Looking for adult pictionary words? Not the rude kind, just the kind that suit people who have jobs, commutes and a tangled group chat. The funniest ones are everyday situations everybody recognises and nobody can draw well. Here are 60, grouped by mood, with notes on how to use them. They work on paper at a kitchen table, and they work in a draw and guess game online with friends.
How do you choose adult words?
Pick things that are easy to recognise but awkward to draw. A word like "traffic jam" is a gift: any drawer can scribble cars in a line, and the table will shout. A word like "irony" is a trap, because there is no picture. Aim for scenes, situations and phrases that have a visible shape.
Daily life
1. traffic jam
2. burnt toast
3. lost keys
4. group chat
5. parking ticket
6. power cut
7. voicemail
8. queue
9. snooze button
10. to-do list
11. jet lag
12. hangover
13. weekend plans
14. dentist chair
15. flat battery
Work and money
1. job interview
2. coffee break
3. open-plan office
4. printer jam
5. spreadsheet
6. deadline
7. pay rise
8. conference call
9. lunch meeting
10. overdraft
11. commute
12. expense report
13. name badge
14. lanyard
15. team building
Sayings
1. break the ice
2. piece of cake
3. cold feet
4. spill the beans
5. elephant in the room
6. rule of thumb
7. tip of the iceberg
8. let the cat out of the bag
9. bite the bullet
10. under the weather
11. raining cats and dogs
12. on thin ice
13. burn the midnight oil
14. a blessing in disguise
15. back to square one
Out and about
1. karaoke night
2. escape room
3. pub quiz
4. speed dating
5. book club
6. yoga class
7. road trip
8. barbecue
9. wedding speech
10. surprise party
11. gym membership
12. farmers market
13. airport security
14. camping trip
15. house warming
How do you play with the list?
Write each word on a slip and put them in a bowl. Each drawer takes one, draws for a minute, and the table guesses. If the table gets it, both the drawer and the guessers score. Sayings are the hardest, so mix them with easier situations.
Why are sayings so funny?
Because the drawing is a pun. To draw "cold feet", you draw feet in a snowman's shoes and the table groans. The humour is in the gap between the literal picture and the meaning.
Can you play it online?
Yes. On Boardit, a free site I make, Draw and Guess seats two to twelve in a browser, and the host can add custom words. Paste in a few of these for an adult evening, and you have a drawing game online with friends in minutes.
How do you score a paper game?
Keep it simple. A team earns one point for each word its own drawer gets across before a minute-long timer runs out, and the team with the most points after ten words wins. Alternate teams, and let the other team guess if the first fails, for a bonus point. With four or more people, split into two teams and sit them on opposite sides of the room so the drawer's sketch is hidden from the rivals.
Which words should you avoid?
Avoid abstract ideas with no picture (irony, patience), words that are the same as their drawing (a circle for a circle), and anything that depends on a joke only one person in the group will get. Avoid words that single out a person at the table. A good adult list is warm, not pointed.
How do you adapt the list to your group?
Swap in places, jobs and habits from your own world. A group of teachers will laugh at "parents' evening"; a group of cyclists at "puncture". The 60 words above are a starting point, and the right list for your table is the one with your own jokes in it. Add ten of your own and drop ten of mine.
Some tips for the drawers
Start with the biggest shape.
Use arrows and speech bubbles if allowed.
Draw the scene, not the word.
Accept that you cannot draw, and enjoy it.
Ahmed Moaz builds Boardit, a free browser game site.