The Minister's Cat is mentioned in the movie musical "Scrooge" (1970), based on "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens. In the musical "Scrooge" the Ghost of Christmas Present takes Scrooge to his nephew Harry's Christmas party and sees them play this game. The Minister's Cat was a parlor game, popular up to the late 19th century. It's easy to play. Sit in a circle with other players. The first player describes the "minister's cat" using an adjective that starts with the letter A. For example, "The minister's cat is an admirable cat". Each player takes a turn in order, using an adjective that starts with the next letter of the alphabet. Players are out if they can't think of an adjective within a time limit, or if they repeat an adjective that's already been used. The game continues until all letters of the alphabet have been used. In the movie, they sang each "the minister's cat is a..." part. But you could just say it. They were also timed, originally around 5 seconds each. It would be easier if you weren't timed, or given more time at least. This would also be a good game to play at birthday parties and for teachers to use with their students. You could tell them the history. And it is from the movie "Scrooge", so Christmas would be an appropriate time to do it. It involves a lot of skills, including memory, timing and creativity.
