Punch buggy

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A 1967 Volkswagen Beetle

Punch buggy (also called punch bug or slug bug) is a car game generally played by young children in which participants hit each other upon sight of a Volkswagen Beetle.

1 History
2 Variants
3 Variants involving different vehicles
4 Popular culture
5 References

[edit] History

Most references about the game originate from unofficial sources and personal accounts from players. No facts about this game are certain, though top estimates suggest that it has existed since the 1960s.^[1]

In the Simpsons episode Bart vs. Lisa vs. The Third Grade Bart and Lisa partake of the game:

Bart: Punch buggy red! (punches Lisa)

Lisa: OUCH! You are such an immature-punch buggy white! (punches Bart)

Mrs. McConnell: Stop fighting.

Lisa: He started it! He did punch buggy first.

Girl: What's punch buggy?

Bart: When you see a Volkswagen bug, you punch somebody and yell the color.

(The bus passes a car dealer called Volkswagen World. Its parking lot is filled with Beetles.)

Kid: Punch buggy blue! (punches kid)

Kid: Punch buggy green! (punches kid)

Kid: Punch buggy taupe! (punches kid)

Otto: Two for flinchin'!

(The bus erupts into chaos.)

(Then the children are seen walking off the bus rubbing their arms from being punched so much)

Punch buggy has been the subject of merchandising with baseball caps and t-shirts produced with associated logos of various sorts.

[edit] Variants

Volkswagen's 1998 reintroduction of the New Beetle option made older model Beetles much more rare. Some players consider this new model invalid for game purposes, making the game much more difficult to play;^[2] however, other players (especially younger ones, who find the punching more interesting than the spotting of a Beetle or any associated childhood nostalgia) may accept even Mini Coopers in a pinch, if no "real" Beetles are nearby.

In one form of the game, upon sighting a Volkswagen Beetle, a participant will yell, "(color)!" or "(color) Punch Buggy!" and add "No punch backs!" to lock that color against being called again. An example of this would be to call "Punch buggy pink!" upon seeing a pink Volkswagen Beetle automobile or "pink Punch Buggy". Participants can also call out "Punch buggy (color), no punch backs!" or "(color) Punch Buggy, no returns!" Once the call is completed, the participant punches another participant of his or her choice, generally in the upper arm. Another (perhaps more common) variation is one in which colors do not matter, and the "No punch back!" call serves only to prevent the victim from slugging the first participant on the same car. Another variant is that a would-be victim (meaning someone whose opponent has spotted a Punch Buggy and is about to get punched) can yell "Bugspray!" and the victim would not get punched.

A variant common in Australia is to call "Punch buggy, what colour!" and to punch someone else until they either see the car and say the colour or (more commonly) just guess it.

In some regions, such as the Midwestern United States, it is common to call "slug bug (color)" instead of "punch buggy (color)." The game is also occasionally played without reference to color, with participants simply yelling "slug bug" before punching another participant.

Another, very modern, variant is to use cell phones for playing. This may be used as a substitute for the punching or for extending the game to when the players are not near one another. The spotter takes a picture of the buggy and sends it as an image message (MMS) to the other player. In this variant, it is more common to keep scores. It is imperative that the buggy be clearly visible in the frame.

"Yellow Slug Bug": When sighting a yellow beetle extra punches are awarded.

"Slug Bug (color), Reserve": A variation that involves the calling out of "Slug bug (color)!" and then "Reserve!". This entitles the participant to reserve a punch to be delivered at a later time. Also, if the correct (exact) color is called, two punches are allowed.

[edit] Variants involving different vehicles

"Cruiser Bruiser": When sighting a PT Cruiser, a participant will yell, "Cruiser Bruiser (color)!" and punch another participant on the shoulder.

"Hummer Bummer": When sighting a H1, H2, or ,H3 to yell "Hummer Bummer (color)" and hit someone. This causes a "bummer" to the other person.

"Beamer Screamer": When sighting a BMW one screams in the other's ear.

"Beep Jeep": When sighting a traditional Jeep CJ or Jeep Wrangler, "Beep Jeep (color)!" is yelled and a "Beep" is given (using an open hand on the opponents shoulder, like beeping the horn). If the Jeep has the top down, two "Beeps" are allowed. Also known as "Jeep Jab"".

"Box Car": When sighting a Scion xB, "Box Car (color)!" is yelled and a box (punch) is given to the shoulder.

"Pinch Buggy": When sighting a PT Cruiser, "pinch buggy" is yelled.

"Pinch Mini": When sighting a Mini Cooper, "pinch mini" is yelled and a pinch is given.

"Woody": When sighting a vehicle with fake wood panels on the sides, as was popular with station wagons produced until the mid 1980's the participant yells "Woody!" and punches the other participant in the head.

"UPS Punch": When sighting a UPS truck, the spotter yells "Ups punch" and uppercuts the person next to them.

"Cop Chop": When sighting a police car, a karate chop is given.

"Prius Game": When sighting a Toyota Prius a punch is given. Slug bug rules apply with a few variations. If a Prius is spotted in a gas station it earns extra punches. Also if someone yells "(Color) Prius!" that person gets punched for being a girl and because they "Color Coordinate" the game.

"Thing": Whenever a Volkswagen Thing (Volkswagen 181) is spotted, the spotter yells "Thing!" while kicking the victim in the crotch.

"Bad Luck Truck" Anytime any type of Black Truck is spotted, the spotter yells "Bad Luck Truck!" and gives the person next to them bad luck (by punching them)