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Georgings

Introduction

Georging is a drinking game popular amongst students of The University of Cambridge. Indeed many suggest that it was the veritable cornucopia of traditional hostelries in the old city that served to ferment and distill what have now become the accepted rules of the game.

Rules

In Play

The game may only take place when a group of three or more individuals are drinking pints of ale; if there are other individuals in the group consuming drinks other than real-ale then they act merely as spectators. It is widely accepted that the three-persons rule was invented to ensure that regular players could enjoy social pints-of-ale as a pair and not be pressured into accelerated consumption.

Deciding who becomes The George

The rules of the game stipulate that the last person to finish their pint-of-ale in any given ’round’ (in the sense of a game and indeed a round-of-drinks) be known as The George. Unless, however, the individual in question still has more than one-half-pint of ale remaining in his glass and consumes the entire contents of said glass without pause (or downs the pint in the working-class-vernacular).

Forfeits for The George

As The George the individual in question is required, under strict rules, to purchase on behalf of all players the following ’round’ of ales. It should be noted that The George acts merely as a courier, he or she is not required to pay themselves. It is only upon being Georged (being classified The George) on ten consecutive occasions that an individual is required to pay for and purchase a round of ale; it should be noted that this is an extremely rare occurrence.

It is customary for players, upon finishing a pint-of-ale and not being classified The George to invert their glass such that the base points towards the sky and bring it down upon the table (preferably beer mat, see later for an explanation) with a sharp rap. The George, contrary to this, is required to lower his glass in its non-inverted position and ‘tinkle’ it on the table in a fashion not entirely dissimilar from that with which a coin, when spun, comes to rest. The rationale behind this is the assertion of vehement masculinity, inherent to swift alcohol consumption, of the non-Georges over the effete and tardy George.

Ancillary rules

The practice of inverting the glass can create spillage; more civilized and considerate competitors quickly revert their glass to its natural upright position for the sake of bar-staff. Indeed, some variations of the game require a cloth to be carried by players for the specific purpose of wiping up spillage. In the interests of reducing spillages from glass-inversion the individual deemed to have left the least remnants of ale in their glass is pronounced Captain of the Clean Glass Brigade. It should be noted that The George may not take this accolade.

The History of Georging

The origins of the game

Many suggest the game was developed sometime in the latter-half of the 20th Century at Cambridge University by marginalised state-school-students less than enamoured with the traditional pastimes of Cambridge-students. This is not implausible, as the University has in many ways returned to its public-school roots following the partial abolition of Grammar schools in the UK. Others suggest the game originated as a pastiche of the hedonistic drinking-games often played by students attending less privileged institutions. The origins of the game remain too obscure for a conclusive judgement on the matter; although it should be noted that these two viewpoints are not mutually-exclusive.

The identity of The George

The original George and the reasons for the term are shrouded in mystery; one likely apocryhpal tale asserts that The George was an individual renowned for his tardiness in consuming alcohol; ceding his name to this widely played game. Another alleges the game is a reference to George Best, the renowned Manchester United and Northern Ireland footballer, famed as much for his struggles with alcoholism as his prowess with the ball. Some even suggest the name stems from 1980’s pop-sensation George Michael, whose music-videos exhibited a clear homoerotic subtext: an interpretation entirely consistent with the assertion of machismo over The George central to the game.

The location of the early game

Tradition has it the game was first played in Cambridge pubs; indeed many enthusiasts visit the city every year to play the game in its original haunts. The Hostelries most associated with the game are perhaps The Pickerel Inn, The St. Radgund, The Champion of The Thames and The Grapes. Any would-be tourist would be well advised to consult the map of Cambridge-pubs linked at the base of the page.

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