Talk:Zoom schwartz profigliano
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This posting offers a correction to the "History" section. Zoom Schwartz Profigliano was very popular among City of Syracuse lifeguards dating at least as far back as the early 1970s. The guards from whom I learned the game (in 1975) had been playing it for several years. Most of them (and all the best players) were Syracuse University swimmers and alums (men and women), and it was obvious to me that the game had been passed down from earlier SU swimming graduates. The game quickly spread in popularity among the 150 or so City guards (and their friends and relations) during the mid-to-late 1970s and early 1980s. Rousing games of Zoom Schwartz were a staple of guard parties (and there were lots of them) for many summers. Although I have no evidence that the game was invented at Syracuse (and I'm not suggesting that it was), it certainly was played here -- often, and well. I can say for certain that the game did not originate at MIT, at least not in the mid- to late 1970s.
The game we played involved a 3-word vocabulary – "Zoom" to initiate or redirect the "conversation," and "Schwartz" or "Profigliano" to reply. "Schwartz" required the speaker to look at the person to whom the reply is directed when speaking; "Profigliano" required the speaker NOT to look at the person to whom the reply is directed. Failure to respond immediately (no 5 second rule here), or incorrect pronunciation (a "splivage") was a foul. The simplicity of the rules made head fakes and other deceptive moves critical to success in the game, and led to long and entertaining rallies. I suspect, though, that the addition of 4th or 5th commands (as in the Southern California or Wisconsin rules) would have been all kinds of fun also!
Incidentally, while ski-bumming in Aspen in 1980-81, I met a guy from Connecticut who knew the game as "Zoom Schwartz BONfigliano." Same rules as noted above. Flip5 19:43, 5 March 2007 (UTC)
I also met Zoom & Schwartz in 1975, among trainee pilots at RAF College Cranwell. In our game the 3rd word was Flikadeano (Flik-ae-dee-aah-no) but the rules were as above. Again, the resident experts had been practicing for some years. 80.176.133.228 21:54, 9 March 2007 (UTC)Qolin, 9 Mar 2007.
You're not alone. I came across it in 1974 at Flinders University in South Australia. Since at that time the game was already fully-developed there and at (at least) several other places around the world, a much earlier origin is implied. Or perhaps I just infer an earlier origin... Ossipewsk 04:18, 30 April 2007 (UTC)
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[edit] Who is Steve Carr?
Two anonymous editors have claimed the game was invented by "Steve Carr". One says it was "invented in the early 70s by Steve Carr of Oakleigh." If that's true, great! But we really, really need some sort of citation before we start attributing the game to a specific person. Absent that citation, I'm going to keep deleting it. — Alan De Smet | Talk 04:18, 13 June 2007 (UTC)
The Syracuse variant of ZSP is still current in parts of Ohio. Interestingly, we (swimmers all) learned the game from a 1970's Syracuse alum with no connections to swimming himself. This variant of the game also includes an elaborate opening "incantation" that must be delivered perfectly at the beginning of each round. Maybe I'll write up an entry. With the terms defined entirely differently, it might be relevant.
I used to play this while attending West Point as a drinking game. The first time I played was in 1972. The variation was the three command version, "Zoom, Schwartz, Pfigliano". Instructions were "You can't Zoom a Zoomer (direction goes to where one is looking), no laughing Schwartz's (direction goes to where one is looking), and Pfigliano must look away (returns direction to sender). No finger pointing allowed (must 'point' with elbows). Let's have a social drink...Begin...Zoom" Time limit was up to the "director" and was measured in fractions of a second. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 68.35.158.139 (talk) 03:57, 15 January 2008 (UTC)
[edit] Bunny bunny bunny!
In my past dabbling with ComedySportz, there was a warmup game called "bunny bunny bunny". It goes like this:
- Group gets into a circle. "It" starts chanting "bunny bunny bunny..." while flapping bunny ears over his head (ref carmeldansen videos). Person on It's left flaps the left hand. Person on It's right flaps the right hand. After six or so reps of "bunny", a final "bunny" is spoken and It points to someone else in the circle. The new It starts the "bunny bunny bunny" chanting again and so on. This was frequently mixed with zoom-schwartz-profigliano. There was also another word used: "beep". This passed It to the right or left depending on which way you turn your head.
Does anyone else remember any of this? Frotz (talk) 07:40, 26 January 2008 (UTC)
[edit] The profane
My favorite variant replaces the words... but not the rules.
Zoom == F&^k Schwartz == S&^t Profigliano == "Eat me"
Usually, this version is done as loudly as possible. Great fun. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 146.115.113.144 (talk) 01:30, 2 March 2008 (UTC)
[edit] Oberlin Rules Circa 1984
1. No pointing. Digits are for eating. I mean, not eating. There is NO cannabalism at Oberlin College. Point = Drink.
2. A round only begins after a successful preamble: "The name of this game is Zoom, Schwartz, Profigliano (and all words currently in use in order). Zoom (or Zoom-equivalent word if in use)." Any stumbling, mumbling, uhs, ums, mispronounciations, etc, are considered an foul = Drink.
3. Any word said by any player during an active round (after successful preamble) is considered play and is judged accordingly.
4. No cannabalism.
5. The words, their movements and their meanings are as follow and introduced to play in this order after the initial three:
Zoom - look at recipient - introduction
Schwartz - look at recipient - reply
Profigliano - look NOT at recipient - reply
Boink - look at "lap" - reply
Belvedere - look up - introduction to player on left
Meep Meep - n/a - end
Quaffle - n/a - repeat
Hedge - n/a - introduction to player on right
Wembley - look at recipient - forced introduction to previous player, await instructions
Xavier - look at recipient - forced introduction to previous player, speak now
Flesh - n/a - reply, next statement is in metalanguage where any reply = a legal schwartz
F***ologist - n/a - all players say "when you said f-ologist, my woman heard you! (various additions permissible)"
Volvo - look at recipient - forced introduction to three-way conversation with speaker and previous speaker, await instructions
Adolph - look at recipient - forced introduction to three-way conversation with speaker and previous speaker, speak now
Counter - look at recipient - reply with next number, begins with 1
Chan - n/a - may be said after the 3rd consecutive repetition of any word by the same player, ends play because a Chan is a foul = Drink. (Example: Zoom. Quaffle. Zoom. Quaffle. Zoom. Quaffle. Chan.)
Alexander - n/a - introduction to second player to the left
Bobby - n/a - introduction to second player to the right
This variation was developed at T-House, an off-campus residence. Many people played and contributed to the game's development, but four habitual players known as The Council acted as a rules-setting body, determining through vigorous research the appropriate interpretation of the language above.

