighbour, is often unwittingly misunderstood as it is transferred) · is hvísluleikur (game in which a phrase, whispered by each person in turn to their neighbour, is often unwittingly misunderstood as it is transferred) · it telefono senza fili (game in which a phrase, whispered by each person in turn to their neighbour, is often unwittingly misunderstood as it is transferred) · cs tichá pošta (game in which a phrase, whispered by each person in turn to their neighbour, is often unwittingly misunderstood as it is transferred) · ko 옮겨 말하기 (game in which a phrase, whispered by each person in turn to their neighbour, is often unwittingly misunderstood as it is transferred) · hy փչացած հեռախոս (game in which a phrase, whispered by each person in turn to their neighbour, is often unwittingly misunderstood as it is transferred) · ru испо́рченный телефо́н (game in which a phrase, whispered by each person in turn to their neighbour, is often unwittingly misunderstood as it is transferred) · mk расипан телефон (game in which a phrase, whispered by each person in turn to their neighbour, is often unwittingly misunderstood as it is transferred) · it telegrafo senza fili (game in which a phrase, whispered by each person in turn to their neighbour, is often unwittingly misunderstood as it is transferred) · sh gluhi telefoni (game in which a phrase, whispered by each person in turn to their neighbour, is often unwittingly misunderstood as it is transferred) · es teléfono (game in which a phrase, whispered by each person in turn to their neighbour, is often unwittingly misunderstood as it is transferred) · hu kínai suttogás (game in which a phrase, whispered by each person in turn to their neighbour, is often unwittingly misunderstood as it is transferred) · de Stille Post (game in which a phrase, whispered by each person in turn to their neighbour, is often unwittingly misunderstood as it is transferred) · gmw-cfr Stille Poß (game in which a phrase, whispered by each person in turn to their neighbour, is often unwittingly misunderstood as it is transferred) · ar هَاتِف عَرَبِيّ (game in which a phrase, whispered by each person in turn to their neighbour, is often unwittingly misunderstood as it is transferred) · sv viskleken (game in which a phrase, whispered by each person in turn to their neighbour, is often unwittingly misunderstood as it is transferred) · ru сло́манный телефо́н (game in which a phrase, whispered by each person in turn to their neighbour, is often unwittingly misunderstood as it is transferred) · sk tichá pošta (game in which a phrase, whispered by each person in turn to their neighbour, is often unwittingly misunderstood as it is transferred) · pt telefone sem fio (game in which a phrase, whispered by each person in turn to their neighbour, is often unwittingly misunderstood as it is transferred) · ro telefonul fără fir (game in which a phrase, whispered by each person in turn to their neighbour, is often unwittingly misunderstood as it is transferred) · ar هَاتِف لَاسِلْكِيّ (game in which a phrase, whispered by each person in turn to their neighbour, is often unwittingly misunderstood as it is transferred) · fi juoruämmä (game in which a phrase, whispered by each person in turn to their neighbour, is often unwittingly misunderstood as it is transferred) · af telefoontjie (game in which a phrase, whispered by each person in turn to their neighbour, is often unwittingly misunderstood as it is transferred) · arz تليفون مكسور (game in which a phrase, whispered by each person in turn to their neighbour, is often unwittingly misunderstood as it is transferred) · ru глухо́й телефо́н (game in which a phrase, whispered by each person in turn to their neighbour, is often unwittingly misunderstood as it is transferred) · gmw-cfr Stėlle Poßß (game in which a phrase, whispered by each person in turn to their neighbour, is often unwittingly misunderstood as it is transferred) · vi tam sao thất bản (game in which a phrase, whispered by each person in turn to their neighbour, is often unwittingly misunderstood as it is transferred) · sh глухи телефони (game in which a phrase, whispered by each person in turn to their neighbour, is often unwittingly misunderstood as it is transferred) · uk зіпсо́ваний телефо́н (game in which a phrase, whispered by each person in turn to their neighbour, is often unwittingly misunderstood as it is transferred) · tr kulaktan kulağa (game in which a phrase, whispered by each person in turn to their neighbour, is often unwittingly misunderstood as it is transferred) · fr téléphone arabe (game in which a phrase, whispered by each person in turn to their neighbour, is often unwittingly misunderstood as it is transferred) · el χαλασμένο τηλέφωνο (game in which a phrase, whispered by each person in turn to their neighbour, is often unwittingly misunderstood as it is transferred) · yue 以訛傳訛 /以讹传讹 (game in which a phrase, whispered by each person in turn to their neighbour, is often unwittingly misunderstood as it is transferred) · he טֶלֶפוֹן שָׁבוּר (game in which a phrase, whispered by each person in turn to their neighbour, is often unwittingly misunderstood as it is transferred) · sh глуви телефони (game in which a phrase, whispered by each person in turn to their neighbour, is often unwittingly misunderstood as it is transferred) · sh gluvi telefoni (game in which a phrase, whispered by each person in turn to their neighbour, is often unwittingly misunderstood as it is transferred) · es teléfono descompuesto (game in which a phrase, whispered by each person in turn to their neighbour, is often unwittingly misunderstood as it is transferred) · pl głuchy telefon (game in which a phrase, whispered by each person in turn to their neighbour, is often unwittingly misunderstood as it is transferred)