"I'll count to 20. You name as many words that DO NOT have the letter "A" as you can, then we'll switch and I won't duplicate any of your answers." Ask someone else to keep score and begin counting aloud.....

Odds are they will get about 6-10 answers.

Now it's your turn...ready set - GO

"one, two, three, four, five..." (you can count to 1000 before getting to a word that uses an "A"

:)

Evil....I like it.

I'd imagine people would be pedants over this one!

Twenty one is two words, both of which have already been used.

Even if you said "Twenty One" was a "word" then you'd use the letter A when you said "One hundred AND one."

But I like the idea!

The clever bit is in the fact that you've given them the answer even as you were testing them. I've done this onstage (still a new and part of a larger bit) but the reaction is great...a couple moments of confusion then a wave of enlightenment and laughing...it's been great!

Actually, twenty-one is one hyphenated word.

Also, the correct pronunciation of 101 is "one hundred one." There is no "and." That being said, 101 IS more than one word.

Nevertheless, this is a great betcha because you can get to 99.

If the challenge is phrased right, all you have to do is beat their effort. "That was eight words, right? Okay, all I need are nine words to beat you... Ready? GO" and then you start counting.

Fun idea but I would not limit it to an eight count, when you have them by the short hairs rub it in their faces for greater audience laughter, and even the volunteer (sucker) enjoys the repetition of numbers and it take the focus off of their failure - I have started using this in my old time medicine show to test them to see if they need my tonic for "improve thinking".; Thanks for sharing. Dr. Goodjohn (maker of Dr. Goodjohn's Ernest Elixir)