Post Office (game)
Post Office is a kissing game played by boys and girls at parties.
Rules
The group playing is divided into two groups – typically a girl group and a boy group. One group goes into another room, such as a bedroom, which is called "the post office". To play, each person from the other group individually visits "the post office". Once there, they get a kiss from everyone in the room. They then return to the original room.
Once everyone in the first group has taken a turn, the other group begins sending members to the first room.
Cultural references
- In 1936 in The Three Stooges episode "A Pain in the Pullman" when the stooges are being kicked out of the star's drawing room, Curly says "I thought she wanted to play post office!"
- In the 1941 Abbott & Costello movie Hold That Ghost, Costello's character (Ferdie) says to his love interest: "I play games, I play Post Office." When she replies: "Post Office? That's a kid's game." Ferdie responds: "Not the way I play it!" This same gag had been used previously in the Three Stooges short, Three Little Pigskins (1934). When a character played by actress Phyllis Crane tells the boys that they are "playing too rough," Curly suggests, "Let's play post office." She responds, "Aw, that's a kid's game." Curly then replies, "Not the way I play it!"
- A 1954 television episode of The Jack Benny Show with Fred Allen guest-starring, Benny is surprised by Allen hiding in a closet. When Benny demands to know what Allen is doing in the closet, Allen says, "Playing 'post office.' Kiss me!"
- In a 1954 episode of The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show in which Gracie Allen runs for city council, Gracie speaks to the chief of police. Near the end of the conversation he shakes her hand and says "It's been a real pleasure". Gracie replies, "If you think shaking hands is a pleasure, then you've never played Post Office."
- In his unfinished novel Answered Prayers, Truman Capote writes: "Kissing her, according to Dill, was like playing post office with a dead and rotting whale: she really did need a dentist."
- In the 1968 movie Yours, Mine and Ours, Frank, played by Henry Fonda, is on a date with a younger free-love hippie. The date is interrupted by Helen, played by Lucille Ball. While Frank and Helen commiserate over the problems they have with their respective children, the hippie says, "Why don't you drop me off at the exit, then you two can play post office!"
- In an episode of I Love Lucy called "The Charm School" (aired 25 January 1954), Ethel mentions that Fred suggested they play post office the previous night when a beautiful guest arrived at their dinner party.
- In the movie Sweet Home Alabama, Melanie, played by Reese Witherspoon, mentions playing a game of post office in high school, during the first meeting with her old friend Bobby Ray, played by Ethan Embry.
- In The Andy Griffith Show (2nd year) episode called "Bailey's Bad Boy", Barney mentions playing "2-handed post office" at the end of the show.
- At a society party in the 2008 movie The Loss of a Teardrop Diamond, Jimmy (Chris Evans) is designated Postman in a game that arouses jealousy in outcast debutante Fisher Willow (Bryce Dallas Howard).
Postman's Knock
The game of Postman's Knock is a variant of Post Office. It is played by groups of children or teenagers in which one person is chosen to be the "postman", goes outside and knocks on the door. Another person is chosen by the rest of the group to answer the door, and pays for the "letter" with a kiss. Then another person is chosen to be postman, etc.
The game has many variations. In some versions, playing cards are used to select which people get to be postman and which get to be answerer in turn.
Russian Post Office
Russian Post office is yet another version of the game, where one person is chosen to leave into another room, and then the remaining players choose another person to follow. When the second person enters the room the first one asks "Handshake, hug or kiss?" and the second person gets to choose whatever he or she wants.