Monopoly 2

[Fluffyudders]

In response to an earlier question about the significance of Monopoly playing pieces, I'm in the UK and the pieces are different! I have an iron, a car, a dog, a top hat, a boat, and an old boot. So why on earth are the pieces different here. and what's the significance, if any?

[Quizmonster]

Charles Darrow, the game's American creator, wanted the tokens to be based on common household items. Presumably, British households tended to have some different objects from American ones...eg we have boots whereas they have shoes. (They're richer, see?) The iron, car and hat were common to both at one time, but - maybe because American women did more needlework - they had a thimble and we didn't. In exactly the same way, the place-names on the board were attuned to London rather than Atlantic City...their Boardwalk is our Mayfair, I believe. The reasons for the differences, therefore, are just down to 'local' factors.

[Fluffyudders]

So what's the significance of the boat?

[Quizmonster]

Why the boat? A symbol of wealth, perhaps? Creating that is, after all, the object of the game. The racing-car and top hat probably suggest the same idea, rather than being true 'household items'. A car of any kind was a relative rarity, particularly in Britain in the 1930s, when the game was invented.

Click http://boardgames.about.com/cs/monopolyhistory/ for a web-page with lots of monopoly-links. You might find more detailed answers there.

[andjac]

I once played monopoly with five or six friends and one lad was so cr@p I bought his dog!

[answerbok]

all these symbols have to do with travel and ways of 'going', when it's your go. The game is essentially about travel, buying is secondary, hence, the game starts with the word 'GO'.

[firefly]

These answers seem to ring true so far. Americans have shoes like we do, and an iron has nothing to do with travel, nor has the Scottie dog.

[answerbok]

what firefly, you never heard of a travel iron? [they're smaller and have a europlug.] and the Scottie dog, - wait a minute..

[Reize]

Walkies?