yankee swap/chinese auction

[Wendalyn Nichols]

Seattle, 1970s: we also called this a "white elephant" party, because the
gifts that were brought were meant to all be white elephants, things that
you wanted to get rid of.
WRN


At 04:00 PM 12/13/04, Baker, John wrote:
>         Coincidentally, my brother, in southern California, last night
> mentioned participating in a game as described by Dale and called it a
> "white elephant" (which I believe is a new meaning for that term).  The
> game was new to my brother.
>
>John Baker
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: American Dialect Society [mailto:ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU]On Behalf
>Of Dale Coye
>Sent: Monday, December 13, 2004 9:57 AM
>To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
>Subject: yankee swap/chinese auction
>
>
>Yesterday up here in New Hampshire I heard someone talking about having a
>Christmas party with a Yankee Swap.  When it was described I realized it
>was what
>was called a Chinese Auction in New Jersey (this came to the list several
>years ago).  It's where you have a fairly large group and everyone brings a
>present. Then numbers are drawn.  Number one goes to the pile of presents,
>picks
>one and opens it, then number two can either pick a new one to open or demand
>number one's, and so on.  If one present is particularly desirable it can
>exchange hands several times.
>
>Dale Coye
>Wilton, New Hampshire