Mad Libs

Mad Libs was invented in 1953 by Leonard Stern and Roger Price. Stern and Price co-created the game, but couldn't agree on a name for their invention. 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. 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". Stern and Price used that eavesdropped conversation to finally create the name "Mad Libs". The duo released the first Mad Libs book themselves in 1958.