I was playing pictionary the other day, and my team was getting our collective butts whooped. Losing itself isn't a problem. What bugged me was that our losing took so long because the other team was so quick off the mark that we had to wait until the sand in that little plastic hourglass finish sifting to the other side after each round.

What I was thinking, was a kind of "sand release" device" that would allow all the sand to fall to one side. It could be that the waist of the hourglass is adjustable so that there is a "pinhole" version, and a giant circular version that would let all the sand fall through.

That would definitely speed up the game.
-- Furrowed, Dec 18 2003

Make the hourglass a hollow ring with the narrow part on one side so you can quickly get sand from the top to the bottom by rotating such that the sand goes around the other side.
-- AO, Dec 18 2003


Eggtimer. That will speed things up nicely. As far as modifying an hourglass, I think it takes away from some of the old-world charm if you can speed it along like that. But it makes sense.
-- Letsbuildafort, Dec 18 2003


Buy a second hourglass?
-- phoenix, Dec 18 2003


// sand release" device" that would allow all the sand to fall to one side.//

OK, but watch the other team carefully when they're timing you! ("what? time's over already?")
-- phundug, Dec 18 2003


Use a digital timer?
-- DrCurry, Dec 18 2003


Speeding up the game has a downside since you and your team have more opportunities for more losses, given the way you guys were playing.
-- Avendra, Dec 18 2003



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