Padiddle

A typical padiddle

Padiddle, also spelled pediddle, perdiddle and kadiddle (not "badiddle"), is an American slang term for a vehicle with a burnt-out headlight or brake light, as well as the name for a night-time travel game involving spotting such vehicles.^[1]

Play

The objective is to be the first to spot a qualifying vehicle. The spotter must say "Padiddle" to earn a sighting. In some groups, the spotter must simultaneously hit the ceiling of the car, and in others, punch or kiss another passenger. The person with the highest score at the end of the trip is the winner.

The word Padiddle, a car with one headlight burned out, was in use during the early 1950’s in suburban Westchester County, New York. In that post-World War II era, cruising in cars was an alternative low-cost teenage dating activity.

Instead of house parties that invariably included some kind of adult supervision, teens would ride around town on a Friday or Saturday night and scouted other cruising teens. Occasionally a ‘pit stop” at a burger and soda drive-in became a destination for socializing.

The game of Padiddle had rules. They were simple. Whoever first spotted a car with a burnt out headlight would point and shout. “Padiddle!” If it was a boy who was making the discovery, he was allowed to kiss his date once. If the girl spotted the one-eyed car first and shouted “Padiddle” she was allowed to punch her date on the arm as hard as she could.

As questionable as these “prizes” were, they always provided a spirited activity for a car cruise date. (This teenager played the game as early as 1951 and had a black and blue arm to show for it.)

--Gary Gladstone

^[2]

See also

• License plate game
• Punch buggy

References