parlour game

See also: parlour-game

English

Alternative forms

• parlor game, parlor-game, parlour-game

Noun

parlour game (plural parlour games)

1. Any of a number of amusing games played indoors with few props by the members of a social gathering.
   • 1918, Arthur Quiller-Couch, Foe-Farrell, Prologue:

     Do you know that parlour-game, Yarrell dear? Are you a performer at Musical Chairs?

2. (politics, figuratively) The use of deliberately nebulous or confusing language.

Synonyms

• (deliberately confusing language): doublespeak

Translations

amusing game played indoors with few props

• German: Gesellschaftsspiel (de) n
• Swedish: sällskapsspel (sv) (usually card games or board games or the like)