Unicorns do exist. We just call them rhinoceros. Unfortunately, the description got a bit scrambled. Chinese whispers was a real issue, back in medieval times.
A rhino could be described as “A large, grey horse like creature with a large horn, and an angry temperament.” Since no horse is white (they are all technical “grey”), people at home will likely envision a large white, majestic, stallion. Combine this with entrepreneurial sailers, selling narwhal tusks as “unicorn horns” and they misunderstanding makes complete sense.
There’s a non-sinophobic name for the game, it’s called “Telephone.” You might need to say “the Telephone game” or “playing Telephone” to be clear, although just the quote marks and capital T might be enough to indicate it’s not a literal telephone call.
Unicorns do exist. We just call them rhinoceros. Unfortunately, the description got a bit scrambled. Chinese whispers was a real issue, back in medieval times.
A rhino could be described as “A large, grey horse like creature with a large horn, and an angry temperament.” Since no horse is white (they are all technical “grey”), people at home will likely envision a large white, majestic, stallion. Combine this with entrepreneurial sailers, selling narwhal tusks as “unicorn horns” and they misunderstanding makes complete sense.
Real Unicorns have curves!
There’s a non-sinophobic name for the game, it’s called “Telephone.” You might need to say “the Telephone game” or “playing Telephone” to be clear, although just the quote marks and capital T might be enough to indicate it’s not a literal telephone call.
I have never in my life heard the phrase “Chinese whispers” used to describe a game of telephone.
In fact, I’ve never heard the phrase, “Chinese whispers” at all.
I learned it as broken telephone.
Most rhinoceroses have more than one horn, making them by definition not unicorns.