BBC Radio 4 - Funny in Four - How to play (and win) Just A Minute (2024)

To play Just a Minute you must speak for a minute on a given subject. If you hesitate, repeat yourself, or deviate, an opponent will interrupt and take the subject. Points are gained for speaking when the minute is up, correctly interrupting, or being wrongly interrupted.

It sounds simple but for half a century it has proven anything but. Here are a few pro tips to help you achieve success.

BBC Radio 4 - Funny in Four - How to play (and win) Just A Minute (1)

The Chairman - Nicholas Parsons

1. When the chair says start talking, start talking. Immediately.

2. Try not to speak too quickly.

3. …But, don’t speak too slowly. That’s called hesitation.

4. Never say 'er', 'erm', 'um', or 'ahhhh'.

5. You can only repeat the words on the card. A wide vocabulary (or a mind like a thesaurus) is needed to succeed in this game.

6. Short words don’t count as repetitions. You won’t lose points for repeating words like 'I', 'you', 'a,' or 'the'.

7. Having said that, watch out for acronyms, because letters do count. USSR, BBC or CCTV are common pitfalls for newcomers.

8. Don’t change the topic - that’s deviation.

9. Don’t say: “I’d like to take a completely different tack to the others.” That sounds like it will be deviation.

10. Don’t ask the chair what colour his underpants are – that’s definitely deviant, and you will be challenged.

11. Never admit fault. There’s a chance your competitors won’t notice your mistake, so don’t buzz yourself and give them the ammunition!

More from the programme...

BBC Radio 4 - Funny in Four - How to play (and win) Just A Minute (2024)

FAQs

BBC Radio 4 - Funny in Four - How to play (and win) Just A Minute? ›

Players take it in turns to be given a topic/pick a topic card e.g. Holidays, My • weekend, My pets, My favourite things; which they must speak about for 1 minute (timed by the clock); The Player talking must try to remain on the topic, or else they can be challenged • by the other Player(s).

What are the rules for the game Just a Minute? ›

Players take it in turns to be given a topic/pick a topic card e.g. Holidays, My • weekend, My pets, My favourite things; which they must speak about for 1 minute (timed by the clock); The Player talking must try to remain on the topic, or else they can be challenged • by the other Player(s).

What is the Just a Minute rule? ›

Just a Minute is a BBC Radio 4 radio comedy and television panel game which has been going since 1967. It was chaired for 52 years by the late Nicholas Parsons. The object of the game is for panellists to talk for sixty seconds on a given subject, 'without hesitation, repetition or deviation'.

What are the rules for just one minute? ›

Rules. The panellists are invited, in rotation, to speak for one minute on a given subject (which they are normally not informed of in advance), without "hesitation, repetition or deviation".

How do you play win it in a minute? ›

Simply put, you are given a task. It can be a puzzle, stacking up stuff, knocking over stuff. Anything. And as the name says you have one minute to perform a given task.

What are the steps involved in just a minute? ›

Just A Minute (JAM) Sessions are one-minute impromptu speeches. Here, the speaker is presented with a topic on the podium and is given 10–30 seconds to think about it and assimilate all their ideas. After the thinking period is over, the individual is given a minute to express their views on that particular topic.

What is the just a minute technique? ›

There are many ways to scaffold students' speaking fluency; one of them is Just a Minute (JAM). JAM is an impromptu speech activity where the speaker is supposed to express their ideas on the given topic, within the duration of a minute, without hesitation and repetition.

What are the key components of just a minute? ›

Elements of JAM

1. Analyze, assimilate ideas 2. Analyze audience needs 3. Use proverbs , jokes and anecdotes to retain the audience's interest 4.

What is an example of just a minute? ›

"Aren't you finished yet?" "Just a minute. I'm almost done." Wait a minute—I didn't hear you. Could you repeat what you said?

What is the main rule in a Just a Minute session? ›

The basic principle of this game is that the speakers have to speak continuously for 60 seconds (one minute) on a given topic, but they have to speak on it without any deviation, hesitation and repetition.

What is Just a Minute activity? ›

To play Just a Minute you must speak for a minute on a given subject. If you hesitate, repeat yourself, or deviate, an opponent will interrupt and take the subject. Points are gained for speaking when the minute is up, correctly interrupting, or being wrongly interrupted.

What is the 1-minute rule? ›

What worked for me was the “one-minute rule,” which I was told about by a friend who found it had changed her attitude to small domestic tasks. According to this simple rule, the key to maintaining order is that if the task will take less than 60 seconds to execute, it must be done immediately.

What is the 1-minute method? ›

The 1-minute rule encapsulates a pragmatic and intuitive philosophy, dictating that any task which can be completed within a minute should be addressed without delay, alleviating the burden of impending responsibilities.

What is the best advantage of the one minute rule? ›

The one-minute rule can help you tackle tasks before they build up into a big undertaking. When you respond to emails or do other administrative tasks right away, your inbox stays clear and doesn't become an overwhelming task looming over your workweek.

What are the rules of a game? ›

The rules of a game define how the game is played, what actions are allowed or prohibited, and how players should behave. They provide a framework for the game and help to ensure that it is fair and enjoyable for all players. Rules are an integral part of games, and they serve a variety of purposes.

What is just a minute dos and don'ts? ›

Be brief and to the point. ➢ Be cautious of time. ➢ Follow a sequential order. Don'ts. ➢ Jumble ideas.

What is just a minute activity? ›

To play Just a Minute you must speak for a minute on a given subject. If you hesitate, repeat yourself, or deviate, an opponent will interrupt and take the subject. Points are gained for speaking when the minute is up, correctly interrupting, or being wrongly interrupted.

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