Mad Libs

{{Short description|Comedy word game}} {{italic title}} {{About|the game|the person|Madlib|the show|Mad Libs (game show){{!}} ''Mad Libs'' (game show)}} {{distinguish|text=ad libs in music}} {{use mdy dates |date=April 2020 }} thumb|The cover of the first Stern and Price Mad Libs book

'''''Mad Libs''''' is a word game created by Leonard Stern<ref>{{cite web|last=Duralde |first=Alonso |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/idUS252047225720120112 |title=Review: 'Contraband' Operates by the Numbers, Loses Count |publisher=Reuters |date=2012-01-12 |access-date=2012-01-23}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/arts/2012/01/01/look-back-notable-departures/Kooa7d3RCEisf9oeJdbr4M/story.html |title=A look back at 2011's notable departures – Greece.com |publisher=Bostonglobe.com |date=June 9, 2011}}</ref> and Roger Price.<ref name="time">{{cite magazine|first=Regina|last=Wang|title='Mad Libs' Publisher Larry Sloan Dies |url=https://newsfeed.time.com/2012/10/18/mad-libs-publisher-larry-sloan-dies/ |magazine=TIME |date=2012-10-18 |access-date=2012-11-17}}</ref> It consists of one player prompting others for a list of words to substitute for blanks in a story before reading aloud. The game is frequently played as a party game or as a pastime. It can be categorized as a phrasal template game.

The game was invented in the United States, and more than 110 million copies of ''Mad Libs'' books have been sold since the series was first published in 1958.<ref name=time/>

==History== Mad Libs was invented in 1953<ref>{{cite web |date=April 16, 2008 |title=As Mad Libs turn 50, play an exclusive game |url=https://www.today.com/popculture/mad-libs-turn-50-play-exclusive-game-wbna24160656 |access-date=June 30, 2019 |work=Today |publisher=MSNBC}}</ref> by Leonard Stern and Roger Price. Stern and Price created the game, but could not agree on a name for their invention.<ref name=time/> No name was chosen until five years later (1958), when Stern and Price were eating Eggs Benedict at a restaurant in New York City. While eating, the two overheard an argument at a neighboring table between a talent agent and an actor.<ref name=time/> According to Price and Stern, during the overheard argument, the actor said that he wanted to "ad-lib" an upcoming interview. The agent, who clearly disagreed with the actor's suggestion, retorted that ad-libbing an interview would be "mad".<ref name=time/> Stern and Price used that eavesdropped conversation to create, at length, the name "Mad Libs".<ref name=time/> In 1958, the duo released the first book of ''Mad Libs'', which resembled the earlier games<ref>{{cite web|author=Weekend Edition Saturday |url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=7584979 |title='Revelations' About a Precursor to 'Mad Libs' |publisher=NPR |date=2007-02-24 |access-date=2012-01-23}}</ref> of consequences and exquisite corpse.

Stern was head writer and comedy director for ''The Steve Allen Show'', and suggested to the show's host that guests be introduced using Mad Libs completed by the audience. Four days after an episode introduced "our guest NOUN, Bob Hope", bookstores sold out of ''Mad Libs'' books.<ref name=":0">{{cite web|last1=Stern|first1=Leonard|title=The History of Mad Libs|url=http://www.madlibs.com/history/|website=www.madlibs.com|access-date=22 March 2017}}</ref>

Stern and Price next partnered with Larry Sloan, a high school friend who was working as a publicist at the time, to continue publishing ''Mad Libs''.<ref name=pw>{{cite news|first=Wendy|last=Werris|title=Obituary: Larry Sloan, 89 |url=http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/authors/obituaries/article/54394-obituary-larry-sloan-89.html |work=Publishers Weekly |date=2012-10-15 |access-date=2012-11-17}}</ref> Together, the three founded the publishing firm Price Stern Sloan in the early 1960s as a way to release ''Mad Libs''.<ref name=latimes/> In addition to releasing more than 70 editions of ''Mad Libs'' under Sloan, the company also published 150 softcover books, including such notable titles as ''How to Be a Jewish Mother'', first released in 1964; ''Droodles'', which was also created by Roger Price; ''The VIP Desk Diary''; and the series ''World's Worst Jokes''.<ref name=time/><ref name=pw/>

Price died in 1990, and three years later, Sloan and Stern sold Price Stern Sloan, including ''Mad Libs'', to the former Putnam Berkley Group, which is now known as Penguin Random House.<ref name=pw/> ''Mad Libs'' books are still published by Penguin Random House; however, all references to Price Stern Sloan have been removed from the company's official website. Stern died at age 88 on June 7, 2011,<ref name="nytobit">{{cite news | last = Fox | first = Margalit | date = June 9, 2011 | url = https://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/10/arts/television/leonard-b-stern-creator-of-mad-libs-dies-at-88.html | title = Leonard B. Stern, Creator of Mad Libs, Dies at 88 | work = The New York Times }}</ref> and Sloan on October 14, 2012.<ref name=time/><ref name=pw/><ref name=latimes>{{cite news|first=Valerie J.|last=Nelson|title=Larry Sloan dies at 89; co-founder of 'Mad Libs' publisher|url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-xpm-2012-oct-17-la-me-larry-sloan-20121017-story.html |work=Los Angeles Times |date=2012-10-17 |access-date=2012-11-17}}</ref>

More than 110 million copies of ''Mad Libs'' have been sold since the game series was first published in 1958.<ref name=time/>

== Predecessors of Mad Libs == It is unclear whether the creators of Mad Libs were aware of existing games and books similar to their own. One such game is ''Revelations About My Friends'', published anonymously by Fredrick A. Stokes Companies in New York in 1912.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Anonymous|url=https://wellcomelibrary.org/item/b29008803|title=Revelations of my Friends|publisher=Frederick A. Stokes Company Publishers|year=1912|location=New York}}</ref><ref name=":0" /> Like Mad Libs, the book invites the reader to choose words in various categories which then become part of a story. The nineteenth century parlor game "Consequences" is also similar to Mad Libs.

==Format== Mad Libs books contain short stories on each page with many key words replaced with blanks. Beneath each blank is specified a category, such as "noun", "verb", "number", "celebrity", "exclamation" or "part of the body".<ref name="nytimes1">{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/schoolbook/2012/01/09/mad-libs-and-dangling-participles/ |title=Mad Libs and Dangling Participles – SchoolBook |work=The New York Times |date=2012-01-09 |access-date=2012-01-23}}</ref> One player asks the other players, in turn, to contribute a word of the specified type for each blank, but without revealing the context for that word. Finally, the completed story is read aloud. The result is usually a comedic sentence.

Stern and Price's original Mad Libs book gives the following sentence as an example:<ref>{{cite book|last=Price|first=Roger|title=The Original Mad Libs 1|year=1974|publisher=Price Stern Sloan|isbn=978-0-8431-0055-6|page=3|url=http://www.madlibs.com/book/sooper-dooper-mad-libs-by-roger-price-9780843100570/|author2=Leonard Stern}}</ref>

{{interlinear|indent=3|italics1=no|italics2=yes|style2=font-size:80% |"___________!" he said ________ as he jumped into his convertible ______ and drove off with his _________ wife. | ''exclamation'' {} {} ''adverb'' {} {} {} {} {} {} ''noun'' {} {} {} {} {} ''adjective'' {}|}}

After completion, they demonstrate that the sentence might read:  "'''Ouch'''!" he said '''stupidly''' as he jumped into his convertible '''cat''' and drove off with his '''brave''' wife.

==Books== {{Cleanup list|section|date=January 2022}} The following is a list of most Mad Libs books in alphabetical order:<ref>{{Cite web|title=Mad Libs|url=https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/series/DQ3/mad-libs|access-date=2021-06-27|website=PenguinRandomhouse.com|language=en-US}}</ref> {{Div col|colwidth=15em}} *100 Days of School Mad Libs Junior *70s Mad Libs *80s Mad Libs *90s Mad Libs *A Very Mad Libs Christmas *Ad Lib Mad Libs *After School Mad Libs *Aggretsuko Mad Libs *All I Want for Christmas Is Mad Libs *All-American Mad Libs *All-Star Mad Libs *Among Us Mad Libs *American Dad! Mad Libs *Animals, Animals, Animals! Mad Libs Junior *Annie Mad Libs *Baby Shower Mad Libs *Barbie Mad Libs *Batman Mad Libs *Bee Movie Mad Libs *Best of Mad Libs *Billie Eilish Mad Libs *Birthday Party Mad Libs *Bob's Burgers Mad Libs *Bob's Burgers Grand Re-Opening Mad Libs *Booger Madness Mad Libs *Brain Riot Mad Libs *Broken News Mad Libs *Camp Daze Mad Libs *Can of Worms Mad Libs *Cats vs. Dogs Mad Libs *Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Mad Libs *Christmas Cards Mad Libs *Christmas Carol Mad Libs *Christmas Cheer Mad Libs *Christmas Fun Mad Libs *Christmas Gift Mad Libs *Christmas with the Golden Girls Mad Libs *Club Penguin Mad Libs *Clue Mad Libs *Clueless Mad Libs *Cool Mad Libs *County Fair Mad Libs *Craft Beer Mad Libs *Crazy Crafting Mad Libs *Critical Role Mad Libs *Dance Mania Mad Libs *Day of the Dead Mad Libs *DC Comics Super Hero Mad Libs *Dear Valentine Letters Mad Libs *Deep Sea Mad Libs *Diary of a Wimpy Kid Mad Libs *Diary of a Wimpy Kid Mad Libs: Second Helping *Dinosaur Mad Libs *Dinosaur Mad Libs Junior *Dirty Dancing Mad Libs *Disney Princess Mad Libs *Disney Villains Mad Libs *Diva Girl Mad Libs *Doctor Who Mad Libs *Dog Ate My Mad Libs *Don't Get Mad Libs, Get Even Funnier *Dude, Where's My Mad Libs? *Dungeons & Dragons Mad Libs *Dysfunctional Family Therapy Mad Libs *Easter Basket Mad Libs *Easter Eggstravaganza Mad Libs *Eid al-Fitr Mad Libs *Election Day Mad Libs *Emily the Strange Mad Libs *Encanto Mad Libs *Escape from Detention Mad Libs *Family Guy Mad Libs *Family Tree Mad Libs *Fear Factor Mad Libs *Fear Factor Mad Libs: Ultimate Grossout! *Feliz Navidad Mad Libs *Field Trip Mad Libs *Fingerlings Mad Libs Junior *Finding Dory Mad Libs *First Day of School Mad Libs *Foo Fighters Mad Libs *Frozen Mad Libs *Frozen II Mad Libs Junior *Game Over! Mad Libs *Garfield Mad Libs *Gender Reveal Party Mad Libs *Ghost Story Mad Libs *Give Me Liberty or Give Me Mad Libs *Go Big or Go Mad Libs: 10 Mad Libs in 1! *Go for the Gold! Mad Libs *Go Team! Mad Libs *GOALLLLLL! Mad Libs *Goat The Movie Mad Libs *Gobble Gobble Mad Libs *Godzilla Mad Libs *Gone Fishing Mad Libs *Goofy Mad Libs *Grab Bag Mad Libs *Graduation Mad Libs *Grand Slam Mad Libs *Gravity Falls Mad Libs *Greatest Grandma Mad Libs *Greek Mythology Mad Libs *Gross Me Out Mad Libs *Halloween Mad Libs Junior *Halloween Party Mad Libs *Hanukkah Mad Libs *Hatchimals Mad Libs Junior *Happily Ever Mad Libs *Happy Birthday Mad Libs *Happy Diwali Mad Libs *Happy Housewarming Mad Libs *Happy Howl-o-ween Mad Libs *Happy Kwanzaa Mad Libs *Happy New Year Mad Libs *Happy Valentine's Day! Love, Mad Libs *Haunted House Mad Libs *Have a Silly Easter! Mad Libs Junior *History of the World Mad Libs *Ho, Ho, Ho! Merry Mad Libs! *Hold Your Horses Mad Libs *Holly, Jolly Mad Libs *Home from School Mad Libs *Home Run Mad Libs *Horoscope Mad Libs *Hot Off the Presses Mad Libs *Hot Wheels Mad Libs *How to Train Your Dragon Mad Libs *I Love My Pet! Mad Libs Junior *I Love Seattle Mad Libs *I'm 10, Say It Again Mad Libs *I'm 8, It's Great Mad Libs *I'm 9, Everything's Fine Mad Libs *I'm Grounded Mad Libs *Impractical Jokers Mad Libs *Indiana Jones Mad Libs *Jeopardy! Mad Libs *JoJo Siwa Mad Libs *Jumbo Jack-O'-Lantern Mad Libs: 4 Mad Libs in 1! *Keep It Curious, George Mad Libs *Keep the Faith Mad Libs *Kid Libs Mad Libs *KPOP Demon Hunters Mad Libs *Kung Fu Panda Mad Libs *L.O.L. Surprise! Mad Libs *LEGO Mad Libs *LEGO Star Wars Mad Libs *Letters from Camp Mad Libs *Like Father, Like Mad Libs *Lime Green Mad Libs *Llama Llama Mad Libs Junior *Looney Tunes Mad Libs *Lost and Found Mad Libs *Love the Earth Mad Libs *Luck of the Mad Libs *Lunar New Year Mad Libs *Mad About Animals Mad Libs *Mad About Mad Libs *Mad Libs 40th Anniversary Edition *Mad Libs 50th Anniversary Edition *Mad Libs for President *Mad Libs: For the Fans: Beyoncé Edition *Mad Libs: For the Fans: Billie Eilish Edition *Mad Libs: For the Fans: BTS Edition *Mad Libs: For the Fans: Caitlin Clark Edition *Mad Libs: For the Fans: Harry Styles Edition *Mad Libs: For the Fans: Olivia Rodrigo Edition *Mad Libs: For the Fans: Taylor & Travis Edition *Mad Libs: For the Fans: Taylor Swift Edition *Mad Libs: For the Fans: Wicked Edition *Mad Libs Forever *Mad Libs from Outer Space *Mad Libs in Love *Mad Libs Mania *Mad Libs Mixed-Up Coloring Book *Mad Libs on the Road *Mad Libs Survival Guide *Mad Mad Mad Mad Mad Libs *Mad Scientist Mad Libs *Mad, Madder, Maddest Mad Libs *Magic 8 Ball Mad Libs *Masters of the Universe Mad Libs *Matilda Mad Libs *Marvel's Avengers Mad Libs *Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy Mad Libs *Marvel's Spider-Man Mad Libs *Masters of the Universe Mad Libs *Mean Girls Mad Libs *Medieval Mad Libs *Meow Libs *Merry Christmas! Love, Mad Libs *Merry Merry Mad Libs *Mickey Mouse Mad Libs *Minions Mad Libs *Mitzvah Mad Libs *Monopoly Mad Libs *Monster Mad Libs *Monster Mash Mad Libs *More Best of Mad Libs *Mother Knows Mad Libs *Much Ado About Mad Libs *Nickelodeon: Nick 90s Mad Libs *Night of the Living Mad Libs *Ninjas Mad Libs *Nothing But Net Mad Libs *Off-the-Wall Mad Libs *Olaf's Frozen Adventure Mad Libs *Once Upon a Mad Libs Junior *Oops, I Burped Mad Libs *Operation Mad Libs *Over the Hedge Mad Libs *Parks and Recreation Mad Libs *PAW Patrol Mad Libs Junior *Peace, Love, and Mad Libs *Penguin Classics Mad Libs *Percy Jackson Mad Libs *Pet Parade Mad Libs: 4 Mad Libs in 1! *Peter Rabbit Mad Libs Junior *Peter Rabbit 2 Mad Libs Junior *Pets-a-Palooza Mad Libs *Pirates Mad Libs *Pokémon Mad Libs *Pokémon Battle Let's Go Mad Libs *Pop Music Mad Libs *Presidential Mad Libs *Pride Parade Mad Libs *Prime-Time Mad Libs *Ready, Set, Go! Mad Libs *Rick and Morty Mad Libs *Roald Dahl: The Witches Mad Libs *Rock 'n' Roll Mad Libs *Ron's Gone Wrong Mad Libs *Royal Family Mad Libs *School Rules! Mad Libs Junior *Scooby-Doo Mad Libs *Scooby-Doo Mad Libs Junior *Shark Attack! Mad Libs *Silly Siblings Mad Libs *Slam Dunk Mad Libs *Sleepover Party Mad Libs *Snoopy Mad Libs *Solar System Mad Libs *Sonic the Hedgehog Mad Libs *Sonic the Hedgehog: The Official Movie Mad Libs *Sonic the Hedgehog: The Official Movie Mad Libs *Sonic the Hedgehog: The Official Movie Mad Libs *Son of Mad Libs *Sooper Dooper Mad Libs *SpongeBob SquarePants Mad Libs *Sports Mad Libs Junior *Spy Mad Libs *Star Trek Mad Libs *Star Wars Mad Libs *Star Wars Droids Mad Libs *Star Wars: The Clone Wars Mad Libs *Star Wars: The Force Awakens Mad Libs *Steven Universe Mad Libs *Stocking Stuffer Mad Libs *Straight "A" Mad Libs *Stranger Things Mad Libs *Summer Fun Mad Libs Junior *Super Silly Mad Libs Junior *Supersize Mad Libs *Tailgating Mad Libs *Teachers Rule! Mad Libs *The Amazing World of Gumball Mad Libs *The Big Bang Theory Mad Libs *The Grinch Mad Libs *The Incredibles Mad Libs *The Mad Libs Silly, Hilariously Funny, Belly-Busting Joke Book *The Muppets Mad Libs *The Office Mad Libs *The Original #1 Mad Libs *The Penguins of Madagascar Mad Libs *The Powerpuff Girls Mad Libs *The Wizard of Oz Mad Libs *The World of Roald Dahl Mad Libs *Time Travel Mad Libs *Total Mess Mad Libs *Total Nightmare Mad Libs *Totally Pink Mad Libs *Touchdown Mad Libs *Toy Story Mad Libs *Transformers BotBots Mad Libs *Travel Far and Mad Libs *Trick or Treat Mad Libs *Trolls Mad Libs *Try Not to Laugh Mad Libs *Turkey Time Mad Libs *Undead Mad Libs *Under the Sea Mad Libs Junior *Unicorns, Mermaids, and Mad Libs *Unidentified Flying Mad Libs *United States of Mad Libs *Upside Down Mad Libs *Vacation Fun Mad Libs *Valentine's Day Mad Libs *Wednesday Mad Libs *Wheel of Fortune Mad Libs *Who Was? Mad Libs *Winter Games Mad Libs *Wonder Woman Mad Libs *Wonka: The Official Movie Mad Libs *WWE Mad Libs *Would You Rather Mad Libs *You've Got Mad Libs {{div col end}}

==Other media== A game show called ''Mad Libs'', with some connections to the game, aired on the Disney Channel in 1998 and 1999.

Several imitations of Mad Libs have been created, most of them online. Imitation Mad Libs are sometimes used in educational settings to help teach kids the parts of speech.<ref name="nytimes1"/><ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ZrUaAAAAIBAJ&pg=3172,5992183&dq=mad-libs&hl=en |title=Schools Scramble to Prepare Students |work=Milwaukee Journal Sentinel |date=Oct 7, 2002 |access-date=2012-01-23}}</ref>

A stage adaptation called ''Mad Libs Live!'' with music by Jeff Thomson and book and lyrics by Robin Rothstein premiered off-Broadway at New World Stages from November 2nd, 2015 to January 3rd, 2016.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Collins-Hughes |first=Laura |date=2015-11-10 |title=Review: ‘Mad Libs Live!,’ a Musical With a Few Missing Pieces |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/11/theater/review-mad-libs-live-a-musical-with-a-few-missing-pieces.html |access-date=2026-05-21 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> The show, which is now available for licensing, features audience participation to fill in "missing words" from each song.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Mad Libs Live! |url=http://www.madlibslive.com/ |access-date=2026-05-21 |website=Mad Libs Live! |language=en-US}}</ref>

Looney Labs released ''Mad Libs: The Game'', a card game, in 2016. There is also a Mad Libs mobile app.

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== * [http://www.madlibs.com madlibs.com]

Category:Word games Category:Book series introduced in 1958 Category:Random text generation Category:Comedy books