Punch buggy
Punch buggy (also called punch bug, slug bug, or beetle bug[1]) is a car game generally played by children in which participants punch each other in the arm upon first sight of a Volkswagen Beetle while calling out "Slug bug!" or "Punch buggy!" in reference to the Beetle's nickname, the Bug. The color of the Beetle is also stated.[2]
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[edit] History
Most references about the game originate from unofficial sources and personal accounts from players. Estimates suggest that it has existed since the 1960s.[3]
As part of the Punch Dub marketing campaign run by Volkswagen, a man named Zachariah Davis was presented as "the guy who made a game out of seeing VWs and punching his friends."[4] This campaign, launched in 2009, claims that the game was started "over 50 years ago." Though provided by the company itself, this history of the game presented in this ad is purely humorous historical fiction created[5] by the ad agency Deutsch Inc.
[edit] Variants
Some players consider Volkswagen's 1998 reintroduction of the New Beetle invalid for game purposes but, as older models become more rare, some players may choose to include the new Beetles. Others allow "classic" bugs to count for two punches.[1] One author suggests similar games with station wagons, convertibles, trucks and buses.[6] Another variant allows a convertible to count for two punches. A "non-physical" variation of the game, called "Beetle," simply awards the participants points for spotting Beetles driving by. Games of this type have been suggested for use in helping to engage autistic children during car rides.[7]
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ a b Polk, Janet (2006). Rules for Playing Slug Bug and Punch Buggy. AuthorHouse. pp. 17. ISBN 1425902294. http://books.google.com/books?id=KT3koDJS9IMC&printsec=frontcover&dq=%22punch+buggy%22#PPP1,M1.
- ^ Case, Steven L. (2003). Road Rules. Zondervan. pp. 114. ISBN 0310251001.
- ^ "Bug: The Strange Mutations of the World's Most Famous Automobile". WNYC: New York Public Radio. 2007-03-28. http://www.wnyc.org/books/5377.
- ^ http://www.vw.com/punchdub/sluggy/
- ^ "Volkswagen to Spotlight 'Punch Dub' Game in Super Bowl Ad, Online Campaign Touting Product Family". Volkswagen of America (press release). http://www.automotive.com/auto-news/02/49078/index.html.
- ^ Dazzo, Susan (2005). Mom's Guide to Being a Superhero. Fair Winds. pp. 133. ISBN 1592331165. http://books.google.com/books?id=M87iX3eSNZEC&pg=PA133&dq=%22punch+buggy%22.
- ^ Greenspan, Stanley and Wieder, Serena (2006). Engaging Autism. De Capo Press. pp. 191. ISBN 0738210285. http://books.google.com/books?id=1yUqcJzopjAC&pg=PA191&dq=%22punch+buggy%22+variation.
