Padiddle is a nighttime travel game whose objective is to earn points by spotting vehicles with a burned-out headlight. Depending on where you are from, the game might have a slightly different variation of the name, such as "Paddidle", "Pididdle", "Pedunkle", "Pediddle", "Padizzle", "Paduddle", "Padoodle", "Perdido", "Perdiddle", "Badiddle", "Fadiddle", "Padoggle", "Spadoogle", or "Kadiddle." In the basic game, created by the Keyholders, the first person to spot a vehicle with only one operational headlight shouts "padiddle!", and the winner is the one who, by the end of the trip, has spotted the most vehicles. The game may also be played by giving extra points for vehicles such as semitrailers or police cars. In some variations, people punch the roof, others kiss their neighbor, others honk the horn, and others punch the person next to them in the arm. The most provocative versions require the losers to remove an article of clothing each time they miss a "padiddle", or that all the males in the car have to remove an article of clothing if a female spots a "padiddle" first and vice versa. Some who play these versions use the term "Sex" or other more provocative words in favor of "Padiddle." In another variant, popular in the Midwest, if the girl on a date spotted a car with one headlight first, she would say "padiddle" and slap the boy's face, while if the boy spotted it first, he would say "curdiddle" and kiss the girl. The origin of the term is unknown. It was widely used in New Jersey, New York and other eastern states in the 1950s to refer to cars with one headlight out. For couples, the person who spotted the car and said padiddle received a kiss. It is possible that the term goes back as far as the 1940s. Rules may include:
- Only headlights count. No tail lights.
- If the driver sees a Padiddle in the rear window, he can call it, while passengers can't. This is known as the "driver's handicap", as they have to pay attention to driving.
- If someone is seen driving with their indicator still on, that counts as a Padiddle.
- Calling a false Padiddle will incur a penalty of one point, item of clothing, etc.
- If a Padiddle is called which no one else can see (eg. through a median, fence or trees), then it can be challenged within 3 seconds for dismissal. If no one challenges it, then it counts.
- If you find special vehicles with one light out, (emergency vehicles, semi traliers etc), they are special and double the reward.
- An additional rule to padiddle (not notable above, is that if somebody in the car sees a car with no headlights then that person shouts 'suicide' and hits the roof. the last person to shout suicide and hit the roof must remoe all articles of clothing.
- If one doesn't want to follow the rules, they can ask to owe a certain amount of 'padiddles' or 'suicides' next time the game is played
External links
- Allthatstuff Car Game
- Evans, Story and Lise O'Haire. "Padiddle." TravelMates: Fun Games Kids Can Play in the Car or on the Go--No Materials Needed. Three Rivers Press, 1997. ISBN 0517887606.
- Mother Tongue Annoyances: Padiddle
