18-year-old Helena Muffly wrote exactly 100 years ago today:
Thursday, March 19, 1914: Ruth and I went to a party up at town tonight. We played at progressive cards. I was the only one who didn’t progress. My skill was awarded by getting the ‘booby’ prize. It was a chocolate pig with a red ribbon round its neck.
Her middle-aged granddaughter’s comments 100 years later:
Booby prizes are no fun!
Amazingly, I found an adorable chocolate pig with a red bow on the Compartes website.
Maybe I should have a card party (probably pinochle because that’s the card game that I’m best at)—and give a chocolate pig as the booby prize to the worst player. . . .oh, never mind. . . dumb idea. . . I think whoever got it, would get mad at me.
Well, that was fun to hear about Grandma’s outing: too bad she got the bobby prize. Amazing that you found a photo of one!
As a chocolate lover I think that’s a great prize!
Doesn’t sound like a booby prize to me!!! I would love getting a chocolate pig!!!
I like chocolate. It would make me feel better about losing!
Diana
I’m with the others. The chocolate pig sounds great to this chocolate lover!
I always thought that the booby prizes tended to be more interesting than the main prize. She doesn’t mention what the winners got.
What a scrumptious looking ‘booby’ prize! I wonder if they had dark chocolate back then, or is it a more recent trend.
Chocolate anything would never be a booby prize to me.
I can’t believe you found a picture of a chocolate pig with a red ribbon. I’d be happy to get a chocolate pig booby prize.
What an unusual prize.
You mean someone would get angry at getting chocolate??!! I know some people who would cheat to lose to get it! lol I have not heard “booby prize” in a long time. Now I get an idea on what it was.
Actually, when I was first married, we used to have bridge parties in people’s houses — usually three tables. Lots of fun. But my point here is that I’d hope for the booby prize when I realized I wasn’t going to win anything else.
Wish I had a chocolate pig to eat right now. Wonder what a progressive card party is.